Today, long work hours have become a significant issue. For employees’ health and the normal operation of the society system, ethical issue of long work hours should be cared more. Countless evidence shows that long work hours increase the workers’ risks for injury and disease. For instance, a research by American government estimates that long work hours increase the possibilities for injuries by 61%. Also, long work hours can easily cause some diseases such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and over fatigue (Dembe et al. , 2005).
The diverse effects related to long work hours are also associated with the social stability.
Some employees are illegally forced to overtime work by the unethical work schedules of companies. Employees are the foundation of social operation. Thus, the dangers associated with long work hours that endanger laborers might negatively impact on the social stability as well (Dembe, 2008).
Even though some workers may voluntarily work additional hours motivated by the potential to obtain a higher salary, they cannot be responsible for their family at the same time. Families are also the basics of the society. If families are incomplete, how does the society healthily develop?
Consequently, long work hours negatively influence the health of employees, and it may also disturb the function well of the society system as well, so the ethical issue of long work hours should be resolved. Historical situation of long work hours Negative effects about the ethical issue of long work hours have been paid attention since 19th century. Among ethical experts in 1820, the Industrial Revolution first caused a discussion about harsh working conditions and long work hours (Atack & Bateman, 1991).
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“Eight-hour day” policy began to be launched in Great Britain and some other countries. In 1840, the leaders of different unions required legislation for protecting labor rights in both the United States and Europe. American first law about work hours was legislated in 1847. This law established a ten-hour standard for the maximum hours of a workday. While society experts of the U. S. pressed government for further legislation of protecting labor rights, many New Hampshire business owners established a contract to help them “legally” force employees to work overtime.
Workers who refused to sign the contract would be instantly fired While countless issues related to long work hours still occurred, the general tendency tended to the correct side. With the development of societally ethical awareness, the mean work time was gradually reduced in America from 1800 to 1930. For instance, in the manufacturing industry, work time dropped from an average of nearly 10h every day in the 19th century to a mean of 8h every day around 1915 (Whaples, 2001).
Although the ethical issue of long work hours still existed,it was a great progress in solving the ethical issue of long work hours.
Recent situation of work hours in the world Since World War? , economy has developed at a extremely high speed. Ethical issue of long work hours have begun to frequently happens in today’s business world. Along with that China has become the world’s factory, it is very common that Chinese factories require workers to commit overtime job without extra wages. For example, a series of unethical incidents happened in Foxconn in 2010. Foxconn is an original equipment manufacturer (OME) for Apple. INC with a 24/7 basis. Since iPhone has become enormously popular, Foxconn began to habitually force laborers to work overtime (2011).
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Also, in the United States, together with an equal ratio increase in female employees, part-time jobs, and two earner families, the work schedules were turned from monotonous to diversity (Jacobs & Gerson, 2004; Kuhn & Lozano, 2005).
Therefore, while the average work hours in America has not dramatic differences through the past 50 years, there are currently a greater proportion of laborers whose work hours are less than 30 hours every week and workers whose workweek higher than 50 hours. Thus, the number of employees whose work schedules are more than the mean of work hours is increasing. At the end of 2004, 26. 8% of the U. S.
males spent above 50 hours on working every week, almost double the ratio in 1980. (Jacobs & Gerson, 2004; Kuhn & Lozano, 2005).
In addition, many major American corporations has been fined for unethical behaviors associated with long work hours. 32,000 technical and support employees were paid for 65 million by IBM. UPS was fined 87 million because of illegally forcing drivers to work overtime. There are numerous pending cases involving Fedex, Inter, CIBC, Wal-mart and Sprint Nextell that wait for being judged. Since notable increase of ethical problems related long work hours have frequently come to light, these issues need to be solved.
The health concerns caused by long work hours Since countless ethical incidents of long work hours have happened, In 2000, university researchers and government departments published several statistics demonstrating the connection between health dangers and long work hours. Enough evidence indicated that long work hours have a negative impact on the health of employees. A growing level of fatigue that caused by the increasing work hours induces greater pressure. Over fatigue usually damages laborers’ endocrine system and immune functions.
Also, abundant research has discovered that long work hours have a direct connection with hypertension problem and heart disease (Yang et al. , 2006).
In addition, other research has found that unethical work hours increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. As can be seen, long work hours physiologically endanger employees’ health. Not only does long work hours negatively impact on workers’ physiological health, but also psychological health. Schedules involving tremendously long work hours tend to tension the work stress for employees. Intense stress sometimes destroys psychological health and begins to “kill” workers.
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From 2007 to 2010, more than ten people who work in Foxconn committed suicide because they could not bear with the unbelievable long work hours (2011).
The society effects of long work hours Besides health effects, studies have also shown that demanding work schedules involving long work hours also substantially influence workers’ emotions and behaviors, which are the foundation of society’s health operation. Corporations’ unethical treatment may arouse a kind of hostile mood and serious misbehaviors, which can significantly harm the social stability (Scott, 2000).
For example, an employee frequently required for an unethical work schedule may hate the real world and revenge on society. Countless incident happens due to individuals’ psychological twist and misbehaviors. Family problems also can be led by long work hours. Studies found that increasing number of married couples tend to have no time to take care of their children because of long work hours. Their children are more likely teen rebellion and disrespect their parents. Also, Children will gradually distanced themselves form their parents (Barton et al. , 1998).
Family is the basic units, which constitutes the society. As a result, family problems may lead a damage to social health. Many companies in the USA want employees to work in a schedule with additional hours. The American government estimated that 21% of full-time workers are actually work mandatory overtime schedules (Golden and Wiens-Tuers, 2005).
Overtime schedules may easily cause a greater personal heath risk and low work efficiency, which may lead an unhealthy and unethical work environment. Once the work environment tend to be unethical and unhealthy.
It can gradually destroy the normal operation of the whole society. Conclusion: ethical issue of long work hours needs to be resolved Based on the negative effects of health and society, ethical issue of long work hours must be countered. Solving this ethical problem needs the government, companies and employees to cooperate together. The government has a crucial role in solving the issue of long work hours. In the U. S. A, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) promulgate a federal law for the purpose of forcing corporations to construct a safe workroom and set a healthy work schedule for employees.
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Also, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is legislated to prevent illegal overtime work with no extra pay (Dembe, 2008).
Only the steps from the government are not enough. In order to counter the ethical issue of long work hours, it is also necessary for companies and individuals to take actions (Burke, 2008).
Employees should balance their time between work and personal lives. Workaholics need to realize that work is their whole life and they have society and family responsibility to take. In general, ethical issues of long work hours negatively impact on the individual health and social health.
Long work hours can simply lead a series of dangerous consequences for employees and cause an unethical trend for social work environment. For the long-term development of our world, this issue must to be solved. It requires the government, companies and everyone of our society cooperating with each other. However, due the distinctive employment contest, the ethical issue of long work hours is always difficult to overcome. Thus, what is the best and effective solution for this specific ethical issue? What should be the specific action? These questions still need to be further considered.
