Overtime Hours and Heart Health
Take Heart, Take a Break
Recently, CNN Health reported that overtime hours can be hazardous to your health. A new study found that those who work in excess of 10 hours a day are more susceptible to heart problems, including heart attack and heart disease. At seven hours the danger of these diseases lessens. All the more reason to make sure that if you are working overtime you are paid for it and that you pay attention to your health.
The California Injury Attorney Blog has posted previously on the ways that employers attempt to avoid paying workers appropriate compensation by classifying them as exempt. The financial impact on workers who are misclassified by their employers is real and damaging. That is why it is so important to know your rights to overtime pay.
And now there is a new potential harm to those clocking long hours on the job with or without appropriate pay -- heart problems.
Balancing Act
The suspected cause of the heart problems for those working long hours is the lack of time to relax and alleviate stress. Long hours can be heartfelt, but not in a good way. Even if you don't feel particularly stressed, your heart can be suffering on the job
The lead author of the study, Dr. Marianna Virtanen at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London says the link between heart health and work hours has to do with balance. It's a risk factor that is overlooked if "you do not have enough time to take care of your health," says Dr. Virtanen.
The study included the health impact to over 6,000 civil servants in Britain who were followed for over a decade. Although the workers in the study were white-collar workers, the findings might well be applicable to those working in other jobs that require long hours and limited time for personal health.
If you are working long hours and you believe you may be entitled to overtime pay, please contact the San Francisco law firm of Hersh & Hersh for a free evaluation of your situation. We have experience helping workers get the pay to which they are entitled and we can evaluate your rights at no charge to you.
Don't let long hours go unpaid. And take time to take care of yourself and your heart health.
Related Web Resources
For more information on your right to over time pay, visit the California Department of Industrial Relations.
