Lethally overworked

Japanese is probably the only language in the world that actually has a word for “death by overwork”. That word is karoshi — and the Japanese government admits that it is a serious problem.

According to a recent report, nearly 12 per cent of Japanese companies say that they have full-time staff members who are putting in more than 100 hours of to put in (number) hours of overtime(Zahl) Überstunden ableistenovertime a month. Around 11 per cent say they have staff that regularly to amass sth.etw. ansammelnamass 80 overtime hours monthly. The government notes that, as of 80 overtime hours, workers are at risk of death from cardiovascular illnessHerz-Kreislauf-
Erkrankung(en)cardiovascular illness and other health problems, as well as from depression and suicide.

Last year, Japanese companies honoured compensation claimSchadenersatz-, 
Entschädigungsanspruchcompensation claims for nearly 1,500 cases of karoshi — a record number. Although the government uses advertising campaigns to encourage citizens to work fewer hours, critics insist that neither the government nor industry takes the problem seriously enough.
 

Last year, Japanese companies honoured compensation claims for nearly 1,500 cases of karoshi (death by overwork)

“At the heart of the issue is a deeply unenlightenedunaufgeklärt; hier: rückständigunenlightened but persistenthartnäckigpersistent attitude on the part of the government and management that regards selflessselbstlos, uneigennützigselfless dedicationHingabe, Einsatzdedication to the company shown through long hours at the office as a primewesentlich, Haupt-prime virtueTugendvirtue,” comments political science professor Koichi Nakano of Sophia University in Tokyo. “In reality it is arguablywohlarguably responsible for the steadykontinuierlichsteady declineRückgangdecline of Japanese corporate competitivenessWettbewerbsfähigkeit 
der Unternehmencorporate competitiveness,” Nakano told the Financial Times.