Adam Smith observed in The Wealth of Nations: "The man who works so moderately as be able to work constantly, not only preserves his health the longest, but in the course of the year, executes the greatest quantity of works". Bertrand Russell similarly reckoned that if society were better managed the average person would only need to work four hours a day. The rest of the day could be devoted to the pursuit of science, painting, and writing. International Labour Organisation (ILO) also recognises that working excess hours poses a danger to workers' health and to their families. The ILO has adopted forty-hour work convention, and other specific conventions on hours of work, weekly rest, holidays with pay, night work, and part-time work. Working long for living, technical skill alone, and repetitive work are devoid of awakening and nurturing of thought. 'Work for living' is only one part of humanity - though probably the most important one - but there are other aspects of life like leisure, art, literature, music, sports, and socialisation.
A study of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) covering 1990 to 2012 found negative relation between productivity and hours worked. They found that GDP (gross domestic product) per hour is high where workers are better paid and consequently they put less time at the office. Vast majority of people of OECD countries work fewer hours in recent years than they used to do in 1990. Worldwide labour legislations require lower weekly hours. In the European Union, working week is limited to 48 hours including overtime. In the US in the late 19th century, it was estimated that average work was 60 hours per week. Today in 2013, the average hours worked is around 33. The new Economic Foundation, a UK think tank, recommended moving to a 21-hour standard work week to address problems with unemployment, high carbon emissions, low well-being, entranced inequalities, family care, and the general lack of free time. In an Austrian study, boys suffer from their fathers' long working hours; they become more delinquent and aggressive in behaviour. Long working hours are associated with decline in employment rates. An ILO study in 2007 shows that incidence of long hours is high in developing countries like Ethiopia where 47 per cent of labour force work more than regulated hours or 45 hours. The numbers are 51 for Indonesia, 44 for Pakistan, 20 for India, 21 for China (major cities). Whereas it is three in Russia, five in Norway, seven in Netherlands, 17 in Japan, and 19 in the USA.
There is also incidence of short work hours among a significant labour force. Work hours less than 35 hours are considered short hours. In the industrialised countries this phenomenon occurs because of the preference for part-time work as a chosen option (voluntary). Whereas in the developing countries, short hour is often the result of a slack labour market and poor economic performance. This is also known as time-related unemployment or involuntary unemployment. The incidence of voluntary short hours in Canada is 19 per cent of the labour force for paid labour. The numbers are 23 for Japan, 27 for Norway, 16 for UK, 23 for USA, and 13 for Mexico, 10 for Ethiopia, four for Zimbabwe, 16 for Indonesia, nine for Pakistan, and six for Thailand.
Long working time is not always for money, however. People, particularly skilled ones, do not work longer only for earning rather they do so because of their higher education, and for its use, and to be more associated with the increasing opportunities in the labour market, society, and international community. This is better understood when we see the change in women employment. The traditional view is that women participate in employment to counter decrease in husbands' real income and supplement family income. This is partly true. Studies conclude that in the US labour market, slowdown in men's earnings is not the major cause of acceleration in women employment. This salaried class is motivated by high bonus, desire for promotion, and even to show that they are productive and ambitious and to signal the labour market that they are suitable for a better job in another firm. Job insecurity also has risen so they work more and harder to keep their current job if the firm decides to lay off workers in the future. A major finding in the US labour market since 1967 is that significant secular increases in unemployment, non-participation, and non-employment are heavily concentrated among less skilled individuals. That is, employment opportunities are less for unskilled labour force.
Since market in Bangladesh is non-competitive, employers have the advantage and employ fewer employees for more work. Eleven hours a day, from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, is common in the largest employment sectors like garments, banking and financial sectors. Private banks employ on average 1.5 persons for every TK 100 million of deposits whereas public banks employ 4.5 persons. Thus in the private sector, one works three's work, thus unemployment is further worsened. Employees in banks get on average four to five months' basic pay as incentive bonus. Salary is also higher than in other sectors. In 2012, the entry-level salary for graduates was TK 30000 a month compared to around TK 20000 in other sectors. In retail shops, trading centres, and even SMEs (small and medium enterprises) which constitute a major portion of labour force, work-time extends to 12 hours a day and 72 hours a week. In garments industry, where 90 per cent workers are female, they work on average 12 to 14 hours a day. Domestic workers work 90 hours a week. Drivers for private cars work 85 hours. In most of the private sectors, employment letter is not given to majority of the employed.
Four per cent unemployment is considered a benchmark for full employment. Disguised unemployment or invisible unemployment (surplus labour) is 28 per cent in Bangladesh. A person when not productively employed is termed as surplus labour or disguised unemployed. Here workers are forced to take up low-productivity jobs of a type inferior to those for which they were suitable and technically qualified. A study documented 25 per cent unemployment in Bangladesh in 1985.
Government interference over work conditions would do more harm than good. The first priority for the majority of the workers in the informal sector is for a job, irrespective of the level of income and hours. The government should rather give support facilities like easy credit, infrastructure, and competitive environment in the total market. Government's role in creation of jobs is well documented around the world. Singapore and Hong Kong even with higher density (4100 and 7500 per square kilometer respectively) than Bangladesh (1000 per square kilometer) and without any natural resource, have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. Their governments played an instrumental role in creating infrastructure and competitive environment in their economies and markets necessary for creating employment opportunities and reducing work hours. Government can take limited regulatory measures for health and hygiene, and safety and security for workers in the informal sectors like retail shops, transport, restaurants, domestic helps, initially as education and responsibility purposes. Also, banks and financial institutions, one of the largest employers in the private sector, can be pursued for employing more and reducing the higher incidence of long work hours there.
Dr. Dhiman Chowdhury is Professor of Accounting, University of Dhaka. dhiman_chowdhury@yahoo.com
Working long hours \\\'for living\\\' may restrict well-being
Dhiman Chowdhury | Published: February 07, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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