Why Do the Poor Never Get a Break?
Have you ever felt the world keeps moving, even when your heart needs a pause?
Picture this: Ana, a supermarket cashier, wakes up before dawn. Today is Easter. For many, it’s a day of hope, family, and renewal. But Ana’s reality is different. She checks her phone—one of the top searches is, “Is Walmart open on Easter?” She already knows the answer. She’ll be at work, while others gather at home.
Ana’s story is the story of millions. For many low-income workers, holidays aren’t a break—they’re just another day on the job. No time to rest. No time to celebrate. No time to simply be with the people they love.
But here’s something we often forget: Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s a human need. Scientific studies show that lack of rest and long working hours can seriously harm our health. A 2019 meta-analysis found that long working hours increase the risk of heart disease, depression, and even workplace injuries. Another study highlights that sleep deprivation, common among shift workers, leads to higher rates of chronic illness and reduced well-being. And research shows that work-life balance is just as important for our health as it is for our families.
So, what if we started to value every worker’s right to rest? What if we made space for everyone to celebrate, to renew, to just live?
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Now, I want to hear from you. Have you ever had to work on a day that was special to you? How did it make you feel? Share your story in the comments. Let’s make every voice count.
Sources:
City University of Hong Kong (2019). "The Effect of Long Working Hours and Overtime on Occupational Health: A Meta-Analysis of Evidence from 1998 to 2018." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6617405/
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore & University of Genoa (2017). "Sleep, Health and Wellness at Work: A Scoping Review." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707986/
University of Milano-Bicocca (2020). "Work–Life Balance: Weighing the Importance of Work–Family and Work–Health Balance." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7037206/
