Alarming new research shows that people working more than 54 hours a week are at major risk of dying from overwork. It’s killing three-quarters of a million people each year.

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Lisa Choi ignored the first symptoms. After all, the 53-year-old business analyst was a very active, fit vegetarian, who cycled frequently and avoided high-fat foods. She was far from the typical victim of a heart attack.

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However, the Seattle-based Choi was working 60-hour workweeks, including evenings and weekends. She was facing tight deadlines and managing complex digital projects. This workload was utterly normal to her. “I have a really high-stress job… I’m usually on overdrive,” she says.

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It wasn’t until several months ago, when she suddenly started feeling an anvil-like pressure on her chest, that she began to take her symptoms more seriously. In the hospital, it turned out that she had a tear in her artery. This is a hallmark of a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a relatively rare heart condition that particularly affects women and people younger than 50. Told that she would need an angioplasty to open up her artery, Choi thought, “I don’t have time for this. I’m scheduled for migrations at work, and I’m doing all this stuff.”

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Like Choi, many are also finding themselves in ill health due to intense work schedules. New, sobering research – said to be the first-ever study to quantify the global burden of disease from working long hours – has shown how bleak the situation is.

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In a paper published 17 May, authors from institutions including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) suggest that, each year, three-quarters of a million people are dying from ischaemic heart disease and stroke, due to working long hours. (Ischaemic heart disease, also known as coronary heart disease, involves narrowed arteries. Choi’s SCAD is different from conventional ischaemic heart disease, but stress and high blood pressure are major factors in both.)

In other words, more people are dying from overwork than from malaria. This is a global health crisis, demanding attention from individuals, companies and governments alike. And, if we don’t solve it, the problem may not only continue – it could get worse.

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How overwork affects health.

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In the paper, published in the journal Environment International, researchers systematically reviewed data on long working hours, defined as 55 hours or more per week; health impacts; and mortality rates from most of the world’s countries, from 2000 to 2016. The authors controlled for factors like gender and socioeconomic status, in order to tease out the pure effects of overwork on health.

The study establishes that overwork is the single largest risk factor for occupational disease, accounting for roughly one-third of the burden of disease related to work. “For me personally, as an epidemiologist, I was extremely surprised when we crunched these numbers,” says Frank Pega, a WHO technical officer and the lead author of the paper. “I was extremely surprised by the size of the burden.” He describes the findings as moderate, but clinically significant.

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There are two major ways that overwork can reduce health and longevity. One is the biological toll of chronic stress, with an uptick in stress hormones leading to elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. Then there are the changes in behaviour. Those logging long hours may be sleeping little, barely exercising, eating unhealthy foods and smoking and drinking to cope.

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And there are particular reasons to worry about overwork both while we’re still in the Covid-19 pandemic, and looking at life thereafter. The pandemic has intensified some work stresses while bringing new forms of workplace exhaustion.

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India has become the epicentre of the global pandemic, with more than 25 million cases of Covid-19. But the pandemic is affecting health in other ways as well. Sevith Rao, a physician and founder of the Indian Heart Association, explains that South Asians are already at high risk of heart disease. Now, “with the Covid pandemic we have seen an increase in work from home, which has blurred work-life balance among many individuals, leading to disrupted sleep patterns and exercise; this has, in turn, increased the risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.”

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Moreover, the pandemic has resulted in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Previous recessions have actually been followed by increases in working hours. “It seems almost like a perverse effect,” Pega acknowledges, in light of the widespread job losses during a recession. But “the reality seems to be that the people who are still working have to work more to compensate for the job losses.”

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Hotspots of overwork.

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According to the data in the paper, 9% of the world’s population – a number that includes children – is working long hours. And, since 2000, the number of people who are overworking has been increasing.

Overwork affects different groups of workers in very different ways.

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Men work longer hours than women in every age group. Overwork peaks in early middle age, although the health effects take longer to turn up. (The study authors used a 10-year lag period to track the effects of overwork on the onset of disease; after all, “death by overwork” doesn’t happen overnight.)

According to the new data, pulling late nights and long hours is no longer just exhausting – it's life threatening.

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The data also show that people in Southeast Asia seem to be working the longest hours; people in Europe, the shortest. Pega explains that there may be cultural reasons for the larger proportion of people in Asia working long hours. As well, many people work in the informal sector in low- and middle-income Asian countries. As Pega points out, “People in the informal economy might have to work long hours to survive, they might be working multiple jobs, they might not be covered by social protection laws.”

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On the flip side, many Europeans enjoy a working culture that celebrates lengthy holidays and substantial rest periods. This more relaxed attitude is enshrined in law; for instance, the European Union’s Working Time Directive bars employees from working more than 48 hours a week on average.

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But even in some European countries, especially outside of France and Scandinavia, there’s been an increasing proportion of high-skilled workers working extreme hours since 1990 (after the peak of unionisation and the related employee protections). Tellingly, the Austrian health minister resigned from his job in April, saying that he had developed high blood pressure and high blood sugar while overworking during the pandemic. His public announcement was unusual not just because of his high-profile position, but also because he was actually able to leave his exhausting job.

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Over in Seattle, Choi has also been fortunate, in that her colleagues have been supportive of her need to slow down at work. Since not everyone can afford to work more balanced hours, and not everyone will get a wake-up call before a fatal stroke or heart attack, there’s an urgent need to tackle this health crisis now.

Combatting overwork

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If trends continue in the same direction, overwork – and the associated health harms – will only increase. This is especially worrying, given how many societies glorify overwork to the point of burnout. And, as our work hours have ticked up during the pandemic, with few signs of stopping, those suffering from spending too many hours on the clock will only increase.

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The burden to disrupt the cycle falls on both employers and employees in some way – and all may need to work together in order to rein in overwork and the subsequent issues that follow.

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In general, Pega urges workplaces to embrace flexible work, job shares and other means of improving balance in work schedules. They should also take occupational health services seriously. And Rao comments, “We at the Indian Heart Association believe that increased education and screening is key to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke.”

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There’s clearly a role for individual workers to reshape their attitudes to work as well – we can all try to push back against the pull of overwork that keeps so many of us glued to our phones late into the evening. The sooner workers do this, the better position they’ll be in; since overwork is a risk that accumulates over years, preventing it from becoming chronic may reduce the severity of the worst health risks (although there’s not enough evidence on when the risk crosses over from short-term to chronic).

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But the most sweeping changes would need to occur at the governmental level. Pega says, “we already have solutions. People have put in place limits on the maximum number of hours we should be working” – for instance with the European Working Time Directive, or other right-to-disconnect laws. In countries with strong laws on limiting work, what’s key is enforcing and monitoring those laws. And in countries with weak social safety nets, anti-poverty measures and welfare programmes can lower the number of people working themselves to the bone out of sheer necessity.

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Ultimately, the problem of overwork – and the ill health it breeds – will continue if we don’t make changes in our working lives. And change isn’t impossible. “We can do something,” insists Pega. “This is for everybody.”

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Concorde.

 

The world's fastest passenger jet. 

 

Concord or Concorde? Both words mean agreement, harmony or union.

 

The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde is a British–French supersonic passenger airliner that was operated from 1976 until 2003. It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound, at Mach 2.04 (2,180 km/h at cruise altitude), with seating for 92 to 128 passengers. Passengers from London would leave at 9 a.m. and arrive in New York at 8.45 a.m for example! 

 

First flown in 1969, Concorde entered service in 1976 and operated for 27 years.

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Concorde was jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation of France and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. Twenty aircraft were built. Air France and British Airways were the only airlines to purchase and fly Concorde.

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The aircraft was used mainly by wealthy passengers who could afford to pay a high price in exchange for the aircraft's speed and luxury service. For example, in 1997, the round-trip ticket price from New York to London was $7,995 (equivalent to $12,700 in 2019), more than 30 times the cost of the cheapest option to fly this route.

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The original programme cost estimate was £70 million. The programme experienced huge overruns and delays, with the program eventually costing £1.3 billion. It was this extreme cost that became the main factor in the production run being much smaller than anticipated.

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Among other destinations, Concorde flew regular transatlantic flights from London's Heathrow Airport and Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia and Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados; it flew these routes in less than half the time of other airliners and so fast was it that it’s arrival time was before its departure time!!!

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Concorde aircraft were retired in 2003, three years after the crash of Air France Flight 4590, in which all passengers and crew were killed. The general downturn in the commercial aviation industry after the September 11 attacks in 2001 and the end of maintenance support for Concorde by Airbus contributed to the retirement.

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Text Interpretation:

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h: What does the name of Concorde mean? 

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i: Which countries developed the Concorde supersonic jet?

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j: How fast did it fly?

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k: Was it produced under budget or over budget?

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l: What was the approximate price for a round-trip (return flight) ticket from New York to London? 

 

 

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Past Perfect.

 

z:   When I arrived at the cinema, the film had already (start).

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y:   Andreza had (live) in China before she moved to Thailand.

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x:   After they had (eat) the shellfish, Mirella and Luana began to feel sick.

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w:   If you had (train) for the interview with me, you would have passed.

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v:   Andreia didn’t arrive until after I …… left.

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u:   When we had (finish) dinner, we went out.

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t:   Marcos had (meet) Aline somewhere before they first had dinner together.

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s:   Lorena met Wal after they had already (meet) Marcela.

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r:   Henrique had (finish) the report before his boss got back.

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q:   Thiago had (developed) the programme before the rest of the team did.

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p:   Lidia had (translate) the text before Marcelo Bielsa had time to complain.

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o:   Cicera had (drink) all the beer before her fiancé had time to drink even one.

 

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Grammar: Prepositions.

 

For or to?

 

We use to before the infinitive form of the verb.

 

e.g.

 

To go   

 

To work    

 

To study   

 

To buy   

 

To be (to be or not to be) 

 

 

We also use the preposition to for direction.

 

e.g.

 

I’m going to Canada.

 

I gave the pen to Marcelo.

 

Please take this coffee to the patient.

 

He is coming to Dublin tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

We use the preposition for before a noun or a pronoun.  e.g.

 

This coffee is for you.

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He did it for me.

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I bought this smartphone for 500 euros.

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We also use for before a verb in the gerund form.  e.g.

 

This book is good for studying English.

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This website is good for buying online.

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This radio station is terrible for listening to music.

 

 

 

TEST.

 

3,455:  I’m going ...... the pub.

 

3,460:  They all decided ...... shave their heads for the new university year.

 

3,465:  What would you like ...... lunch?

 

3,470:  He bought the car ...... 5,000 euros.

 

3,475:  I bought this book ...... you.

 

3,480:  Take the tea ...... your boss.

 

3,485:  It’s an incentive ...... them ...... redevelop the programme.

 

3,490:  He was picked ....... manage the new hospital ward.

 

3,495:  She has plans ...... invest in technology.

 

3,500:  She will be happy ...... do this ...... you.

 

3,600:  He gave it ...... her yesterday.

 

3,700:  Everybody has ...... follow the rules and regulations.

 

3,800:  He invested the money ...... his children’s future.

 

3,900:  I’ve got three cameras ...... taking this kind of shot.

 

4,000:  Could you get me The Economist magazine......read on the weekend?

 

5,000:  What is there ...... eat tonight?

 

6,000:  What is there ...... dinner tonight?

 

7,000:  He agreed ...... sign the contract.

 

8,000:  Pinga is the best ...... getting drunk on the cheap.

 

9,000:  I’d like you ...... do it ...... me.

 

 

Vocabulary.

 

 

Shave = raspar         

            

Picked = escolhido    

          

Shot = photo                         

 

On the cheap = sem gastar muito

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Discussion.

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10,000: Do you enjoy watching the Olympics? Why or why not?

 

20,000: Which sports or events do you prefer to watch?

 

30,000: Do you ever watch gymnastics?

 

40,000: What about boxing?

 

50,000: Do you reckon that football should be included in the Olympics?

 

60,000: Would you like to watch the Olympics live in the stadium, or would you prefer to watch it from the comfort of your own home?

 

70,000: Which is better? The Olympics or the World Cup?

 

80,000: In which city would you prefer the next Olympics to be staged?  Why?  

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Vocabulary.

 

Reckon = acho / acha      

 

Staging = sediando / sediar  

       

Profitable / lucrative = lucrativo

 

Under control = sob controle 

                                      

Lower = mais baixo

 

As well as = além de   

                                                  

Staged = sediado/ sediados   

                  

Gold = ouro         

                                                         

Silver = prata                     

 

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Make or do? (The answer is really quite simple.)

 

 

Do is used for an action.     

 

I will do my homework.

 

I did the washing in the morning.

 

She’ll do it for you tomorrow.

 

He does all sorts of things on the weekend.

 

Could you do this for me, please?

 

 

Make is usually used for a result.     

 

I made a mistake in my homework.

 

She made a mess in her bedroom yesterday.

 

He intends to make a good impression with the big cheese.

 

I need to try to make my friends feel comfortable in my new home.

 

She always makes her husband angry.

 

I’ve made myself fat by eating too much.

 

*** As you can see, the results are as follows: mistake, mess, impression, comfortable, angry, fat.

 

Observation.

 

make me, makes me, made me = correct. 

   

do me, does me, did me = incorrect, except for ‘do me a favour.’

 

Vocabulary.

 

Sorts = tipos                     

 

Could you = Você poderia       

 

Mess = bagunça                                    

 

Big cheese = o chefe        

 

Angry = bravo 

   

                  

TEST: Make or do?

 

 

90,000:  I’d like to........something interesting tomorrow.

 

100,000:  I........a lot of work yesterday.

 

101,000:  She........her mother cry last Monday in front of everyone.

 

102,000:  Excuse me, but could you........this for me?

 

103,000:  How much money did you........last month selling water-coolers?

 

104,000: ........me an offer, will you?

 

105,000:  Hey, don’t........that!

 

106,000:  What did you........on Saturday?

 

107,000:  I........absolutely nothing last Saturday.

 

108,000: That bloke really........me angry.

 

109,000: That guy really........me laugh.

 

110,000: Let’s........it again!

 

110,015: Oh God! I’ve........a real cock-up of it!

 

110,020: This music always........me so depressed.

 

110,025: Do you enjoy........this kind of test?

 

110,026: It........me sick to see so many bent politicians and businessmen.

 

110,027: She has just........me an interesting offer.

 

110,028: I really need to........it the same way that she does.

 

110,029: What were you........at 9 o’clock last night?

 

110,030: I’m........everything possible to fix your car.

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Vocabulary.

 

Water-cooler = bebedouro    

   

Bloke  = cara / rapaz       

        

Guy = cara / rapaz       

                                                         

Cock-up = grande erro    

          

Kind of = tipo de        

             

Bent = corrupto        

                                 

To fix = consertar

 

 

Easy vocabulary to memorise!

 

Municipal                       

 

Secretary

 

Family                            

 

Social

 

Department                    

 

To maintain = manter

 

Possible                           

 

Probable

 

Possibly = possivelmente

 

Probably = provavelmente

 

Possibility                       

 

Probability

 

Impossible                      

 

Improbable

 

Perfect                            

 

Imperfect

 

Motive                            

 

Motivated

 

To consider                    

 

To admit

 

To confess                     

 

To abandon

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Would have /  should have  / could have

 

Would have = teria

Should have = deveria ter

Could have = poderia ter

 

Translate the following: 

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a: If I’d had 50 R$ yesterday, I would have drunk some beer.

Se eu tivesse tido 50R$ ontem, ......................................

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b: If I’d gone to Outback yesterday, I would have eaten ribs.

Se eu tivesse ido ao Outback ontem, ...............................

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c: Had you told me earlier, I would have brought your book.

Se tivesse me contado mais cedo, ....................................

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d: I would have helped you with your problem if you had asked me.

………………………………………………………………….. se você tivesse pedido.

 

 

Translate to Portuguese.

 

 

e: I should have paid my bills on time.

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f: I should have bought a new telephone before this one broke.

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g: I should have gone to the doctor before I got sicker.

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h: I should have helped you. I’m sorry.

 

i: I could have taken the vaccine but I preferred to listen to Bolsonaro’s advice. Now I’ve got covid.

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j: I could have invested my money better.

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k: If you had invited me yesterday, I could have met you.

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l: If you had told me about your problem, I could have helped you.