We all agree to the unwritten contract when we enter the corporate world: put in long hours, toil twice as hard as the next guy, and forgo sleep and a social life long enough for you to climb the ladder. And sure, you put up with intense stress from tight deadlines, anxiety about the office bully, and the constant fear of job insecurity, but in the end, it’s all worth it, right? Well, it turns out the rat race could kill you after all.
Not only does the way labor, as it is designed, contribute to symptoms of burnout, but it may be making people physically sick, and could potentially lead to death. According to a new International Labour Organization report, more than 840,000 people die each year from health conditions linked to major psychosocial risks at work. The report examined how job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and workplace bullying contribute to cardiovascular disease and mental disorders.
