The price of overwork: How Bangladesh’s six-day workweek is failing its workforce

As per Bangladeshi employment laws, employers are legally permitted to impose six-day workweeks on their employees across most of the private sector. This is not merely a cultural remnant of ancient practices; rather, it represents a serious and ongoing crisis that undermines the health, agency, personal and social lives, and most importantly, the productivity of millions of workers.

The Bangladesh Labour Act sets the standard workweek at 48 hours, divided into eight hours per day across six days a week, with one weekly rest day — typically Friday. The Act allows employers to require up to 60 working hours per week if certain overtime provisions, such as additional pay, are met. In reality, however, these regulations are largely ignored. 

Employers, in most cases, take overtime work for granted, driven by the outdated belief that the more time one spends in the office, the more loyal one appears to the organisation. What should be an exception has become an institutional expectation in a labour market where workers are easily replaceable due to an oversupply of graduates.

The justification offered by employers is primarily economic: in a labour-surplus nation with strong export demand, extending working hours supposedly maximises output. Yet this rationale fails both empirically and ethically. Bangladesh currently faces an unemployment rate of 4.7% in 2025, alongside an economic slowdown. 

These conditions have created an atmosphere of insecurity where workers accept excessive overtime out of fear of losing their jobs—especially when, for every dismissed employee, ten more are ready to take the same job for even half the pay. Instead of fostering a growth mindset, this unwritten framework systematically erodes workers' rights and perpetuates a toxic culture of fear and expendability.

The human cost is substantial and well-documented. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), consistently working more than 55 hours per week increases an individual's risk of heart disease and stroke. Numerous studies by leading international health institutions have quantified the health impacts of overwork, identifying extended working hours as a major contributor to premature deaths from cardiovascular diseases worldwide.

The consequences of overworking are not confined to physical health alone. Leading medical and scientific journals, including The Lancet and the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, have highlighted the psychological toll — chronic overwork heightens the risk of anxiety, depression, and professional burnout. These challenges are highly prevalent in Bangladesh but remain rarely discussed due to pervasive cultural stigmas surrounding mental health.

In a labour-intensive economy such as Bangladesh's, the risk of physical injury and workplace accidents is also heightened by excessive working hours. Fatigue — both mental and physical — reduces alertness, slows reaction times, and impairs reflexes. From a personal perspective, extended workweeks disrupt family cohesion and community engagement, limiting the time parents can dedicate to their children and eroding intergenerational well-being.

The rationale for extended workweeks and excessive hours is not supported by evidence. Research consistently shows that productivity does not rise with longer hours; on the contrary, fatigue and disengagement cause real productivity per hour to fall.

Within Bangladesh, many multinational companies that have implemented shorter workweeks or flexible arrangements such as remote work have reported higher-quality output and better employee retention. This aligns with international findings indicating that productivity per hour tends to improve under four- or five-day workweeks due to enhanced focus, energy, morale, and rest.

As discussed above, there is a profound mismatch between existing legal standards and the long-term human interests of Bangladesh's workforce. The current employment laws, originally designed to drive rapid industrial growth, have now left the very people who built that growth increasingly vulnerable — particularly those in labour-intensive, blue-collar sectors. Over time, these practices are not just becoming medical, social, and legal concerns, but a developmental dead end.

In developed economies, there is a growing consensus that the benefits of reduced working hours outweigh the costs. Policy-driven economies such as those in Europe and parts of Asia are already reaping the rewards — both socially and economically — of transitioning to five-day, 40–44-hour workweeks. ILO and WHO have long advocated for stricter limits on working hours to safeguard individuals' health and promote national well-being.

If Bangladesh wishes to move towards sustainable development, it is time for the government and legislature to acknowledge this as a long-term national issue rather than capitulating to industrial and business lobbies. The employment laws must be reformed to legally establish a five-day workweek, with enforceable limits on overtime, mandatory transparency and reporting, and strict penalties for repeated violations.

Meaningful reform can be achieved through genuine dialogue between employers, industry leaders, government representatives, and workers themselves, ensuring that solutions are grounded in workplace realities and social fairness. The Ministry of Labour should adopt a proactive rather than reactive role before these long-term warnings manifest as a nationwide crisis.

Lastly, it is every individual's right to spend time with their family and loved ones, and to take steps to prevent long-term health problems. Remember: you only have one life, and no one will pay your medical bills once you retire. You will be replaced shortly after leaving your role — so prioritise your health, your relationships, and your peace of mind.

Shafqat Aziz is a Barrister-at-Law at the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn. He has a Master of Laws from Nottingham Trent University. aziz.shafqat.95@gmail.com

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.