Mizuki Kawashukuda“Karoshi” is a major social issues in Japan. This phenomenon, which leads to death from diseases and mental disorders caused by overwork, is on the rise worldwide. In 2021, WHO/ILO Joint estimated that long working hours are killing more than 745,000 people a year.
Death by overwork, a negative legacy of rapid economic growth
Karoshi began to attract attention in Japan in the late 1980s, at the height of the bubble economy. In the shadow of economic affluence, tragedies occurred in many workplaces where workers suddenly lost their lives due to brain and heart diseases.
In 1988, lawyers and doctors took the initiative in establishing the “Karoshi Hotline,” and the number of calls received exceeded expectations and soon became a frequent media report. Later, when the bubble economy collapsed and the economy entered a recession, the number of suicides due to overwork and stress increased, in addition to brain and heart diseases.
To remedy this situation, the government amended the labor standards law in 1987, setting the upper limit of working hours at 40 hours per week. In 2014, the law for measures to prevent death by overwork was established. Since 2016, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has produced a white paper on measures to prevent death by overwork annually, investigating and reporting the actual conditions of overwork deaths, long working hours, and workplace stress.
However, the percentage of work-related suicides is on the rise. This is evidenced by the widely reported worldwide case in 2015 of a new female employee of Dentsu Inc. who committed suicide due to long working hours and harassment by her boss.
Background of the prevalence of long working hours
Why do Japanese people work until they reach their mental and physical limits?
One reason is the historical background. In 1854, Japan reopened its doors to the outside world under military pressure from the U.S. After that, the country started to work long hours under the banner of a “wealthy nation, strong military,” “industrialization,” and “industrial revolution.” It aimed to strengthen its national power and escape from the subservience of the developed countries.
In addition, after World War II, to overcome the shock of defeat and to catch up with and overtake the West in economic terms, long working hours were incorporated into the management system, and economic growth was achieved. Thus, changing the system of long working hours, which has been entrenched over the years, is a historic reform and a major decision for Japan.
Another reason may be that in today’s society, where there is a shortage of human resources and time, newcomers are forced to “become full-fledged employees” immediately. After revising the labor standards law, it has been revealed that while working hours have been reduced, the workload remains the same. The heavy responsibilities, excessive quotas, and difficult-to-achieve targets force workers to work illegal overtime, pushing them to extreme mental and physical limits.
Measures that Japan should promote to stop Karoshi
Appropriate monitoring of working hours
There are cases with a discrepancy between the actual working hours and the working hours reported to the company by employees. As stipulated in the labor standards law and the occupational health and safety law, companies are responsible for properly managing employee working hours.
Promote the use of paid leave
In 2021, the paid leave utilization rate in Japan was 56.6%. Japanese companies have a culture that makes it difficult to take leave. We must strive to change this corporate culture, in which hard work without taking time off is valued, and create a system that allows employees to take leave.
Establish a medical system
To protect employees by detecting illnesses caused by overexertion as early as possible, we must ensure that employees receive regular health checkups.
It is essential to ensure that employees receive regular health checkups and to meet with industrial physicians regularly based on the results of the checkups. By providing specific health advice, the physician can help the employee to become aware of the problem and encourage improvement.
It is also important to introduce stress checks, a questionnaire-based test that assesses employees’ stress levels and, depending on the results, leads to guidance by a physician and improvements in the work environment. Stress checks are recommended as an effective measure to prevent mental health problems, and since December 2015, companies with 50 or more employees have been obliged to conduct stress checks.
Establish a consultation system
It is important to create an environment where employees can immediately seek advice if they have a mental or physical health problem. Introducing in-house counselors who can be easily consulted about workplace relationships and work-related problems will help workers who are not able to discuss with their supervisors or colleagues. Conducting employee awareness surveys and conducting personal interviews on a regular basis will also help identify problems at an early stage.
In order to eliminate the culture of long working hours in Japan and prevent death by overwork, it is necessary for the government to enact enforceable policies, for companies to change their awareness, and for individuals to constantly question whether their working environment is appropriate. In an ever-changing society, sticking to the old practice of long working hours is nonsense. It would be natural to refer to good practices and update the work environment to make it better.
