So Much for Hard Work Never Hurt Anybody
Anti-Social Darwinism
11-12-2007, 00:36
My mother used to say it all the time - hard work never hurt anybody.
I'm so glad I'm lazy.
http://www.gadling.com/2007/12/06/big-in-japan-man-works-himself-to-death-company-compensates-wi/
Farnhamia
11-12-2007, 00:42
Obviously the result of poor life choices.
And any country that has a word for "death from overwork" needs to seriously examine its culture.
Robbopolis
11-12-2007, 00:45
Anybody ever do a study on this in the US?
Call to power
11-12-2007, 00:46
what about hitmen? Ronald McDonald? Pol Pot? maybe its time we put a certain someone into a care home...
also I'm so glad I give up so easy :)
Kryozerkia
11-12-2007, 01:31
The scary part of all of it is they actually have a word for it! :eek:
Robbopolis
11-12-2007, 01:34
The scary part of all of it is they actually have a word for it! :eek:
Yeah, you know it's bad when....
King Arthur the Great
11-12-2007, 01:37
Wow, I wonder if nukes had anything to do with that...
Serious radiation poisoning: destroying nations one at a time.
South Lorenya
11-12-2007, 01:44
It';s been done before, but in a different field -- they were working on their Everquest characters.
UpwardThrust
11-12-2007, 01:59
Wow, I wonder if nukes had anything to do with that...
Serious radiation poisoning: destroying nations one at a time.
What would nukes have to do with 114 hours of overtime?
King Arthur the Great
11-12-2007, 02:06
What would nukes have to do with 114 hours of overtime?
Unanticipated after-effect, Thrusty. Unanticipated after-effect. Radiation can be blamed for many things, so I thought we could add this one.
[NS]Rolling squid
11-12-2007, 02:33
It';s been done before, but in a different field -- they were working on their Everquest characters.
Na, that's Korea, and it's starcraft, BTW. Much better game to die over.
Interesting case! I wonder if there aren't any labour provisions in place which prevent individuals from working over a certain amount of time each week? Or if perhaps they can contract out of these provisions?
In Canada, labour restrictions on maximum hours per week, rest breaks, vacations etc, can not be contracted out of except in a few circumstances. Some of these provisions won't apply to certain classes of people (contractors) etc, but other provisions are in place to ensure that even these people aren't 'worked to death'.
If a company allowed you to punch in far in excess of the time you are legally allowed to work, they would be breaking the law. Nevermind the sanctions they would face if they encouraged you or forced you to.
No idea what labour law is like in Japan, but if overworking is so prevalent, then this case is likely to scare a few companies. I'd like to see punitive damages large enough to deal with an area their Legislature hasn't, but that's just me and the influence of the US. Or something :D
Anybody ever do a study on this in the US?
When Japanese businessmen come to America to take a job the recipe for success that they are given is "work like a Japanese."
When Americans do the same in Europe the formula they are given is "work like you're an American."
Europeans are told "what the hell is wrong with those Americans?"
Obviously the result of poor life choices.
And any country that has a word for "death from overwork" needs to seriously examine its culture.
And yet in our own nations, we have people who would gladly emulate the Japanese and their success...on the backs of the people who would be doing the actual emulating (working themselves to death). You see, labour standars and other such trappings of socialism only retard economic growth.
Marrakech II
11-12-2007, 03:05
Unanticipated after-effect, Thrusty. Unanticipated after-effect. Radiation can be blamed for many things, so I thought we could add this one.
Unanticipated after-effect, (Thrusty?). Unanticipated after-effect. United States can be blamed for many things, so I thought we could add this one.
Corrected.......
H N Fiddlebottoms VIII
11-12-2007, 03:26
What would nukes have to do with 114 hours of overtime?
Radiation gives people super powers, and this man was obviously given super Working Overtime powers, which was pretty great at first. Unfortunately, it seems what he didn't receive were super Surviving Overtime powers.
Radiation gives people super powers, and this man was obviously given super Working Overtime powers, which was pretty great at first. Unfortunately, it seems what he didn't receive were super Surviving Overtime powers.
It's been a while since I've been exposed to your madness. Now please, close the trenchcoat.
H N Fiddlebottoms VIII
11-12-2007, 03:29
It's been a while since I've been exposed to your madness. Now please, close the trenchcoat.
But if I do that then people won't be able to see my katana . . .
King Arthur the Great
11-12-2007, 03:44
Unanticipated after-effect, (Thrusty?). Unanticipated after-effect. United States can be blamed for many things, so I thought we could add this one.
Corrected.......
Yeah, Thrusty. He made a thread called "Help Thrusty build a computer," so now he's Thrusty. It's easier than writing Upward Thrust.
Demented Hamsters
11-12-2007, 04:43
Interesting case! I wonder if there aren't any labour provisions in place which prevent individuals from working over a certain amount of time each week? Or if perhaps they can contract out of these provisions?
The problem here lies not with labour laws per se, but with Japanese culture.
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labour also reports that the leading cause of karōshi is the practice of voluntary undocumented unpaid overtime, which is known as sabisu-zangyo. Just to clarify, that means that Japanese workers are choosing to work longer hours without documenting their time or seeking compensation.
what they mean by 'voluntary' overtime is two things:
1. In Japan, you never leave work before your boss does. If you did, it 'proves' you don't love the company you work for - and thus will never be promoted. Bosses, of course, know this and leave as late as possible. But then that's how they got that management level so don't see anything wrong with doing that.
2. Bosses will often bring in something urgent just before knock-off time and politely ask if you can stay behind and finish it. Total loss of face for you and the boss if you didn't agree to finish it - even though said 'urgent' request might take another 8 hours to complete, resulting in yet another midnight finish. Again, it's a loss of face to demand overtime for that, as it should have been completed during normal workhours that day. To demand overtime is to publicly admit that you can't do all the work your boss entrusts upon you within the normal working day.
thus, it's all 'voluntary' and so not covered by any Labour Law provisions.
what's particularly revolting is reading the msgs on that blog from Americans. *shakes head sadly*
Interesting case! I wonder if there aren't any labour provisions in place which prevent individuals from working over a certain amount of time each week? Or if perhaps they can contract out of these provisions?
Technically, yes. In reality the punishment amounts to the ministry dropping by and saying bad dog, no biscuit for you. Even better, said 'punishment' requires the employee to self-report it which leads us to...
The fact that the Japanese are not "required" to work such insane amounts of overtime, but feel that they must do so anyway due to various cultural aspects, including never leaving the office before the boss. So they never report.
My fellow teachers put in some insane hours, usually from before 7 am to well after 9 pm every day and they don't get overtime, but they do it anyway because that's what's required to be a Japanese worker.
what's particularly revolting is reading the msgs on that blog from Americans. *shakes head sadly*
Agreed. It's stuff like those comments that makes me really wonder why I want to go home sometimes.
Wow, I wonder if nukes had anything to do with that...
Serious radiation poisoning: destroying nations one at a time.
Dude, Japan has no radiation poisoning. If it does, Specify where because I have not heard of it.
And DON'T bring up Hiroshima/Nagasaki. Radiation returned to safe living levels back in about 1970. It's nothing more then backround radiation today.
That's what I call dedication. I have to admit, it can be scary at times to realize how much you've worked nonstop simply because you can't abide the thought of doing something incompletely. I've spent five or six hours working non-stop on accounting homework simply to make sure all of the numbers add up.
I could definitely fall susceptible to something like this.