Do people get used to working long hours?

Abstract

Overemployment – working more hours than desired – affects nearly one-third of European workers, yet its consequences remain understudied. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP, 1984-2019,  = 43,570) and individual fixed-effects models with leads and lags, we examine whether overemployment is associated with a deterioration in wellbeing and health, and whether potential adverse impacts persist as long as the overemployment state continues or whether people get used to working long hours. We find that overemployment is associated with a substantial decline in mental health, with impacts that intensify rather than attenuate over time. Specifically, the SF-12 mental health summary scale declines by 0.44 points in the first year of overemployment, deepening to between 0.80 and 1.13 points (8–11% of a standard deviation) thereafter. We obtain similar results for work, leisure time, health, and overall life satisfaction. Meanwhile, the association between overemployment and physical health is smaller and less consistent. Our findings suggest that overemployment may lead to an increased risk of persistent symptoms of poor mental health and low wellbeing, with implications for working time regulations and workplace wellbeing and health policies.