People have been increasingly spending longer hours at their offices in some parts of the world. This is due to the high demand for products with the growing population and work-life imbalance imposed by the companies, and this should be viewed as a negative development.
It is reportedly true that the total population has been going up immensely. As a result, the need for everyday items increases, and a lot of companies sometimes struggle to meet the sudden demand from their consumers. This led employers to offer incentives to workers for overtime. While hiring more workers is an alternative solution, most corporations choose to overwork the current employees instead of spending extra money on new hires. Many companies’ unfair practices also cause these long work hours. Workers are unable to control the existing policies and have to meet the expectations of their employers. This is especially true for underdeveloped countries with traditional companies that have 9-to-5 working hours. In the world of advanced technology, it is difficult to work from home or through online without having knowledge or access to it. Consequently, those individuals have no chance of althering their working schedule.
This situation, where people sit at their work desks all day, should be seen as a negative development due to several reasons. Firstly, this could result in burnout and work-life dissatisfaction. Recent studies suggest that there is a positive correlation between long working hours and mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, longer office hours decrease productivity. When people are stuck at their workplace for a long time without proper rest, it is unlikely that they will be as creative as when they are energized.
In conclusion, higher consumer demand for products and unfair work practices cause employees to work longer. This is definitely a negative development as it can significantly impact workers’ mental health and creativity.