What's happening?

It is 9.30 at night and Amira has just left the office.

Then she gets an email from her boss. There is a problem at work. She must sort it out before tomorrow morning, or else!

A recent survey found that junior lawyersPeople whose job it is to give advice about the law or speak for someone in court. at one company started work on average at 9.14am and finished at 11.28pm. That adds up to over 70 hours a week - even though the legalSomething that is legal is allowed by the law. limit in the UK is 48.

Yet some people take prideFeeling of satisfaction or honour about your own achievements. in working extremeVery great, or beyond what is expected. hours. Professor Sally Maitlis of Oxford UniversityA famous, ancient university in England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world. argues² that this dates back to a 16th Century idea. The idea was that if you worked hard, it showed you were a good ChristianA believer in Christianity, a religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. .

Then Britain went through the Industrial RevolutionA period of sudden, rapid industrialisation that transforms a country from an agricultural to an industrial economy., which took the idea further. 

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In the 1980s Britain opened up to big American companies. With them came the idea that making a lot of money was the most important thing in life, and working extremely long hours was the way to achieve that.

In his book The End of Burnout, Jonathan Malesic talks of this obsession with work as a kind of demonThe devil or an evil spirit. . People need rest too, experts say. And many people are not getting it.

Yes! When we work too much, we forget the things that really matter, such as going outdoors and spending time with our family. Work should be a means to a good life - not your whole life.

No! Many people love their jobs and find great meaning in them. If you have a skill or talent, you should use it. The real vice is laziness.