How many people have the luxury of limiting themselves to 49 hours per week? According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), four in 10 people in Pakistan work more than eight hours a day.

As far as formal data goes, Pakistan seems better off than countries like Yemen and Qatar in which working long hours daily is the norm. Similarly, compared to Bangladesh, overwork seems less of an issue. An article “The myth of the 8-hour work day,” in the Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star quotes a study which states that an average workweek consists of 60-80 hours or more.

Not that Pakistan is a haven for labour. According to Human Rights Watch, garment factory workers in Pakistan are forced to work overtime. Not only do abysmally low paychecks make overtime necessary to make ends meet, but refusal to work long hours can also result in job termination. Another way is not providing timely transportation when the factory is located outside the city.

Long working hours increase the risk of dying from heart disease and stroke, indicates research by the World Health Organisation. In 2016, 745,00 deaths were caused by working at least 55 hours a week.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, August 22nd, 2022