Hard Work Really Can Kill You
A Japanese labour office has ruled that a 45-year old automotive engineer died from working too many hours. The engineer (the name has been withheld at the request of the family) was Toyota's leading designers and was reportedly under severe pressure to meet a deadline in developing a hybrid version of the Toyota Camry. He was found dead in January, 2006 at his home in central Japan and an autopsy determined that he died of ischemia (restricted blood flow to the heart). In the months leading up to his death, the engineer was required to work more than 80 hours overtime a month (including weekends and evenings) and was also required to make frequent business trips overseas. The labour office's ruling clears the way for his family to collect death benefits from his work insurance.
Although the first case of death from overwork was identified in 1969, the phenomenon known as karoshi (literally "death from overwork" in Japanese) was formally recognized in 1987 when the Japanese Ministry of Labour began collecting statistics. In addition to medical problems caused by overwork, induced stress and depression has often led to mental illness and suicide. Karoshi lawsuits are on the rise as the risks associated with excessive overtime (often unpaid) become better known. In April, 2008, a company was ordered to pay a large settlement after an employee was left in a coma as a result of overwork.
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