A fifth of the Japanese workforce faces the risk of death from overwork, according to a new government survey into the country’s notoriously strenuous working culture. Hundreds of deaths related to overwork – from strokes, heart attacks and suicide – are reported every year in Japan, along with a host of serious health problems, sparking lawsuits and calls to tackle the problem. Japan police probe 48 suspicious deaths after poisoning of two elderly patients Read moreThe survey was part of the nation’s first white paper on “karoshi”, or death from overwork, endorsed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet on Friday. The report added that approximately 21.3% of Japanese employees work 49 or more hours each week on average, well above the 16.4% reported in the US, 12.5 % in Britain and 10.4% in France. The survey concluded that Japanese employees also reported feeling high levels of stress related to their work, pushing officials to call on companies to improve working conditions.

Source: The Guardian October 08, 2016 05:26 UTC