In today’s fast-paced, competitive business environment, many employees are working longer hours than ever before. The 9 to 5, 40-hour workweek is becoming increasingly rare, as more companies expect their staff to put in extra time in order to meet deadlines, finish projects, and provide excellent customer service.
But what does working 50 hours a week really entail? And how does it impact your work-life balance, stress levels, and overall health and wellbeing? Here, we’ll take an in-depth look at the realities of maintaining a 50-hour work week.
Breaking Down a 50-Hour Work Week
First, let’s break down what a typical 50-hour work week looks like in terms of the number of hours worked per day:
| Day | Hours Worked |
|---|---|
| Monday | 10 |
| Tuesday | 10 |
| Wednesday | 10 |
| Thursday | 10 |
| Friday | 10 |
| Total | 50 |
As you can see from the table, maintaining a 50-hour work week requires working 10 hours per day, assuming you work 5 days per week. Some key things to note:
- The typical workday is extended by 2 hours beyond the standard 8-hour workday.
- Assuming a 1-hour lunch break per day, this means arriving at work by 8 or 9am and not leaving until 7 or 8pm.
- This schedule leaves little time for errands, appointments, and obligations outside of work.
- Working 10+ hours a day frequently bleeds over into the evening hours at home.
The Pros: Potential Benefits of a 50-Hour Work Week
Before examining the negatives, let’s first look at some of the potential upsides to working 50 hours per week:
- Higher earnings – You may be compensated at a higher salary level or eligible for overtime pay if you’re an hourly employee. This allows you to potentially earn more.
- Getting more done – The extra hours can allow you to be more productive and accomplish more tasks and projects.
- Impressing your boss – Putting in long hours may be looked upon favorably by your manager and result in rewards like promotions.
- Advancing your career – In some competitive fields like finance, law, medicine, etc., logging long hours is expected and often necessary to climb the ranks.
- Job security – When layoffs happen, employees who regularly put in extra time are often viewed as harder working and less expendable.
However, there are also serious downsides to consider.
The Cons: Drawbacks of Working 50 Hours Per Week
Here are some of the most significant risks and disadvantages associated with maintaining a 50-hour work week over an extended period of time:
- Burnout – Working excessive hours leaves little time for relaxation and recharging. Burnout is extremely common.
- Diminished productivity – Research shows productivity steeply declines after a certain point. Long hours lead to fatigue and mental exhaustion.
- Poor work-life balance – A 50-hour work week consumes most of your time, leaving little room for family, friends, and leisure.
- Higher stress and anxiety – Heavy workloads strain mental health and are linked to stress, depression, and anxiety disorders.
- Health consequences – Lack of sleep and constant pressure can result in issues like weight gain, headaches, and cardiovascular disease over time.
- Increased mistakes – Mental fatigue leads to more errors and oversighted details, reduced quality of work.
Maintaining this schedule over months or years can quickly erode mental health and overall wellbeing for many people. It’s important to strike the right balance.
Work-Life Balance Strategies
If you have to consistently work 50 hours per week or more, implementing some of these work-life balance strategies can help mitigate burnout and exhaustion:
- Take regular vacations and breaks from work to decompress.
- Set clear boundaries and work hours – don’t let your job bleed too much into personal/family time.
- Practice good time management and productivity strategies.
- Don’t check work email and communications during evenings, weekends, and time off.
- Engage in self care – exercise, eat healthy, get enough sleep, pursue hobbies.
- Speak up if your workload becomes totally unmanageable.
Be mindful that working long hours shouldn’t become the norm. It’s crucial to schedule rest and recovery periods. Taking on too much for too long can quickly burn you out.
Effects on Health and Personal Life
Let’s take a closer look at how a 50-hour work week can impact your physical and mental health and personal relationships over time:
Mental Health Effects
- Increased stress, anxiety, and depression
- Emotional exhaustion, lack of motivation
- Deterioration of focus and concentration
- Insomnia caused by work-related stress
- Feelings of isolation and loneliness
Physical Health Effects
- Fatigue, low energy levels
- Headaches, back pain, muscle soreness
- Weakened immune system, frequent illnesses
- Weight fluctuation, poor nutrition
- Increased risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes
Impacts on Personal Life
- Lack of quality time with family and friends
- Missing important events and milestones
- Strained personal relationships
- Difficulty pursuing hobbies and leisure activities
- Poor work-life balance, constant feeling of pressure
Without adequate rest and time for relationships, mental and physical health inevitably suffer. Be mindful of both short and long term consequences.
Typical Daily Schedule
To provide more insight, here is an example of what a typical daily schedule might look like for someone working 50 hours per week:
7:00 – 8:00 AM
- Wake up, shower, breakfast
- Check emails, get organized for the day
- Commute to work
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Arrive at office, meetings, calls, general work tasks
- Work through lunch at desk while eating
12:00 – 5:00 PM
- Afternoon meetings, projects, emails, calls
- Occasional 5-10 minute breaks to stretch, regroup
- Handle daily emergencies and put out fires
5:00 – 7:00 PM
- More meetings, emails, finishing up final tasks
- Debrief with manager on daily progress
- Commute home
7:00 – 9:00 PM
- Dinner and minimal family time
- Review work issues, respond to emails
- Prepare for following work day
- Fit in chores/errands where possible
- Unwind and attempt to relax
9:00 – 11:00 PM
- Get ready for bed, light reading
- Sleep (aim for 7-8 hours)
Rinse and repeat! As you can see, there are not many pockets for free time, leisure, and true rest in this daily routine. It’s exhausting just reading it!
Alternative Schedules
Some companies offer alternative scheduling options to help employees better manage busy workloads. Common options include:
Flex Time
Employees can modify start and end times within limits, allowing them to work during hours that match their personal productivity rhythms.
Compressed Workweeks
Working full-time hours in less than 5 days, such as 4 10-hour days per week.
Remote Work
Working from home 1-2 days per week to save commute time and create more family time.
Part-Time
Shifting to 30-35 hours per week can help mitigate burnout while allowing you to remain employed.
Consider negotiating for an alternative schedule if the standard 9-5 routine becomes unsustainable.
Making It Work
While no long-term solution, here are some tactics for surviving and staying productive if you need to work a 50-hour week:
- Take breaks throughout the day – get up, stretch, clear your head.
- Batch similar tasks to maintain focus.
- Listen to music while working to boost energy.
- Avoid unhealthy foods and hydrate constantly.
- Set reminders to leave on time, preventing work from creeping into personal hours.
- Block time in your calendar for essential non-work activities.
- Prioritize and focus only on the most essential tasks.
- Communicate challenges with your manager – don’t struggle alone.
While manageable temporarily, a 50-hour work week is difficult to sustain long-term. Set boundaries, speak up about workloads, and know your limits.
Questions to Ask Yourself
If you’ve been assigned an intense 50-hour work week, take time to honestly ask yourself:
- Is this schedule sustainable without hurting my physical and mental health?
- Do I have adequate support systems in place – at work and at home?
- Is the extra income I’m earning worth the time commitment and stress?
- Am I still able to effectively do my job and produce quality work?
- Is my employer taking advantage of my strong work ethic?
- How long can I realistically continue working at this pace?
- Is there potential for me to transition to a healthier, more reasonable schedule in the future?
Keep an eye out for signs of burnout like depression, anxiety, fatigue, and irritability. Your health and wellbeing should take priority over unreasonable work demands.
Conclusion
Working 50 hours per week is a significant time commitment that can take a toll on your mental health, physical health, and personal relationships over time. While it may provide some professional benefits, it’s important to keep an eye on your stress levels, energy levels, and overall happiness.
Implementing some work-life balance strategies and looking for alternative schedule options can help mitigate burnout and exhaustion. But realize that no job is worth undermining your health and sanity. If a 50-hour work week becomes your norm for too long, it may be time to reevaluate your current position.