Nowadays, hard work closely relates to working overtime, whether at the office or at home. Bosses often praise and emphasize this to an unhealthy degree. Overtime work has become non-negotiable for hard-workers who want to prove that they’re career-oriented and driven to succeed. Sure, all of this sounds great, without the disadvantages of overtime work like stress and poor health. If you’re either already working overtime or you’re considering it, you shouldn’t. Why? Short answer, it is bad for you.
1. Working overtime actually decreases productivity.
You may believe that the more hours you work, the more work you’ll complete. Well, this may be just the opposite. Studies have shown that the more hours people work, the less productive they get. There is a reason people work for eight hours; if they worked more, nothing would actually be completed or done properly and successfully due to tiredness and stress. Therefore, it is important to listen to the signs your body gives you. If you are feeling sleepy, tired, restless and stressed, it is time to go home and get some sleep. Staying in the office too late, in this case, is counterproductive and will definitely decrease your productivity to the lowest levels. Of course, you can use some help from your coworkers, turn to assistive writing apps like EssayShark, gadgets, and other tech advancements, but nothing can replace a good night’s sleep and some well-deserved rest.
2. Trying too hard harms your mental health.
Since working overtime is counterproductive, you will soon experience decreased job performance as well. And this won’t be a result of your incompetence or inability to provide consistently good work. Instead, it will be a consequence of trying to prove that you are this exceptional, irreplaceable worker. This will, in turn, start affecting your self-esteem and mental health, which will further lead to an even worse job performance. This common yet vicious cycle can harm your physical and mental health. Excessive work may exacerbate your health issues and cause depression. You’ll also face a lack of confidence, putting too much pressure on yourself, sleep deprivation, heavy alcohol consumption, and much more.
3. You won’t get paid more for overtime.
Chances are, you believe that working overtime equates to having extra pay. However, it is important to realize right away that you might be actually getting less money or even receiving a lower wage. You might be wondering whether that is actually possible, and to answer your questions; yes, it is more than possible. Financial incentives won’t be what you expected them, due to additional costs of your overtime. Since you’ll be spending more time in the office, you’ll be eating more, paying more for the babysitter and the parking spot. You’ll be also paying your rent for nothing since you’ll never be actually at home. Most alarming, however, is that you’ll receive the same pay as if you didn’t work overtime. This means that you’re working overtime for nothing.
4. Your personal life will suffer.
By working overtime, you will surely be lacking time for personal life. Working several hours overtime every day will be setting a wrong standard for your life. It could lead you to neglect your friends and family, your significant other, your self-care time, and your health. This will, of course, happen unintentionally, and despite you believing it won’t happen, it surely will. You don’t have to work 12 hours a day to show your boss and your company that you’re a loyal, hard-working employee. Just make sure to stay productive during the regular working hours, and use the rest of the day for your personal life. It’s critical to have a normal schedule and a daily routine to prevent yourself from working overtime. Not to mention, it is extremely hard to go back once set yourself up to four hours of overtime work every day.
5. You’re at risk for health issues.
As mentioned above, working overtime affects your mental and physical health quite heavily. To reiterate, you need to remember that working overtime can impair your sense of productivity and lower your attention span. So, whether you work at the office, at a hospital, or a construction site, by staying overtime, you’re putting your safety at risk. You are also putting your health at risk as you may experience fatigue and nausea due to extensive hours of work, or you might make a mistake that could affect other people’s health and lives. It might not happen right away, but after some time of long hours, your brain will simply stop paying as much attention as it should. This is when things go wrong and could be life-changing.
If you want to be a productive employee, you do not have to work overtime to prove yourself. However, if your boss becomes displeased the moment you decide not to work overtime, that’s a warning sign of a toxic work environment. More hours do not translate into better work quality, and you don’t have to feel guilty if you want to be compensated fairly. Remember, your health and happiness are more valuable than any job.
Feature image by Gabrielle Henderson via Unsplash
great article !!