While the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 legally defines standard working hours, the reality on the ground tells a far more concerning story.

This article examines the widespread culture of excessive working hours in Bangladesh, its serious consequences on physical and mental health, family relationships, and overall societal happiness, and what we can learn from countries that have successfully prioritised work-life balance.

Physical and mental health risks

One of the leading causes of serious psychological disorders is prolonged working hours and poorly managed work environments. As per the 2021 joint report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO), working hours that are more than 55 hours per week increases the risk of stroke by 35% and heart diseases by 17%, compared to a standard 35–40 hour per week. It caused around 745,000 deaths globally in 2016 alone and this indicates a 29% increase since 2000.

The National Mental Health Survey 2019 points out that about 18.7% of adults suffer from mental health issues. Women had a higher prevalence (21.5%) compared to men (15.7%). A study conducted in 2026 on 7,270 adults found that these depressive disorders affected around 5.2% of adults, the majority of whom are women. Another study published by Gallup in 2025 further shows that 39% of Bangladeshi employees experienced significant daily stress, which is higher than the South Asia regional average of 30% and global average of 40%. Dangerously, only 6% of employees in Bangladesh are thriving in their overall lives, which is far below the global average of 34%.

The recent 2026 ILO report shows that these psychological factors are responsible for more than 840,088 deaths annually worldwide, among which around 783,694 deaths occur from cardiovascular diseases like ischemic heart diseases and stroke. It also states that around 56,394 deaths occur due to various mental disorders.

This report further highlighted five major psychological risk factors, such as job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and workplace bullying and harassment. In Bangladesh, long working hours (50–60+ hours per week), traffic-induced uncertainty, job insecurity, especially in the informal and RMG sectors, weak management practices, and various local conditions significantly intensify these risks. These risks eventually lead to burnout, fatigue, hypertension, sleep disorders, and unhealthy behaviours such as poor diet and reduced exercise, family life complications, and so on.

Impact on family life and relationships

Excessive working hours create severe work-family conflicts because it reduces quality time with spouses, children, and extended family, which leads to emotional distancing and marital dissatisfaction. A meta-analytic research by Fellows et al. (2016) found a negative correlation between work-family conflict and the quality of couple relationships.

Specifically, the study showed a correlation coefficient of r = -0.19. This means that when work-family conflict increases, the quality of the relationship between husband and wife tends to decrease. Although the relationship is not extremely strong, it is statistically significant and meaningful. In simple terms, greater interference from work into family life is associated with lower satisfaction and harmony in marital relationships.

Rise in extramarital affairs

We have 24 hours in a day. No more, no less. Yet within this fixed frame of time, life seems to slip quietly through our fingers. We spend around seven hours sleeping, eight to ten hours in the office, and at least three more hours are lost to traffic, noise, and the daily exhaustion of commuting. By the time we return home, what remains is barely four hours; four fragile hours meant for the people who matter most.

But even those hours are not truly ours. After a long day, we arrive home drained, mentally exhausted, physically worn out, and emotionally numb. Conversations between spouses become shorter, laughter begins to fade, and meaningful moments are postponed for “another day” that rarely comes. We end up spending far more time with colleagues than with our own spouses and children.

As the workplace becomes the primary site of daily interaction, prolonged proximity, shared stressors, and continuous collaboration often give rise to emotional bonding. In such an environment, it is not surprising that workplaces can serve as a primary setting for extramarital relationships. According to various surveys and reports, including data cited in South Denver Therapy (2026) and PR Newswire (2024), a significant portion of extramarital affairs begin in the workplace. Some estimates suggest that up to 85% of affairs originate at work, while 31% of affairs specifically involve co-workers.

In the United States, studies based on the General Social Survey and analysed by the Institute for Family Studies indicate that approximately 20% of married men and 13% of married women report having engaged in extramarital sexual intercourse at some point. Workplace relationships often serve as a common starting point due to prolonged time spent together and shared environments. Furthermore, research shows that infidelity contributes to 20–40% of divorces in many cases.

While culturally sensitive national data for Bangladesh remains limited, the structural conditions, long working hours, shift-based schedules, and high levels of workplace interaction across sectors closely mirror these global patterns. As a result, the same dynamics that foster emotional or sexual intimacy outside marriage elsewhere are likely to operate here as well, further destabilising already strained family relationships.

At home, the consequences unfold quietly. Slowly, distance begins to grow between two people who once shared everything. When spouses stop connecting, sharing, and truly seeing each other, a marriage does not collapse overnight; it gradually withers. In this environment, children grow up in the background of busy lives, absorbing absence more than presence. The silent void they experience often follows them into adulthood, shaping who they become in ways that are rarely recognised until it is too late.

Beyond the family, these patterns accumulate into broader social consequences. The result is a stressed society marked by significant productivity losses. Mental health burdens translate into economic costs through absenteeism, reduced efficiency, and increased healthcare demands, collectively contributing to the making of an unhappy nation. At the same time, individuals themselves become less productive in personal terms because after a long day of work, they are left with little time or energy to invest in self-development or learning new skills.

This is the quiet tragedy of modern life: that in the pursuit of routine, deadlines, and survival, we gradually sacrifice our most meaningful relationships, only to realise, perhaps much later, what we have lost along the way.

What Bangladesh can learn from global work hour models

After studying several countries, it can be understood that shorter, healthier working hours lead to strong economic performance, superior health outcomes, and robust family life.

France legally enforces a 35-hour workweek, which was introduced by the Aubry Laws in 1998–2000 and remains in force as of 2026. Any hours worked beyond 35 per week are considered overtime and are often compensated with additional paid days off, known as RTT (Réduction du Temps de Travail / reduction of working time). According to OECD data and FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) statistics updated in 2026, the average annual hours actually worked per worker in France is approximately 1,487 to 1,510 hours. This is significantly lower than the OECD average (around 1,700 hours), making France one of the countries with the shortest average working hours among developed economies.

France legally provides a minimum of five weeks (25 working days) of paid annual leave, along with 11 public holidays. Mothers are entitled to 16 weeks of fully paid maternity leave for the first or second child, and this leave is even longer for any subsequent children. Additionally, from mid-2026, France has introduced a new “birth leave” (congé de naissance), allowing each parent up to two extra months of paid leave (compensated at 70% for the first month and 60% for the second).

The French also pioneered the “right to disconnect” in the Code du travail (French Labour Code), which protects employees in companies with 50 or more staff from work-related communications outside official working hours. Beyond laws and policies, French culture deeply values work-life balance. They are known for taking long lunch breaks and prioritising personal and family time, a philosophy beautifully captured in the term “art de vivre” (the art of living).

Furthermore, the French have long embraced “l’art de ne rien faire” (the art of doing nothing). This is beautifully reflected in the tradition of flânerie: aimlessly strolling through city streets, sitting for hours in cafés without any particular purpose, and savouring extended meals and conversations.

To them, this is not a form of laziness; rather, it is a conscious appreciation of slowing down, being present, and enjoying life without constant productivity, which in reality increases their productivity and capacity to work with a fresh mind. Productivity per hour remains competitive due to better recovery, focused work, and efficiency rather than mere presence.

These policies and cultural traditions have helped France rank strongly in various work-life balance indices. For example, it performed well by holding the 16th position in Remote’s Global Life-Work Balance Index 2025 and consistently ranks high in European assessments.

This report also highlights how many other European countries demonstrate excellent work-life balance, among which the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway stand out. The Netherlands has one of the shortest average working weeks in the world at approximately 26.8 hours, followed by Norway at 27.1 hours and Denmark at 28.8 hours. These countries support shorter working hours through generous paid leave, strong parental policies, flexible work arrangements, and a cultural emphasis on personal well-being. These policies result in much lower work-family conflict, reduced burnout, and significantly better mental health outcomes.

According to the World Happiness Report 2026, the Nordic countries continue to dominate the top positions in global happiness rankings. Finland secured the 1st position for the ninth consecutive year, followed by Iceland in 2nd and Denmark in 3rd place. Sweden ranked 5th and Norway 6th. In contrast, Bangladesh ranked 127th out of 147 countries.

The success of the Nordic model proves that shorter working hours, when combined with efficient work practices, strong management, and supportive policies, do not reduce productivity; rather, they enhance it through higher employee engagement, lower absenteeism, and greater creativity. It also lowers work-family conflict, reduces burnout, improves mental and physical health, strengthens family cohesion, and creates more stable divorce rates.

A way forward for work-life balance in Bangladesh

Bangladesh should learn from these models and take decisive action. The average working week should be gradually reduced. Excessive overtime must be strictly regulated through better enforcement of the Labour Act, supported by technology and skills training to improve efficiency. Flexible working arrangements and a “right to disconnect” policy should be introduced to protect personal and family time. Organizations need to strengthen occupational safety and health systems by improving job design, workload distribution, employee autonomy, fair rewards, and prevention of harassment. Greater investment in mental health support, workplace counselling, and childcare facilities is also essential.

In this broader transformation, Bangladesh can draw inspiration from a wider ecosystem of normative frameworks. Degrowth theory advocates reducing overall economic scale and resource throughput, promoting work-time reduction as a core strategy to lower environmental impact while improving well-being and enabling work-sharing. On the other hand, Post-Work Society theory envisions a future where technological abundance and policy shifts (such as reduced workweeks or basic income) free people from the necessity of long paid labour, allowing more time for creativity, community, and self-actualisation. Finally, the Well-being Economy system shifts the primary goal of economic policy from GDP growth to holistic human and planetary flourishing, using broader indicators of health, connection, equity, and environmental health.

A frequently cited counterargument is that, as a developing country with relatively low wage levels, Bangladesh must rely on longer working hours to sustain its economy. This assumption, however, is largely illusory. Longer hours do not necessarily translate into higher productivity; instead, they often result in fatigue, reduced concentration, and diminishing returns. An employee who spends eight hours at work under stress or personal strain may remain physically present but contribute far less in terms of meaningful output. If such inefficiency persists, it creates a cycle where workers are easily replaceable, job insecurity intensifies, and overall productivity stagnates.

In contrast, reducing working hours while improving efficiency can generate higher-quality output, better workforce stability, and increased innovation. Breaking the “long-hours” myth requires a shift from measuring productivity by time spent to valuing the quality and impact of work performed. In this regard, the philosophy of Buen Vivir, which emphasises collective well-being, balance between work and life, and sustainable human development, offers a compelling framework. It challenges the narrow notion that economic growth must depend on longer working hours and instead advocates for a model where dignity, social harmony, and quality of life are central. For Bangladesh, embracing such an approach would not only improve worker welfare but also lay the foundation for a more resilient, productive, and equitable economy.

Ultimately, sustainable development requires recognising that worker well-being and a healthy work-life balance are not luxuries, but fundamental prerequisites for a cohesive and prosperous society. Collective action by the government, employers, and workers is therefore urgently needed to build safer, healthier, and more humane workplaces.

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Sihon Sultana Umi is currently pursuing her LL.M. at the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP).