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I started working for a Japanese tech investment company with this mindset. It's now outdated.

I was shocked to discover that Japanese employment law has changed dramatically vs the perception. Someone died a few years back apparently, so the Japanese government stepped in. They closely monitor logged overtime hours. Bosses whose employees persistently log long hours (I think it is 60+ hour weeks) get a warning, first from HR internally, then the government itself. It's a big deal.

They have a "no overtime Wednesday" every week, and a "Premium Friday" where workers are encourage to go home in the early afternoon.

I went in imagining people sleeping at their desks, etc, but it was the opposite..My Japanese co-workers are surprised at how much I worked! At this point, I wish the U.S. would adopt Japanese labor laws.




> Bosses whose employees persistently log long hours (I think it is 60+ hour weeks) get a warning

So what would a normal working week be? A warning at 60+ hours is hardly reassuring.


No, it's a warning at persistent 60+. So up to 60 normally and occasional 60+ would, implicitly, be okay.


60 hour workweek is absurd. I only have a couple decades on this planet. I'm happy to work 60 hours for myself, but for someone else? Nah.


Japanese boss dunks worker’s face in hotpot at office party [0].

[0]: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2174669/wat...




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