The culture of overwork by judy rebick

The paper “ The Culture of Overwork by Judy Rebick” is a motivating example of an article on human resources. In the article, Judy Rebick has talked about the cultural issue of long working hours and its negative impact on employees especially women. She has explained how overworking has become an expectation in companies and people working overtime do not get paid for the same. As part of the solution, Rebick has said that people should start protesting against long working hours, and this should be done not on an individual basis but on a larger scale. She highlights Europe as an example where the work culture reflects the best interests of women and families. I agree with the author that excessive stress in workplaces can create both physical and psychological problems and therefore steps need to be taken to raise voice against the growing problem of overwork.
“ Statscan data indicates that those who switched to a workweek longer than 40 hours increased cigarette and alcohol consumption and gained weight” (Rebick, 2001). This statement has been proved by various research studies. Long working hours tend to rob an individual’s free time resulting in little or no social life. It increases stress because of problems arising in family life resulting in people resorting to various means to release the stress like smoking cigarettes and consuming alcohol. The increased risk of alcohol abuse is common in both men and women who spend long hours in their workplaces. Moreover, people spending long hours in front of the computer means they have less time to engage in physical activities leading to obesity.
The statement has been substantially documented with examples. According to a US study, families with children have three to eight times more chance for breakup if one parent works overtime too often. This is important as such breakups push people towards alcoholism which stresses the impact of overworking.
Rebick has used several study reports focusing more on Canada to elaborate on her opinions regarding the negative impacts of long working hours on physical health, psychology and family life. The author’s purpose is to bring to light the serious consequences of work-related stress. She has argued that even though overworking causes emotional disturbances like depression and burnout, one-fifth of Canadians worked longer hours for free during the first quarter of 1997. Rebick has used various facts and figures to prove her viewpoints. She has mentioned 25-year-old Tara Cleveland who had joined a new company as a Web page designer. Although she initially worked for 40 hours a week, she was expected to work till late at night and even during the weekends. Rebick has used this example to emphasize her point that companies today expect long hours from their employees even without payment. In this case, Tara was not paid for her overtime. Rebick has opined that it is now time to protest by refusing to work overtime. She has mentioned about a law in the Netherlands that allows workers to request shorter weeks from employees, and in case the request cannot be fulfilled then the burden is on the employer to state the reason.
In this essay, Rebick has talked about the impacts of long working hours. Although she has elaborated the consequences of overworking by providing various statistical reports and real-life experiences, she has also focused on the company’s tendencies to make employees work more for free. She has stated that overworking has become a cultural norm which is not good for any individual. She has also mentioned that in this male dominating society, working long hours has become a defined manner of achieving success in professional life. I have found that various research reports support the fact that overworking can lead to depression, loneliness, and obesity.
This article by Rebick is well researched and finely elaborates the negative consequences of overworking. By using several statistical reports and case examples she has documented her perspectives regarding the topic of the essay. She has also mentioned about existing laws in countries like Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands that reduces the working hours of employees. The statistical reports that she has used to prove the fact that overworking is a major contributor to various illnesses and psychological problems like depression, stress, and burnout. Another report has stated that people working for more than 40 hours a week tends towards increased cigarette and alcohol consumption. VI. From this essay, it can be concluded that long working hours can negatively affect both physical and psychological well being of an individual. However, in this technological era where work can be conducted anywhere from car to home, companies are increasingly putting more pressure on employees. Secondly, it can be inferred that the time has arrived to protest against this process of overworking. The author has stressed that such protests need to come more from women to stress on the fact that erratic working schedules can hamper family life too leading to broken marriages. These conclusions are important because it reflects the negativity of the culture of overworking which is increasingly viewed as normal by people because of working opportunities anywhere due to technological developments.
From this essay, I have learned the vices of overworking. Although I was aware of the impact of long working hours, this essay has given some insights into some serious issues like alcoholism and marital breakups. The insight that I have gained from this essay can be related to my personal experience. As a project manager in a multinational company, it is not unusual for me to spend long hours in the office even during the weekends. This has increased stress in my family life and so I am looking for alternative job opportunities.