Long hours could be killing you!

In an instance of common sense being backed up by hard science, a new study recently found that men had an easier time coping with excessive working hours if they were in good physical condition rather than not.

The Danish study, which evaluated the health of 5,000 men between the ages of 40 and 59 years old, discovered that in the 41-45 hours a week bracket men had a heart disease death rate 60 per cent higher than those who worked less regularly.

If the men were not physically fit, the likelihood of death doubled in comparison to the incidences of men who worked less than 40 hours per week.

In related news, new findings from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants were released recently, revealing that, on average, members of CIMA, who include limited company contractors, worked 45 hours a week, with US financial professionals averaging 5 hours a week higher than that.

The study found that these longer working hours were primarily caused by either being understaffed or having less resources than would be ideal, with 61 per cent of respondents (an increase of 12 per cent from last year's study) and also an increase in responsibility or pressure, as described by 63% of respondents.

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