Association of long working hours and health-related productivity loss, and its differential impact by income level: A cross-sectional study of the Korean workers

Objectives: We aimed to explore the association between long working hours and health-related productivity loss (HRPL), due to either sickness, absenteeism or presenteeism, stratified by household income level. Methods: From January 2020 to February 2020, data were collected using a web-based questionnaire. A total of 4197 participants were randomly selected using the convenience sampling method. The nonparametric association between weekly working hours and HRPL was determined. Subsequently, a stratified analysis was conducted according to household income (1st, 2nd, and 3rd tertiles). Finally, the differences in HRPL of the different working hour groups (<40, 40, 40-51, and ≥52 hours) were investigated using a multivariate linear regression model. Results: Long working hours were more significantly associated with HRPL, as compared to the ‘standard’ working hours (40 hours/week). A larger proportion of productivity loss was associated with the presenteeism of workers, rather than absenteeism. The relationship between HRPL and weekly working hours was more prominent in the lower household income group. Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that HRPL is associated with long working hours, especially in the lower household income group. Reducing the workload for the individual employee to a manageable level and restructuring sick leave policies to effectively counteract absenteeism and presenteeism may be a feasible option for better labor productivity and employee health.