Association between working ≥10 hours per day and satisfaction with work environment among wage workers in Korea: a...

Long working hours have been associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes; however, evidence regarding their relationship with satisfaction with work environment remains limited, particularly when long working hours are defined using a specific daily threshold. This study examined the association between working ≥10 hours per day and satisfaction with work environment among Korean wage workers, focusing on the cumulative number of such workdays per month.

This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 7th Korean Working Conditions Survey. A total of 24,269 wage workers aged ≥18 years were included after excluding self-employed workers, unpaid family workers, shift workers, and respondents with missing data. Working ≥10 hours per day was categorized as 0, 1-9, and ≥10 days per month. Satisfaction with work environment was categorized as satisfied or dissatisfied. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dissatisfaction with work environment according to the number of long working days, adjusting for demographic and occupational characteristics.

Compared with workers who did not work ≥10 hours per day, those who worked 1-9 days and ≥10 days per month showed progressively higher levels of dissatisfaction with work environment. After adjustment for demographic and occupational factors, the odds of dissatisfaction with work environment were significantly higher among workers who worked ≥10 hours per day for 1-9 days per month (OR: 1.380; 95% CI: 1.145-1.665) and ≥10 days per month (OR: 2.106; 95% CI: 1.627-2.725), demonstrating a dose-response relationship.

Among the analytic sample of Korean wage workers included in this study, working ≥10 hours per day was associated with greater dissatisfaction with work environment, with a dose-response pattern according to the number of long working days per month.