Honda bringing back overtime at Japan plants

non-paying, life-sapping overtime is back! Thank God. For a minute there, Japanese workers were in danger of leading normal lives.

You can't tell me that these workers have been going home at 5:00 every day for the last year (or however long the "global slump" has been going on) and there's no way they've been paid for the overtime in that period either.

I came to Japan before the bubble was about to burst and things were so good. The idiots used to say "... We have to work so much because Japan's products are in such demand. We have to maintain production."

And after the bubble exploded until today the idiots went on a different spin, "... We have to work so much to make sure our companies survive because the economy is bad..."

Well when does the work end??? It NEVER does. Work is ALWAYS going to be there and while I can see there are periods (a month or so, not years or decades) when we all have to work more than usual the contemporary slavery and free overtime has got to end.

When will the corporations and government realize that long term prosperity and production will increase when people are allowed to enjoy their lives more???

Signs of global exports rise via more demand for Honda products of small cars/hybrid cars.

movieguy - the Japanese public has been fully brainwashed/coerced into their supposed work ethic. It reminds me of a coversation I had with a Japanese woman years ago. After a bit of back and forth about the quality of life in Japan vs the west, she finally snapped back; "We work these long hours because we like to". That was the end of that..

Why don't they ban overtime and employ more workers, including casual workers, to share out the work better among everyone?

as_the_crow_flies - Because even part-time workers are given benefits and corporations don't want to pay extra to match those casual workers. And why should they when the regular contemporary slave workers will do the overtime for free???

Why don't they ban overtime and employ more workers, including casual workers, to share out the work better among everyone?

pretty simple. If companies hire the needed workers, they have to provide them with all the benefits full time employees are entitled to. Japanese solution; work one worker to death by giving him or her twice the workload. After all, there's plenty more where that comes from..

Because people in Japan are brainwashed to not complain and think critically they don't have the guts to refuse the overtime work. The fact that Honda is "bringing back overtime" means nothing.

Hopefully demand steadily increases.

The article makes no mention of overtime pay returning as well. In Japan, land of slave driving employers who expect loyalty to the last dying breath, this is an important point!

it's no wonder the people here are so skinny. it's all that work!

The japanese worker cuts such a pathetic figure. Slaving away such long hours for some company that doesn't care if they live or die. Long hours with no payment for overtime and not complaining about it. Not mobilising to demand shorter hours and payment for every single minute of overtime. Not taking holidays too.Totally pathetic, no wonder the japanese salaryman is seen as such a figure of fun.

"have workers come in on weekends"

Fine, have part-time workers come in on weekends.. The full-time workers who work Mon-Fri need their weekends off.

I think that is one reason why Japan has No.2 economic power though the nation of few natural resources.

Which life do Japanese like slave of companies in the developed country or easygoing developing country?

Because people in Japan are brainwashed to not complain and think critically

Looks like they're not the only ones who've been brainwashed out of their critical thinking skills...

I've met sooooo many Japanese that work unpaid overtime. Quite sad.

Question maybe someone could answer for me. Is unpaid overtime actually against labor laws in Japan? Or is it a case of, it is against the law but nobody is going to enforce it?

Yeah, yeah. The Japanese nation has been brainwashed and it's about time they learn about the American dream. America, where everything is better. I am being sarcastic of course and this is not about the US versus Japan. Or any other country versus Japan. The return of overtime is a good thing for the company and its workers. Without orders for cars there is no work at all and no income at all from a certain point on. Although labor conditions in Japan could be improved by a more progressive form of work sharing things are not so bad here. And explaining things away about a foreign culture you know nothing about by calling it brain washing is pretty pathetic.

no worries, the honda workers will be thrilled to offer hours and hours of unpaid overtime. Unpaid overtime is one of japan's wonderful cultural aspects didn't you know?

In light of the economy, it would be better to make new hires instead of overtime.

no worries, the honda workers will be thrilled to offer hours and hours of unpaid overtime

Perhaps they would be, but nowhere in the article does it say anything about unpaid overtime, my friend. And I am sure Honda　will be thrilled with all the useful advice offered here.

Theres a lot of criticism here re Japanese workers and unpaid overtime. Whether the overtime offered is paid or not, when it comes to keeping your job in the current climate, maybe theres something to be said for being flexible? I dont see Chrysler and GM putting on any extra hours.

I'm new here, so I thought I'd better ask: for full time employees, is there a correlation between the unpaid overtime anyone complains about and the less often mentioned June and December bonuses?

Zeta: there isn't and unpaid overtime is against the law however the employer is allowed to not pay you but give you time off instead.