Osaka restaurant chain fined for overwork by foreign students

@Disillusioned - I'm sure these foreign students were grateful to get the extra hours.

@katsu78 - And your evidence for that is what, exactly?

@Disillusioned - Where is your evidence to the contrary?

Not needed. YOU postulated a theory. Therefor it is YOUR obligation to offer proof or evidence. Katsu was merely requesting that evidence.

It's like someone asking an atheist to prove there is no god.

I'm sure these foreign students were greatful to get the extra hours. Yeah, he broke the law, but he was doing them a favor by letting them earn more money.

I'm just as "sure" that the students were threatened with the loss of their jobs unless they worked the extra hours. (The truth is probably a bit of both.)

Remember, these are students. And, there are only so many hours in the day to attend classes, study for those classes, and work at a restaurant.

So, no favors were done by reducing their study time, and possibly even class attendance.

Language schools are private and expensive

Real language schools are expensive. But there are pseudo-schools which exist only to provide a legal way for people who want to work to come to Japan. These "students" pay a hefty fee to the school, which is paid for by the wages they earn working part-time. This is not only a Japanese phenomena, the same thing is done in other developed countries. The students don't earn a lot working part-time at food chains, but the pay is many times what they would get at home. Their housing in Japan is poor, but still better than where they came from.

For the most part, these "schools" are overlooked, as the students usually don't complain, and the places they work need help. But on occasion, these schools and employers are abusive, pay below minimum wage, and demand the students pay high rent for their living quarters. Stories of these schools pop up in the news regularly.

I think they were attending cheaper local university. Language schools are private and expensive.

They most likely are language school students from Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia. Do you actually believe they come here to study?

I met a Vietnamese girl recently who was studying in Japan, and she worked, but she was also very diligent about studying. She told me that Japanese language skills would help her get a better job when she went back home to Vietnam.

@Disillusioned - I'm sure these foreign students were grateful to get the extra hours.

@katsu78 - And your evidence for that is what, exactly?

Where is your evidence to the contrary?

@katsu78 - I realize the Japanese university work load is lower than many countries' universities

And, where is your evidence to support them being university students? They most likely are language school students from Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia. Do you actually believe they come here to study? Don't be so naive! They come here to make money!

Don't be so presumptuous people! The only crime here is, he got caught giving foreign kids a chance to earn some more money. You all know how the Japanese media is happy to diss on foreigners every chance they get and this case is no exception.

There is no need to blame the company only and fining them. These individuals who violated their student visa conditions don't need to be excused!

Ah; it's all the fault of those evil students. Of course. The company is always right.

Why should he get credit for paying them or not just mistreating them? The standards are so lie in this country.

Most likely if you're unable to work you stand a chance to losing your job. That's forcing someone to break the law.

 Then they can easily obtain visas to work here in Japan.

No they can't. My wife's Vietnamese friend was denied a visa after she had graduated from a Japanese technical college, learned to speak Japanese fluently and had worked part time like these students. She's reluctantly now back in Vietnam, putting her education and skills to use there.

Why hear their opinion both sides broke the law. One asked to work over the legal limit and the other accepted.

Please understand the context. This is a back-door immigration scheme. They show both that they can speak Japanese and work in Japan successfully. Then they can easily obtain visas to work here in Japan.

Would like to hear the opinions of the workers and the employer

These students should be deported for breaking their visa conditions! Some people travel to Japan mainly from India, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and other developing countries on student visa as an excuse only and want to work here to make money. They are the ones that broke the law by not abiding by their visa conditions so they should face the consequences. If they did the same in any other developed country then there would be instant deportation. There is no need to blame the company only and fining them. These individuals who violated their student visa conditions don't need to be excused!

My friends worked 35 hrs/week while enrolled full time in college. It's possible and the kids probably needed the money to survive.

On the other hand though, if you can't afford to live and go to college in another country without working full time you probably shouldn't be studying abroad. It looks more like they wanted an easy visa to work full time illegally, which is the problem.

What is your problem people? The students likely wanted the extra hours. They were being paid. Why all the hate?

Why all the hate?

Because it doesn't matter if the STUDENTS wanted extra hours or not, you are the BOSS and you probably signed a stack of papers and presented a number of documents stating: I am in charge and I am responsible for these students and I will abide by these restrictions, I will make decisions in the best interest of these students.

And why are there hours restrictions? To save students in spite of themselves. Man, I've been there and paid for my way through school and graduated but at no time now do I wish I spent more time in front of the deep fryer and less at the library.

Just fined? That is a crime.

DisillusionedToday  04:45 pm JST

I'm sure these foreign students were greatful to get the extra hours.

Dan LewisToday  05:48 pm JST

What is your problem people? The students likely wanted the extra hours.

And your evidence for that is what, exactly?

I realize the Japanese university work load is lower than many countries' universities, but frankly when I was in university I found it quite difficult to balance even a half-time work schedule with studies and having an active social life. If these students were going over three quarters full time, something was slipping, and knowing what I know of Japanese minimum wage I doubt the extra hours they were working was enough to even make a dent in their educational or living expenses.

Why is everybody so down on this guy? The article states he 'made' them work over the 28 hours allowed, but it doesn't say anything about not paying them or mistreating them.

This is true. And had the chain not paid for the extra hours, there would have been restitution and a higher fine to the company.

Many students with work visas are more than willing to work more than 28 hours a week if they can. The word "student" is something of a euphemism, many study a few hours a week at so-called language schools, and come to Japan primarily for what they can earn here as part time workers.

That's it? The fine is a pittance compared to their profits. Hardly a deterrent

Working 28 hours in a week would leave very little time or energy for the study which is supposedly the students main reason for being here. In any case, there is very little will to put an end to any but the most egregious abuses by unscrupulous employers who thrive courtesy of all the gray zones and case by case applications of the law. At least these students are allowed to work, which is more than can be said for the untold thousands of Koreans and Chinese working in the 'entertainment sector' on nothing more than a tourist visa! As per usual, Japanese selective outrage at its finest.

Let's be honest, most students have to work to make ends meet unless they are being bankrolled by relatively affluent parents.

Also it isn't so different from other countries. Student visa's usually permit some limited working, often with strict conditions. The idea being that hours are limited so as not to detract from studies.

As an exchange student in the US I was limited to 20hrs pw with restrictions also on the type of employment.

The problem here is that everyone was breaking the law and the students made themselves liable for deportation for breaking visa conditions.

"By learning from this lesson, we will abide by law regarding working hours not only for foreign employees but also for Japanese workers."

Because we thought until now making them work illegally was okay! They'll be doing it again tomorrow.

Yes, when do these students have time to study? They are not "students", are they?

If they were students, then they should be focused on their studies and not on making kushi katsu all day long. End of story.

In an ideal world yes. Thing is many/most were probably not cashed-up students and did need $ to pay for their studies, rent, food etc.

If they were students, then they should be focused on their studies and not on making kushi katsu all day long. End of story.

Surprised how many posters got no problem with laws being broken.

What is your problem people? The students likely wanted the extra hours. They were being paid. Why all the hate?

Well you know, so many people on here know-it-all and so many seem to jump on anything Japan does (like no other country has EVER done anything like this). People do like to whine don't they.

This is way different from the suicide-by-work situation.

The foreigners are equally to blame in this situation, since they should be aware of the basics allowed (and not allowed) under their specific visa. Everyone who comes here - regardless of reason, length of stay, or other considerations - has spent many a days/weeks/months online finding out what visa(s) they qualify for, what they can/can't do while on that visa, what paperwork/documents they need, and a long list of other information. It's not a stretch to think students could remember one fact of their ability to work here - that it's 28 hours or less.

It's obvious that the students happily agreed and accepted payment for the extra work, thus breaking the law. As the bosses are equally responsible for knowing the 28 hour rule, let them be fined, as they were. But let the students be fined as they broke the law and rules of their visa. And since they can't follow the law here, expel them from the country.

What is your problem people? The students likely wanted the extra hours. They were being paid. Why all the hate?

Positively Dickensian. This is why the union is essential.

The title is so misleading, he didn't overwork them they worked longer than their visa said...

Why is everybody so down on this guy? The article states he 'made' them work over the 28 hours allowed, but it doesn't say anything about not paying them or mistreating them. I also think the systems "made them work" is a media sensationalism. I'm sure these foreign students were greatful to get the extra hours. Yeah, he broke the law, but he was doing them a favor by letting them earn more money.

No one takes responsibility for anything. No wonder the stagnation continues in this fine nation.

Same punishment Dentsu got for killing a young employee. How bout that.