11 Feb, 2014
Asia Times Online: Japan’s brutal work culture takes a toll
Almost half of all non-regular workers chose their current “work-style” due to lack of opportunity to be a regular employee. As a demographic that receives low wages, no health or pension benefits and no paid holidays, the non-regular workforce represents a worrying growth of instability that remains ignored by government policy.
As for regular employees, while most are entitled to 18 days of annual holiday, only 39% of these days are used on average. 17% of Japanese workers do not take any holidays at all, the highest proportion out of all countries surveyed by Expedia.
Despite the regulations set out by the Labor Standards Law, peer pressure in the workplace often leads to employees working uncharted overtime hours “voluntarily”, regardless of whether they have any work left to do. All these factors have left in their wake a huge work-life imbalance.
Read the rest: Asia Times Online :: Japan’s brutal work culture takes a toll.
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