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Must Read: Japan's Killer Work Ethic Is Killing Japense

washingtonpost.com — Death from too much work is so commonplace in Japan that there is a word for it -- karoshi.There is a national karoshi hotline, a karoshi self-help book and a law that funnels money to the widow and children of a salaryman (it's almost always a man) who works himself into an early karoshi for the good of his company.

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  • cerealjynx, on 07/13/2008, -6/+81I wonder if porn stars ever die of karoshi...
    • Haroshia, on 07/15/2008, -2/+72No they die of bukkake
    • ssn697, on 07/15/2008, -0/+6Only the lucky ones?
    • SteelChicken, on 07/15/2008, -10/+3yeah, its called AIDS
    • phrenzy, on 07/15/2008, -0/+0If Bella Donna can regularly take a Louisville Slugger up her ass, I would say it's probably uncommon.
      • johnroth, on 07/15/2008, -1/+1I hope it's worth it... her ass is going to prolapse down to her ankles in her old age... she'll have to carry a diaper bag.
      • phrenzy, on 07/16/2008, -0/+0Well, I think she REALLY wanted to be famous in any way she could. She found a way.
    • KingGorilla, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3The spirit is willing but the flesh is spongy and bruised
      • FrankDrebbin, on 07/16/2008, -0/+2If I told you that you had a nice body, would you take your pants off and dance around for me?
    • chillypacman, on 07/16/2008, -0/+2I wonder if game devs do...
  • linuxwarz, on 07/13/2008, -14/+2I've always wondered why you see animes such as Deathnote and real news about the Japanese people repeating crimes, mostly regarding death, that others have done days or months before. Could this be the real issue?
    • neillawson, on 07/15/2008, -2/+2Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, probably not. But guessing is the first step
  • beerncheese, on 07/15/2008, -26/+17Americans die from that, too.

    Oh, wait, I thought it said "Death from too much eating...."
  • stevensj2, on 07/15/2008, -21/+97Sad truth: US dictators and business owners see this and feel envy, not pity.
    • seltaeb4, on 07/15/2008, -3/+19This is the single most accurate observation that I've encountered in a long while.

    • 32bytes, on 07/15/2008, -1/+12So true!
    • aimhelix, on 07/15/2008, -1/+8Agree.
    • nodong, on 07/15/2008, -5/+16US Dictators?
      • CoMpUtErITGuY, on 07/15/2008, -11/+7You know...The President of the United States?
      • Abennobashi, on 07/15/2008, -7/+2dont be a ***** parrot.
    • Zzone, on 07/15/2008, -8/+3Why is that a sad truth? I'd rather my workers be working all day than be on digg all day.
    • Shoebox639, on 07/15/2008, -2/+4and by all day do you mean 16 or 18 hours a day? Cuz they just mentioned the chief engineer for toyota dying for overwork. He prolly had people working under him. Are YOU willing to work that long a day? Then don't expect your workers to.
    • NonLeftistDiggr, on 07/15/2008, -9/+9That is the statement of a 20 year old. Yes demonize business and corporations, fit in at Digg.

      US dictators?
      • Navicerts, on 07/15/2008, -1/+7Well, if you read an article about people that work so hard they simply drop dead and you feel envy; you deserve to be demonized. I don't know who the dictators are though.
    • synthpop, on 07/15/2008, -2/+4"productivity" is US corporate-speak for "karoshi", and it's increasing
    • unpolloloco, on 07/15/2008, -0/+4I think karoshi is probably the only hope for american business right now. If people don't actually get off their butts and work, there's not going to be american business anymore.
    • KillaJazzBass, on 07/15/2008, -3/+13Wow dude, just.. wow how does it feel to not know what the ***** your talking about?

      The Toyota guy was one of thier top managers. The Japanese buisiness and work ethic is completely different then the American work ethic. And yes there are workaholics out there. But US Dictators, are you refering the the U.S.A? Or US as in calling yourself a dictator. Your probably 16 years old, take an economics 101 class kiddo, now shut the ***** up and color.
      • acegi, on 07/15/2008, -7/+2spoken like a true retard.

        newsflash: writing the word '*****' does not make you cool.


        ad hominem ftw
      • NonLeftistDiggr, on 07/15/2008, -3/+1spoken extremely well, like someone who has had an American worthless abled body roomate that skips out on paying rent.
    • yuanzhoulu, on 07/15/2008, -0/+7Right. US is only second to Japan in long work hours. many of my friends in NYC in the i-banking industry work 100+ hours a week and live on noodles and peanut butter during 15-minute lunches, work 7 day a week, and have no time for any other pursuits whatsoever, family, friends, travel, vacation, hobbies, real food, or anything.

      they get paid $200k+/year. but they have NO OPTION to work half the time and get paid half -- it's either work it or get fired.

      such is life. the gory details of it that you don't see from the outside.

      personally, if i don't get my 1 hour of piano practice every day, time to buy groceries, cook and eat properly every day, full weekends to have fun, time to play sports in the evening, flexible timing, and 6+ weeks of vacation per year (unpaid is fine but i better get it), and uncensored internet access to work, i'm not happy. right now i'm in a fine situation called grad school thank god. after this i think i'm gonna leave this country and move to europe or something.
      • stevensj2, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1$200k+/year and live on noodles and peanut butter?
      • bobbi21, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1I think he means since noodles can be instant noodles and eaten during quick lunch breaks. And peanut butter sandwiches are easy to make for lunch. You'd think they'd probably get someone to make lunches for them but if you're rich you like money and you probably won't be wasting it on a maid/cook everyday unless you're filthy rich.
    • ZenMojo, on 07/15/2008, -1/+1If only the US could lose those extra two vacation days, we could catch up with them...
  • dblespresso, on 07/15/2008, -2/+38Cant have the 2nd largest economy for nothing, especially when you are light on resources.
    • TheCamino, on 07/15/2008, -0/+18 Sure, you're right about that.

      I'm an extremely loyal employee, and worked a terrible, stressful, overnight shift outside for two years straight through Winter three times, with a twelve hour shift outside, and ended up with mono, two bouts of bronchitis, and about seven flus and ten colds. It was almost a six day work week, every week, and I was the point parent for a two year old at the time.

      I had never called in sick more than one day a year in my career before that point. I was considered extremely healthy before that point, even by my HR directors, and when I called in sick, they were actually concerned, considering that they knew that there was no way in hell I wold be calling in sick unless I couldn't physically perform.

      Karoshi is real. On the second bout of bronchitis I was getting about four hours of sleep a night, and I was literally suicidal after that point. I do mean literally. It got me laid up for about four days and then I realized that I wasn't going nuts, my body was eating itself alive.

      Working endlessly is a terrible way to live.
      Those Japanese salarymen have a life that no one should ever admire. It's a terrible way to live.

      There is a reason why a sixty hour work week every week is going to kill you, it's the inability to relax and restore your health.
      The real killer, the fact that social time becomes a burden. The world that you live in is so stacked up the moment you hit the door from work, it will drive you nuts. That's the real killer, the feeling of stagnation in everything but work, and work never ends.
      • jackkerouac, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3Someone's just lazy. I kid! I kid!
  • frankingeneral, on 07/15/2008, -8/+107Who or what is a Japense?
  • CyberStriker, on 07/15/2008, -16/+2This effects children too. Anyone remember that Asian kid who collapsed after playing World of Warcraft for 72 hours straight in a internet cafe, without even taking a break to eat or drink? Man, that was crazy.
    • Rizin, on 07/15/2008, -0/+17That was a Korean not a Japanese
    • oddturtle, on 07/15/2008, -6/+1Because work is the same thing as playing WoW (except for Chinese gold farmers)
      • iticu, on 07/15/2008, -1/+2It is in Asia, they play it in the most efficient way possible. For example, Horde and Alliance literally take turns losing battlegrounds to get the PvP gear quickly.

    • WELLDOITLIVE, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3*affects
  • DaDrake, on 07/15/2008, -5/+17These all seem to be higher level management who made a conscious choice to put their careers above all else.
    • JKAL, on 07/15/2008, -0/+20sadly i think you'll find that is not the case, it is only reported as such because management level is important, never mind the average person.
    • smokesteam, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1Nope, it is never top level managers who die of overwork. Its almost always some poor schlub near the bottom of the dogpile or a line manager. Managers here dont really get higher pay or status anyway.
  • Hotrox, on 07/15/2008, -11/+5If I didn't know any better, I'd say that karoshi sounds like an exotic food. Who would have thought that being worked to death could sound so delicious?
  • SolidBones, on 07/15/2008, -6/+43Buying a Toyota feels a lot like buying a pair of Nike's now.
    • drlha, on 07/15/2008, -0/+20Except unless you live in Asia, your Toyota is unlikely to have been built in Japan.
      • billbugger, on 07/15/2008, -1/+7The saleryman in the article didn't build cars.
  • Escamotage, on 07/15/2008, -2/+62The Japense should fight back against the Japanese.
  • TheNapalm, on 07/15/2008, -14/+5Why can't the French have this problem?????
    • rolf, on 07/15/2008, -1/+1Because it's illegal:
      http://img502.imageshack.us/my.php?image=effortxq9 ...

      Although, I suppose this story voids the premise of that demotivator.
    • KhanneaNL, on 07/15/2008, -4/+1Because of the Guillotines? The ruling class in France is a little more cautious ever since.

      Japanese however are a collective nation of ***** cowards. Their bowing is conditioned behavior to make it easier for the Samurai class to cut off heads of those who don't obey.
    • NonLeftistDiggr, on 07/15/2008, -1/+3and you got buried,.... diggers are retarded. Nothing was more classic than hearing a french man bitch about their drop in pay when the 35 hour week was put in place.... although to be fair I met several cool french engineers with working brains who admitted it was embarassing.
  • radiantstorm, on 07/15/2008, -16/+4This has been happening in France. Renault has lost a few people the last couple of years to suicide. Hell, this is symptom of capitalism, period.
    • oddturtle, on 07/15/2008, -7/+4As opposed to the symptom of communism - dying from famine.
    • DrNemo, on 07/15/2008, -3/+6Working less than 35 hours a week will really kill you.
    • KhanneaNL, on 07/15/2008, -4/+1Yah and the way this capitalism/fascism has been making progress with the ***** Bush grabbing power we are going to see more of this. I hate the bastards responsible for this with every fiber of my being.
  • Wujian01, on 07/15/2008, -10/+1Believe that Japanese is hardworking.....
    But it was useless if the price is "life / die"
  • freezerburn666, on 07/15/2008, -4/+3didn't they reference this in the previous article?
  • fluidfoundation, on 07/15/2008, -1/+29Won't somebody PLEASE think of the Salary Men?!
  • Coolkid11, on 07/15/2008, -7/+25Japanese people in general take almost everything they do too far. Many are media freaks and don't socialize at all unless it is required by their jobs, some are video game freaks, and some are work freaks.
    • Frost9999, on 07/15/2008, -15/+8While you're being racist, are there any other generalisations you'd like to pile on?
      • RealmDown, on 07/15/2008, -0/+12He may or may not be wrong in his opinion, but he is not being racist.

        He is observing behavior of a group, not targeting that group.
      • Coolkid11, on 07/15/2008, -1/+12You're an idiot. I said in GENERAL, not ALL of them. There is a huge difference. Japanese Americans are not obsessive, but Japanese culture generally gears Japanese people into having some obsessive interest.
      • Frost9999, on 07/15/2008, -10/+1Japanese Americans?! So there are different types of Americans now huh?
      • texpundit, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2"Japanese culture generally gears Japanese people into having some obsessive interest. "

        Those people are called "otaku". (No, otaku doesn't only apply to anime weaboos.)
      • thailand1972, on 07/15/2008, -1/+3You really are in idiot, Frost9999. It is possible to make a generalisation without being racist. I've spent 3 years in Japan, and I can certainly agree with Coolkids' point of view. The Japanese are extreme in many things they do:-

        - work too long hours (not necessarily work too hard)
        - at the "nomikai" ("drinks meeting") - drink too much, too quickly - not unusual to see people being sick right there in the izakaya
        - become hermits (hikikomori) to a severe degree, often not even leaving their room, let alone house
        - absolutely regimented; protocols with married and work life; friends are a way of escaping these regiments

        And with all of the above, many Japanese *hate* this. They hate their life of rules and protocols and sticking with the group. On the other hand, many need it.

        These are my observations. Perhaps you think I'm racist now. Whatever.
    • strikertp, on 07/15/2008, -5/+4I really fail to see how that isn't stereotyping -_-. Have you ever went to Japan? Go somewhere like Roppongi Hills and tell me Japanese people aren't social.
      • iticu, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3It is stereotyping, that doesn't mean it's not true in general.
      • Eslamicolt3, on 07/15/2008, -0/+8I've always wanted to went to go to Japan, but I never got around to wenting.
      • thailand1972, on 07/15/2008, -0/+7What is wrong with stereotyping? Why do people think exceptions disprove a rule? So you know Roppongi Hills - wow. I've lived in the boring suburbs of Chiba (outskirts of Tokyo) for 3 years. I saw the normal life. I lived it. I've been to Harajuku and seen the cosplay groups etc. So what. Tell me about the normal life in Japan. It is full of rules and protocols. You can generalise about how Japanese live their lives, because it is such a homogenous lifestyle.
      • nafnosseb, on 07/15/2008, -0/+4hahaha @eslamicolt3
    • Screwy1138, on 07/15/2008, -2/+13Some are stereotype freaks.

      Then again, I know I'm American because I have insane credit card debt and eat at McDonalds every day. Yeah.
    • KhanneaNL, on 07/15/2008, -1/+4First human beings slowly evolving into an insect state. Charming.
      • nycmac247, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2yes, and then we will have a hive mind like the grey aliens who abduct us... and whom might be our future selves coming back to try to prevent everyone from becoming semi autistic, too.
    • metroidragon, on 07/16/2008, -1/+1I want a sex freak Japanese girl :(
  • DuffyDirect, on 07/15/2008, -3/+26Japanese labor experts: "This is an outrage! We need more output from our industrial organizational psychologists!"

    *IO psychologists start dropping dead*
  • poogy21, on 07/15/2008, -2/+24It's for the greater good.. (echos: "the greater good")..
    • TheDreadDiggerD, on 07/15/2008, -0/+5the greater good
    • SarahC, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3...the greater good...
    • johnroth, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1Has you ever fired two guns whilest jumping through the air?
    • Paulish, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1Everyone knows how evil being selfish is... Think of the greater good...
  • Enochulator, on 07/15/2008, -1/+42I worked in Japan once for only 10 days about 5 years ago, and I already knew I wouldn't want to work there long-term. I saw the people were still working in the office like in the middle of the day after 8pm, and the subway was PACKED at 11pm on a weeknight. It's ungodly.

    What's ironic is that Japan's population has one of the longest life expectancies in the world. Maybe it's the food.
    • unpolloloco, on 07/15/2008, -5/+1or the fact that they are actually passionate about what they do......
      • Lythium, on 07/15/2008, -0/+17....because grinding your life away in a cubicle is _so_ inspiring -.-
      • Enochulator, on 07/15/2008, -0/+11It's one thing to be passionate about your work. It's another thing if you don't know how to balance your life and send yourself to an early grave.
      • PilotHead, on 07/15/2008, -0/+0Or the social pressure that put in the workforce about having a "prestige" position.
    • Orchid64, on 07/16/2008, -0/+0People do work hard, but a lot of the hours you see people put in are pretty much all for the appearance of hard work. Some companies do work some employees to death, but that's not the norm, no matter how many of these articles get printed up and passed around.

      I worked in a Japanese office for 12 years and most of the salarymen put in pointless (and needless) hours. They'd get less done in 12 hours than the average American does in 7 because the appearance of working hard is more important than actually doing so. Most of the poor saps who die from working too much haven't learned to play the game as well as their slack ass cohorts. It doesn't help that, in Japan, the best worker is "rewarded" with more responsibility and the worst is "punished" with less work as he or she cannot be trusted to complete the work. The good die young and the slack live the longest.
  • Renian, on 07/15/2008, -3/+4The examples in this article reference blue-collar workers or those who directly work with them. What about white-collar workers in general? Are they having the same problem?
    • BadAssFlip, on 07/15/2008, -0/+10engineers = white collar workers
      and yes, the article is referring to the entire japanese workforce in general
      • Renian, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3I probably read the article wrong.

        At any rate, thank you.
    • grantmoore3d, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1Can someone please explain this "collar" system... because I never see people wearing the same colour shirts in an office
      • Renian, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2Blue collar = factory workers. May wear a stereotypical blue uniform with a nametag.
        White collar = office workers. Likely to wear a white, buttoned shirt.
        Green collar (according to Metal Gear Solid 4) = military personnel/mercenaries/etc. Green is the color of many BDUs.
        Green collar (actual) = Environmental workers. They like being "green".

        All the links to the wikipedia articles on them are at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_collar
    • smokesteam, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1in short, yes.
  • AwesomeInTheory, on 07/15/2008, -1/+29Reminds me of that picture of a Japanese newscaster who, in the span of something like 4 years, goes from looking hale and hearty to something from a George Romero film.
    • Desiree1217, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1He's still on the news here. And actually he doesn't look that bad, it was just a bad photo.
  • DesoNoto, on 07/15/2008, -9/+7And your spelling is killing me. It's Japanese, not Japense. >_<
  • ferrell, on 07/15/2008, -1/+58From the Digg story JUST BELOW THIS ONE...

    List: 10 things that are suprisingly good for you

    6. Work. Hard work never killed anyone, goes the saying. Except in Japan, of course, where it kills dozens of people every year. Curiously, however, the experts say that work helps keep you healthy, not just giving you enough money to eat and fulfil your basic needs but reinforcing your sense of social worth and extending your life expectancy.

    http://digg.com/health/10_things_that_are_suprisin ...
    • Gforce20, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3I wonder how the submitter found this story... :/
      Nice find.
    • goerg, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1damn wanted to paste this ^^
    • Screwy1138, on 07/15/2008, -1/+2Too much Vitamin C can kill you too.
    • Ceryn1126, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1That explains why the Japanese have such a long life expectancy... I guess if you survive the overtime, you get a massive stamina boost...
  • jenkins19m, on 07/15/2008, -24/+1Serves the slanty-eyed b*stards right for hunting whales!!
    • nigh7dagger, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1I'm sorry about your mom.
      • jenkins19m, on 07/16/2008, -0/+0Im sorry to hear you bombed out at 'battle of the bands'

        Get back in the garage, loser
  • TheNapalm, on 07/15/2008, -10/+2I think karoshi is what invented bukkake. Good ole' hard work.
    • LeRenard, on 07/15/2008, -0/+6Did you just string together the only two Japanese words you know?
      • TheNapalm, on 07/15/2008, -2/+2no I could have thrown in sushi, kamikazi, sumo

        sarcasm/
      • TheAkolyte, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2DESU DESU DESU DESU
  • K1ngcrimson, on 07/15/2008, -8/+4NOT NOW KATO!
  • seltaeb4, on 07/15/2008, -1/+13I wonder to what extent karoshi (death from overwork) exists in America.

    Far, far more than we are aware, I'm sure.

    For example, consider job-stress related heart attacks...
    • Kev585, on 07/15/2008, -3/+5My guess would be just as high as Japan's if not more so, the US is ranked as the most productive nation and works the longest hours
    • ExRe, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2Well, if they wouldn't be shoving down Big Mac's before and after work every day...
  • onlyclave, on 07/15/2008, -2/+15Must Read: is better than BREAKING.
    • xsquirrel378x, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1not really. at least breaking might have been true at the time it was posted.
      • onlyclave, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1I forgot the /sarcasm.
      • xsquirrel378x, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1sorry i would have picked up on it if you said "Must Read is waaay better than BREAKING"
        even after you told me it was sarcasm it seems not too obvious

  • LeonJP, on 07/15/2008, -0/+12Errgh, again? This comes up every 6 months or so.

    Karoshi is a compound word, its like saying over-work-acide. I'm sure you could make a perfectly grammatical word for it in English.

    Wages in Japan are pitifully low compared to my home country of Australia, more so since the yen has weakened over 100% since I arrived 5 years ago. What is far more interesting than this is the state of Japans welfare system - that the details of payments made to millions of people was lost, so how much had been received by who was completely unknown - that the number and conditions of welfare are such that people are dying from starvation or having to go homeless - that the welfare system is in the red and they are decreasing payments, increasing fees and considering raising taxes.
    • KhanneaNL, on 07/15/2008, -0/+5The face of the world in this century if the bastards that rule us have their way.
    • Ceryn1126, on 07/15/2008, -0/+2Yeah i came here about 3 years ago... The whole thing is gonna tank if Japan doesn't get in on a Tech boom of some kind in the next decade. There are so many unregulated hakengaisha (contracting companies/ temp work) right now that half the people working non salary jobs are only getting a small portion of their actual wage.

      The people who are lucky enough to have a salary based job have to work 60 hours a week or so to keep it.
  • dengzhi, on 07/15/2008, -6/+4if you've seen the japanese work ethic you will understand why their products are so good
    • easypie, on 07/15/2008, -1/+1How about the Chinese products?
      • Akairenn, on 07/15/2008, -3/+1Stop shopping at dollar stores and Chinese products are fine; easily equal to anything still actually made in the US.
    • DeFex, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1except sony
    • smokesteam, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1Better to call what they do the "stay at work ethic" than "work ethic".
  • darthzaphod, on 07/15/2008, -2/+5I guess I'll stop bitching when I have to wake up at 7 a.m. for work.
  • selarul, on 07/15/2008, -2/+0too much of anything is not good,and that includes 'work addiction';workaholics,beware!
  • JonathanMead, on 07/15/2008, -9/+2Who the hell are the Japense?
    • easypie, on 07/15/2008, -1/+1If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have realised that. Thank you JonathanMead.
  • rmeddy, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3NN Taleb talks about this in his book,they don't understand failure.
  • garg, on 07/15/2008, -6/+1And they say that hard work never killed anyone.
  • mrzack, on 07/15/2008, -4/+3fools.
  • GoneGreen, on 07/15/2008, -9/+4And America's failed work ethic is killing the country... we report, you decide
    • DeFex, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1actually walmart did that.
      hard to have a work ethic when there is no proper jobs creating something actually useful. instead of selling instant landfill made by the people who have your job.
      • unpolloloco, on 07/15/2008, -1/+1so walmart is the cause of market demand for crap products?

        The problem is American business owners failing to adapt to an increasingly globalized market (and business owners in other countries picking up the slack)
    • whorunbartertwn, on 07/15/2008, -1/+3Failed work ethic? The US works long hours and is one of the most productive per hours worked.
  • mydjtl, on 07/15/2008, -0/+5I wonder if medical residents fall into the Karoshi crisis... although there are weak rules now limiting hours worked... my doc worked 100 hours a week as a resident...
    • TheCamino, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3
      Well, how many docs do you know that don't look like they have been hit by a truck?
      Seriously, physician interns don't look like the cast of Grey's Anatomy.

  • TheNapalm, on 07/15/2008, -1/+5this is the best excuse for laziness ever. I'm gonna tell my boss that I need extended breaks and time off to avoid karoshi.
  • easypie, on 07/15/2008, -9/+1KAROSHI IS *****! THOSE ASSHOLES MAKING PEOPLE WORK OVERTIME SHOULD BE KICKED IN THE ASS.
  • cjmal, on 07/15/2008, -5/+7I plan to visit Japen soon.
  • crushallcakes, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1I recently changed my work arrangements so I don't have to worry about this. Work sucks, working with a long commute is just the worst.
  • imajet28, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1it's madness, madness i tell you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • dcmcderm, on 07/15/2008, -1/+2So...they are trying to discourage them from working so much overtime by paying them more for it? WTF
    • DeFex, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3yes if the companies have to pay more for overtime then they might hire more people at the normal rate to save money.
      • unpolloloco, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3That's not factoring in the other costs of employment (benefits, etc.) that don't change with more work. Typically, it's worth it for a company to pay 1.5-2x the normal rate for people to work overtime - saves them a TON in benefits by not hiring more people.
  • MemoDelLocos, on 07/15/2008, -0/+4On the other hand, not working can also have some bad effects too. Find a comfortable middle ground.
  • steviedee, on 07/15/2008, -0/+3A prime example how getting things so right can turn bad. Japan is incredibly ahead in alot of ways in comparison to many leading countries, visit it yourself, and you will see what i mean. A beautiful country with a truly innovative way of living
    • TheCamino, on 07/15/2008, -0/+0
      I really don't think that anyone is getting down on Japan. Japan is great.
      I think that they're addressing the problem, and not at all making Japan appear as weird.
      This is a societal problem in the US and Japan.
  • ApokalypseNow, on 07/15/2008, -0/+9"The trick is to take a break as soon as you see a bright light and hear dead relatives beckon."
    --Pointy Haired Boss
  • banido, on 07/15/2008, -2/+4JIRAYA DIED!
  • SreyaNotfilc, on 07/15/2008, -0/+0In the words of the great Brian Fellows... "That's just crazy!"
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