Work may save marriages

A long with the emotional toll of divorce, separating couples often face financial devastation. But there may be a simple way to avoid both – put more time in at the coalface.

A new study by the Melbourne Institute found men who work long hours are no more likely to put their marriage at risk than anyone else.

Indeed, the incidence of a break-up is relatively low among couples where the man is working more than 40 hours each week.

According to the institute’s Professor Mark Wooden: “The optimal work arrangement appears to be where the man works a 41 to 49-hour week. Beyond this the risk of separation does rise, but it is still lower than for couples where the male works a 35 to 40-hour work week.”

In an environment of rising unemployment the findings may be reassuring to men who are spending more time at work in a bid to impress the boss. But while long work hours may not harm our love lives, they can certainly be detrimental to good health, especially if you’re a smoker.

The same study identified a significant association between long hours of work and smoking, but only among men. The theory goes that long hours at work act as a barrier to quitting.

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