Karoshi -Working yourself to death.

[Bonobo]

Last edited Mon Oct 1, 2012, 12:45 AM - Edit history (1)

The Japanese have a word for it. It is "karoshi". Literally working yourself to death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karōshi

It has been the subject of lawsuits for decades in Japan. Why is there no such acknowledgement in the US which actually spends more time working per person than Japan now -with less vacation?

Primarily men bear the burden of this. Another cost of forcing responsibility on men for the bulk of the family income.

[loli phabay]

1. i have mixed feelings on this, for some people work is enjoyable

my misses knows that i would happily work 20 hours a day 7 days a week if i could and drop dead there as well. its not that her and the kids are bad or anything i just love working. PS i dont do vacations, and she hates that fact but they go and sometimes ill tag along for a couple of days but then im back to work.

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. My advice would be to stop doing that.

It's not good for you, your family, your community or the person who can't find a job because you're working for two.

Everyone I've known who described themselves in the way you just did was crushed and lost when their job went away.

If I were king, I'd make overtime double-time, and triple-time after 60 hours a week. Businesses would then hire the people they need to get the job done.

[loli phabay]

7. nah my job dosent matter i just need to do stuff

Even on days off ill spend fourteen hours working on my property. For me i just cant be idle if i sit for more than ten minutes i get the heehies and need to do stuff.

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. I get that, I hate idleness too.

I can read a book while lying in bed, but pretty much no other time.

I'm just saying that people who take their personal identity from their job and how many hours they dedicate to it are at risk.

[loli phabay]

9. ive always worked every hour of the day for every job ive done sometimes 2 or 3 jobs

at the same time, i really just need to do stuff as idle hands are the work of the deil.

[Warren DeMontague]

2. I come from the "Follow Your Bliss" school of thought.

Easier said that done, of course, especially nowadays.

[Bonobo]

3. Man, if I had done that...

Seriously, I would still be selling bags of weed that I cleaned on the album cover of "In through the out door"

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Yeah, like I said

easier said than done. Still, I know people who have completely subsumed their entire soul and existence to have the right job and the right size paycheck. It's like, but you're miserable- what's the point?

[4th law of robotics]

6. Men are disposable.

If you want people to care then women need to start dying in large numbers.

Just another male privilege.

/notice how stories will just say "15,000 people died today" if it's only men. But then "15,000 people and FOUR WOMEN (!!) died today" . . .

[caraher]

10. My wife started working for a Japanese company in Indiana a few months ago.

The Japanese men pretty much never go home. And there does seem to be an expectation that anyone who is not an hourly employee will work many hours beyond the nominal 8-4:30 they officially say they expect them to work.

She's been working ridiculous hours for a month or so now. In some ways it's an excellent job, but this might prove a dealbreaker.