Japan Bureau Gave Public Apology & Docked a Worker’s Pay ‘Coz He Left for Lunch 3 Mins Early

Japan has always left the world in awe. Either because of their inventions…

…or the lengths they go to for efficiency’s sake.

When we wrote this article, we wished that this was happening in Singapore too. I mean, compared to SMRT…

But sometimes, the lengths they go to for efficiency’s sake leaves people shaking their heads in disbelief too.

Like this guy.

Japan Office Worker Gets Pay Docked Because He Left For Lunch Early

I’m pretty sure you’ve done this once or twice in your office life. Or if you’re still studying, will do in the future.

Leaving for lunch early.

Most managers wouldn’t even bat an eyelid as long as you complete your work on time. And especially if it’s only 3 minutes.

Not Japan though.

Over a period of 7 months, a 64-year-old employee of the waterworks bureau in the western city of Kobe was discovered to have left for lunch early 26 times.

He left 3 minutes before the designated lunch break hour, which is 12 to 1 pm, to get a bento for lunch.

The man was fined and reprimanded for his actions.

According to the bureau, he had a broke a public service law which requires workers to concentrate fully on their jobs.

And that’s not all.

Public Apology

The bureau’s senior managers even got on television and gave a public apology.

They bowed in front of the camera and apologised for the “deeply regretable actions” of their employee.

Japan: The Land of Sushi & Karoshi

Japan is famous for two things. Their fresh seafood and overworking their workers.

The country has a track record for efficiency. I mean, if rail companies are made to apologise for their trains leaving 25 seconds earlier than the stated departure time, you’d know that their cities run like clockwork on a typical day.

Add in the fact that the country is facing an ageing population, one that’s more severe than what Singapore is experiencing right now, and you have a time bomb just waiting to explode.

Karoshi, or death from overworking.

Just search Google with the terms, Japan workers overworked. This is what you’ll get.

Deaths.

You know how we Singaporeans who like to act busy will say, “Ah! I’m going to die from work liao lah!”

In Japan, it’s a literal thing. Workers are dying from working too much.

Joey Tocnang, a 27-year-old trainee at a casting company in Central Japan died of heart failure in his company’s dormitory. He was made to clock 122.5 overtime hours a month.

31-year-old journalist, Miwa Sado, was found to have clocked 159 hours of overtime and only had two off days in the month before her death in July 2013.

And the death that started a public outcry and forced the government into doing something is 24-year-old Matsuri Takahashi.

She was forced to clock more than 100 overtime hours (including weekends) at advertising giant, Dentsu. Unable to take the pressure, she took her own life back in 2015.

It was found in a white paper, the first ever done on Karoshi, that one in five Japanese workers are at risk of death by overworking.

This had prompted the Government to come up with legislation to stop companies from overworking their workers.

Like capping the amount of OT at 100 hours per month.

Over here in Singapore, there is a cap of 72 hours of OT per month.

But some businesses are fighting against this rule

Especially those in industries that are facing a labour crunch because there’s just not enough young people to fill up the vacant positions.

Now you get why the Singapore government is trying to get Singaporeans to give birth to more babies? Or barring that, getting foreign talents into the country to fill up the labour gap?

I mean, Japan’s just like Singapore at SG100 if you think about it.

And even Japan’s trying to get foreigners into the country to work liao, despite the fact that their immigration laws used to be tighter than our CPF accounts, if you get what I mean.

Well, the takeaway from this article?

Yay, working in Singapore is indeed stressful, but people in Japan have it worse.

Now you know what Singaporeans are talking about today; do check back tomorrow for another piece of news of the day!