We were saddened to learn about a 32-year-old corporate associate who passed away in June of an apparent heart attack. Some commentators have suggested a connection between her premature death and her workload, which had been especially severe in the weeks immediately preceding her death. (Search the Above the Law website for “heart attack” and you’ll find the related story.)
Certainly, a creative and enterprising lawyer could investigate these circumstances and create a plausible situation linking this associate’s workload and her heart attack. Nevertheless, it is no stretch to imagine fairly common consequences of overwork — fatigue, burnout, crankiness, etc. — and the repercussions that overwork visits upon your employer and colleagues, your friends and family, and yourself.
Let us all be reminded to make sure that neither we nor our colleagues are placing ourselves at risk through an unsustainable, demanding workload.
