TOKYO: Men are the most affected by karoshi.—AFP TOKYO, Oct 06 (Agencies): Japanese advertising firm Dentsu has been fined for making employees work excessive overtime, a practice that is widespread in the country.
On Friday, a Tokyo court ordered the company to pay 500,000 yen ($4,400; £3,380) for violating labour laws.
Dentsu's workplace culture has been scrutinised after young worker Matsuri Takahashi killed herself in 2015.
Death from overwork is a longstanding problem in Japan and even has its own word: karoshi.
Japanese authorities found that Ms Takahashi's excessive work - reported to have included 100 hours of overtime a month for some time before her death - led to her suicide.
The high-profile case led to renewed calls for changes to the country's notoriously long working hours and illegal unpaid overtime.
Efforts have been made to change the culture of long working hours, including initiatives to encourage government employees to take more leave. Companies have also instituted mandatory "go home early" days.
Meanwhile, a 32-year-old Japanese man was arrested Friday on suspicion of stabbing his daughter to death and has admitted deliberately torching the house in which his wife and four other children were found dead, police said.
The man, Hirobumi Komatsu, told authorities he started the fire at the family's home in Hitachi City, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Tokyo, deputy police chief Mitsuru Kaneko told AFP.
Police discovered five bodies at their apartment after the blaze was extinguished in the early hours of Friday, he said.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
