Even If You Like Your Job, Working Overtime Can Still Lead To Depression

Well this isn’t very good news. According to a new study,  working long hours – regardless of job stress or satisfaction – increases a person’s risk for depression. Researchers at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London followed nearly 2,000 middle aged British civil servants for almost six years. They found that in workers with no psychological illness, the rate of a major depressive episode was 2.43 times higher for those who worked more than 11 hours per day compared with employees who worked 7 to 8 hours a day. This association held true even after researchers accounted for other depression risk factors, including socio-demographic factors, smoking, alcohol use, having chronic physical disease, job strain and work-related social support. The study was published in the Jan. 25 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.

“Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the individual and society, it is important to recognize that working excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major depression,” study author Dr. Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, said in a written statement. The lesson is work smart, not excessively.

As a manager, if you are seeing employees exhibit signs of depression here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Understand that as a manager it is not your job to treat, but rather to identify:  Barbara Neitlich, Psychotherapist , says look for “red flags” in co-workers and employees such as changes (generally a decrease) in work productivity -sadness, fatigue, agitation, increased sensitivity -tardiness or absenteeism -an increase in work performance errors -difficulty with memory -social withdrawl -lack of enthusiasm.

2. Once you see a red flag, have a conversation with the employee: If you have identified a red flag, have a conversation with your employee regarding your observations and refer them to your company’s Employee Assistance Program. Sandra Lamb, career expert and author, said those periodic discussions with employees (subordinates) can go a long way to eliminating depression in the workplace. Ignoring signs of subordinate depression only allows it to build. Managers who have established good rapport with their subordinates have a distinct advantage here. A few words, like, “You seem down. If you want to talk, just shoot me an email and suggest a time.” The employee may not choose to speak up, said Leigh Steere. But an open-ended comment will increase the likelihood that the employee will respond in a way that leads to further dialogue.

3. Encourage employees to challenge themselves: Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs, said, “Instead of letting employees coast through doing menial tasks that don’t excite them, try encouraging them to take on projects that they’ve always wanted to try but for which they just never had the time or support. Google, which is constantly rated as one of the best places to work, allows employees to spend 20% of their time year-round on their own projects.

Photo: Yuri Arcurs/Shutterstock.com