Japan Times

Loose cap on overtime

It is doubtful that the government’s proposed limit on overtime hours will serve its intended purpose of curbing the chronically long working hours of the nation’s company workers, whose tragic consequences have included the deaths and suicides of overworked employees. By setting the legal cap so high, the regulation can rather have the effect of the government endorsing the practices of corporate employees clocking a level of overtime hours that is known to have detrimental effects on health.