"It doesn't help your credibility to exaggerate, most employers wouldn't literally work you to death" like, I used to work in distribution. If booking a truck driver for back to back shifts until they fall asleep at the wheel, crash, and die counts as being worked to death, I have personally met employers who've worked employees to death and gotten away with a slap on the wrist. It may not be universal, but it's a hell of a lot more common than a lot of us would prefer to think.
Heart disease is the most common cause of death across all adults worldwide.
Stress is the most common cause of heart disease.
Occupational stress is the most common cause of chronic stress.
MOST EMPLOYERS WILL IN FACT WORK YOU TO DEATH ON A LONG ENOUGH TIMESCALE.
We need to dismantle capitalism for this reason, among many others.
And before the heart disease gets you, there's the possibility of:
Ulcers
Other non-ulcer stomach problems
Literally just falling apart? Crying, losing skills, losing control of emotions and reactions, those people you hear of who are found frozen or passed out
Breakdowns
Lashing out (used to call it going postal, it happened so much to mailrooms)
Random physical illnesses, both bc stress lowers the immune system and leaves you open to germs, and bc stress builds up until your body starts doing weird things trying to get your attention
Hair loss!
I literally ground my teeth so hard, I broke two of them
Worsening of whatever else you have going on
Car crashes from driving home exhausted or from loss of concentration due to being burned out
