Quitting a stressful job is almost like quitting smoking! It can improve health and increase longevity

In a civil society, whenever two people meet for the first time, the second question after exchanging names is usually, “What do you do?” The work we do defines our social identity, income source, and reputation among relatives, friends, and new connections. If our work and workplace provide so much, at what point does someone decide to quit?
Research published by the Stanford Graduate School of Business suggests that people quit when their workplace starts harming them. The study shows that U.S. companies manage their workforces in ways that contribute to 120,000 deaths per year and account for 5–8% of annual healthcare costs. Shocking, isn’t it?


How is the workplace killing people?

There are two main factors that can potentially create a toxic work culture:
First, the human environment—Who are the people the employee is surrounded by? How do they behave? What activities are taking place around them? What impact do these interactions have?
Second, the social environment—This refers to the physical setting where employees work every day, including the company culture, traditions, and community norms.
If either of these environments fails to function as they should, employees are bound to suffer. Medical science confirms that long working hours systematically raise blood pressure, which leads to an end number of health issues. The study shows that when employees experience work-related stress and depression, they often turn to alcohol, smoking, or overeating as escape routes. These unhealthy behavioral patterns significantly reduce lifespan.
Moreover, stress and depression disrupt the central nervous system, throwing hormones like cortisol out of balance. So, the damage is not just behavioral—it’s physiological as well.


Why do employees accept toxic workplaces?
Every employee hopes for "job control," which means having some influence or autonomy over their tasks. But the reality is often different. Why, then, do they still accept or even glorify overwork?
There are two primary reasons:
First, if the financial compensation is high, people tend to accept the stress quietly—because questioning authority feels like risking financial security.
Second, some employees become workaholics when they believe their job or company will lead to better opportunities in the future. In anticipation of this potential gain, they sacrifice their present well-being—which sometimes backfires.

Why should upper management worry?
Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, states, “I’m waiting for some district attorney to arrest some CEO for basically murder."
Upper management sometimes believes that applying pressure will increase employee potential. While this may work in a few cases, it often backfires. Employees burn out, lose motivation, and their productivity drops. Work becomes a task to complete, not a goal to perfect.
Management must remember that prevention is cheaper than remediation. If the number of unhealthy employees rises, company healthcare costs will increase due to the insurance plans they offer. It’s not a win-win situation—it’s a loss on both sides."

How to put an end to this?
We cannot expect companies to voluntarily remove the term “overwork” from their corporate vocabulary. Strong regulations need to be introduced to define boundaries. Meanwhile, society must stop glorifying the fabricated “hustle culture” at the cost of mental and physical health.