Category Archives: Overtime

Scant legal justification for unpaid overtime

August 15, 2011 in News, Overtime, Wages

In principle, a work week is supposed to total 40 hours, divided into eight hours per day. Any work beyond this limit is only possible with prior agreement between the employer and employees, and is subject to overtime payment. If overtime work is done with the understanding of the employer but without an explicit request, the employee can still file a request for unpaid overtime wages.

Death from overwork suit filed

March 6, 2011 in News, Overtime, Trainees

The bereaved family of a 31-year-old Chinese intern whose death in 2008 was recognized as resulting from overwork has filed a lawsuit against his employer and an agency that supplies foreign trainees to companies in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Labor office recognizes overwork death of foreign intern for 1st time

January 12, 2011 in News, Overtime, Trainees

A labor office in Ibaraki Prefecture has found that a Chinese trainee at a local firm died in 2008 due to overwork, marking the first recognized death from overwork of a foreign intern under a government-authorized training program. The male trainee, Jiang Xiaodong, died of cardiac arrest aged 31 in June 2008 after working more [...]

Japan, give us a break!

September 16, 2010 in News, Overtime

Time after time I’ve been in offices here where people feel under pressure not to take time off, for lunches or anything else. According to a report by Harris Interactive this year, Japanese workers took off an average of 9.3 of their 16.6 legally mandated vacation days. As anyone who works here knows, even that [...]

Govt must improve foreign intern program

August 26, 2010 in Immigration, News, Overtime, Trainees

The revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law took effect in July, enhancing legal protection for foreign interns participating in a government-authorized training program. However, some observers say the revision of the law merely puts off dealing with the real problems. The program is said to be occupational training in name only, with some going [...]

Labor standards office to rule Chinese trainee at metal plant died of overwork

July 5, 2010 in Immigration, News, Overtime, Trainees

A local labor standards inspection office [in Ibaraki Prefecture] is set to recognize the death of a Chinese trainee at a metal processing factory was caused by overwork, officials said. This will be the first time that the death of a foreign vocational trainee in Japan has been recognized as a work-related accident, according to [...]

Chinese intern death in Japan ‘very likely’ due to overwork

July 5, 2010 in Immigration, News, Overtime, Trainees

A Chinese intern employed in Japan under a government training program “very likely” died because he had been overworked, labour officials said Friday. The 31-year-old man worked at a metal processing firm in Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, and died of cardiac arrest in June 2008 after working more than 100 hours overtime the month [...]

Top managers ordered to pay for employee’s death from overwork

May 26, 2010 in News, Overtime

The operator of major restaurant chain Nihonkai Shoya and its four top managers were ordered Tuesday to pay about 78.6 million yen in damages to the parents of an employee who the court recognized as having died of overwork in 2007. The decision by the Kyoto District Court was the first to find the top [...]

Labour Ministry: Wages fell 3.3% in FY2009

May 23, 2010 in News, Overtime, Wages

According to a report released today by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, wages in Japan fell 3.3% to 315,311 yen per month in fiscal 2009. This is the strongest drop seen since the ministry began issuing data in 1991, while 2009 was the third consecutive year in which average wages fell in Japan [...]

Foreign trainees easily exploited as bosses take advantage of system

February 15, 2010 in Immigration, News, Overtime, Trainees

The controversy should have heated up after last month’s ruling by the Kumamoto District Court, which found in favor of four female Chinese trainees who sued their employer and the agent that arranged for that employment. The trainees were awarded unpaid wages amounting to ¥12.8 million as well as damages to the tune of ¥4.4 [...]