Russian Workaholism Leads to Poverty and Health Crises
Photo: Liliya Sharlovskaya
While Rosstat officials enthusiastically report on `real wage growth,` nearly half of Russians are desperately searching for additional work. The labor market has effectively become a grueling work system where people are forced to toil up to 55 hours a week just to avoid utter destitution. The irony is that the more we work, the less our labor is valued. The authorities choose to overlook this societal plight, content with virtual figures in their reports, yet this policy directly erodes the nation`s health, literally driving people into early graves for the sake of dubious economic indicators.
Russia`s harsh reality sharply contrasts with optimistic Rosstat reports: average salaries reportedly surpassed 99,000 rubles, and real incomes grew by 3.8%. These figures should ideally inspire confidence. Yet, instead of resting or saving for a comfortable retirement or a decent vacation, almost half of Russians (47%!) are frantically searching for additional work. Over the past year, the number of such individuals increased by 4%, according to reliable sociological surveys, not official statistics. This isn`t merely the drive of workaholics; it`s a daily nightmare – the chronic inability to survive on a single salary. The problem is particularly acute among the creative and intellectual elite: doctors, teachers, and artists, with two-thirds of them mentally prepared to work a second shift after their main one. This clearly indicates the complete failure of the wage system that is so persistently presented as successful.
The cynicism of the situation lies in the fact that state statistics, which deliberately ignore entire segments of the economy, are simply unable to capture this widespread phenomenon. Rosstat accurately counts only full-time employees at large and medium-sized enterprises, effectively pretending that the vast army of self-employed, freelancers, and individuals with multiple employment contracts does not exist. Meanwhile, sociologists are recording a troubling trend: the average Russian workweek no longer fits the conventional 40 hours, stretching to 45, or even 55 hours when additional jobs are included. This means people are working up to 15 extra hours a week. And if only these additional hours were compensated appropriately! But no, here lies the core deception behind the `growth` figures. With such extreme overtime, the value of an hour`s labor does not increase; on the contrary, it falls. This is because no one is rushing to pay for these extra hours strictly according to the Labor Code. Consequently, those who juggle two jobs, on average, earn 10% less per hour than those who work a standard nine-to-six schedule and go home on time. People work more, but their labor is valued less. This is the true cost of this `economic miracle`.
What is all this for? Not for financial independence or significant purchases, as a naive one-third might believe, according to the same surveys. The majority are simply trying to maintain their accustomed, far-from-luxurious standard of living amidst widespread price increases. People are willing to dedicate 6-10, or even up to 20 hours a week to side jobs, just to earn an additional 30-50 thousand rubles. While some exhaust themselves working as `chill-cashiers` for a meager three and a half thousand per shift or as couriers, others, if particularly fortunate, might find more unusual side gigs, such as `purity guardians` in tea clubs or actors in quest performances. These are not inventions but actual data from the same sociological surveys. Although the market offers 30% more vacancies, the overall picture remains grim.
This frantic pursuit of extra income comes with a specific and tragic cost: human health. The World Health Organization has long quantified it: working more than 55 hours a week significantly increases the risk of stroke by 35% and the probability of premature death from heart disease by 17%. The state, it seems, views its citizens as immortal robots, capable of tireless work without demanding anything in return. Yet, it clearly observes how the country`s most vital resource—its people—is systematically being depleted, burning out at work merely to avoid starvation and pay essential bills. Instead of addressing this issue, the authorities openly hint at their readiness to replace departing workers with even cheaper and more vulnerable labor—migrants—to ensure no one complains or demands fair overtime pay.
This creates a vicious cycle: in pursuit of a decent standard of living, people take on more and more work responsibilities, but eventually cannot withstand the pace and demands. Their places are then filled by those willing to accept even more degrading conditions, which ultimately lowers the overall wage standard for everyone. We all, like exhausted horses, continue to turn this wheel, fully aware of the grim outcome that, alas, is far from the statistical reports of prosperity.
