Yes, working 80 hours a week is physically possible, but it's extremely demanding, leads to high burnout risk, and isn't sustainable long-term for most people, often seen in intense short bursts in fields like medicine (residency), finance, or entrepreneurship, requiring intense planning for sleep, breaks, and support systems to avoid severe health impacts. While some industries have norms for this (like <>medical residency<<>>), managing it involves long days (11-16 hours) or split shifts, with strategies focusing on productivity and self-care to prevent collapse.
Working 80 hours a week is extremely taxing, both mentally and physically. It's crucial to factor in not just the work hours but also commute time, meal prep, and most importantly, sleep and rest. This could lead to burnout or even health issues if sustained over a period.
Also, the FLSA does not limit the number of hours in a day or days in a week an employee may be required or scheduled to work, including overtime hours, if the employee is at least 16 years old.
80 Hour Week jobs
In a study of high earners, management writer Sylvia Ann Hewlett found that a full 35 percent worked more than 60 hours a week, and 10 percent worked more than 80 hours a week.
Take Regular Breaks: Short breaks throughout the day can reduce physical and mental strain. Maintain a Healthy Diet: Plan meals to include a balance of nutrients. Exercise Regularly: Incorporate physical activity into your routine. Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
A study conducted by the World Health Organization concluded that working 55 or more hours per week is associated with an estimated 35% higher risk of a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease compared to working 35-40 hours per week.
The "8/80 Rule" refers to two different concepts: a U.S. labor law exception for healthcare overtime, allowing time-and-a-half for hours over 8/day or 80/14-days for hospitals, and a project management guideline for task sizing (work packages) to be between 8 and 80 hours for effective tracking, preventing excessive detail or overly large chunks of work. Both involve a range (8 to 80) but serve distinct purposes in payroll and project planning.
Legally, there's no federal limit on daily work hours for most adults in the U.S., so you could work 24 hours, but state laws, specific industries (like healthcare or transportation), and union rules often impose limits, like California's 12-hour cap for healthcare or required rest periods, and you must receive overtime pay for hours over 40/week (or 8/day in some states). While no federal rule exists, extended shifts (over 8 hrs) are discouraged by OSHA due to safety, with some places requiring 8+ hours off between shifts.
Signs you might be overworked
Increased stress and anxiety. Lack of motivation or interest in the activities you enjoy at work and at home. Burnout. Low productivity.
Very few people who claim to work 80, 90, or 100 hours a week actually log that kind of time. But in the course of asking people to record the 168 hours we all have each week for I Know How She Does It, I did come across one woman who was, in fact, working 100 hours a week.
Achieving billionaire status is typically interpreted as a sign of slowing down. That wasn't the case with Bill Gates. The Microsoft co-founder admitted to working 80 hours a week even after accumulating enormous wealth.
Musk goes to bed around 3 a.m. and gets about 6 hours of sleep every night. Although he's not getting eight hours a night, Musk has upped his sleeping schedule from being nearly nonexistent in the past. In May 2023, Musk told CNBC that he's no longer pulling all-nighters.
Elon Musk disclosed he has Asperger's syndrome (now considered part of Autism Spectrum Disorder) during his May 2021 Saturday Night Live monologue, noting it explains his sometimes unusual behavior and intense focus, with his mother also confirming his traits since childhood. While Asperger's isn't a formal diagnosis anymore, it highlights his challenges with social cues and literal thinking, which he frames as strengths in his work, alongside potentially related mood shifts mentioned in biographies, though he tweeted about bipolarity without a formal diagnosis.
The 2-3-4 sleep method is a baby nap schedule for older infants (around 6+ months) on two naps, using wake windows: 2 hours after waking for the first nap, 3 hours between the first and second nap, and 4 hours before bedtime, creating a total of 9 hours awake time. It's a guideline, not a strict rule, often used during the 3-to-2 nap transition, but some find the morning wake window too short and the evening one too long, recommending adjustments based on baby's sleepy cues.