Next Peak Podcast

This Job Is Killing Me, Literally!

February 09, 2022 Clint Herndon & Dr. Parker Houston Season 4 Episode 92
Next Peak Podcast
This Job Is Killing Me, Literally!
Show Notes

In today's episode, Dr. Park and Clint discuss how overworking can lead to major health problems and even death.

The Big Idea—A new global study published on May 17th, 2021, by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization says that working more than 55 hours per week is now the leading occupational hazard—and significantly increases the chances of early death.

An article on Pencavel's analysis was subsequently published in The Economist entitled, "Proof that you should get a life."

Here is a quote from that article:

"Reducing hours, say, from 55 to 50 hours a week, would have had only small effects on output. The results are even starker when we are talking about very long working hours. Output at 70 hours of work differed little from output at 56 hours. That extra 14 hours was a waste of time."

If you are working more than 50 hours per week, it's worth stopping to identify what your personal reasons may be.

(1) Do you live on a budget and control your personal spending habits?
(2) Do you long for the office to escape problems in your personal life?
(3) How much of your identity is tied to status, position, career, or how much you earn?

Take Action Now - Here are some steps you can take now to utilize your new knowledge:

  1. Set clear and healthy company policies.
  2. Model and encourage healthy work hours and vacation use.
  3. Get your needs for significance met in other areas of life.
  4. Help your kids find ways through college that don't involve massive student loans that leave them working hard and struggling for the next 30 years.
  5. Be careful with the size of your mortgage.
  6. Do a budget.
  7. Aim for 35 to 40 hours as a personal goal.


If this episode resonated with you today, please subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review. You can find us on Next Peak Podcast. If you want to connect with Dr. Parker Houston, you can find him at LeadYouFirst. Sign up for his weekly blog to receive some research-based tools that will help you transform your work and your life.

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Until next week, keep climbing your next peak.