Long working hours have also been cited as a reason for an increase in the number of early retirees. Work style reform is an urgent matter.

I remember when working long hours here in Japan was lauded as Great and proof of how hard "we Japanese" work (efficiency was low and not counted). I also remember the government and others saying something along the lines of "Work style reform is an urgent matter" for at least 20 years. Work-life balance was banded about for a while, too, with no discernible results.

You just have to feign change Borscht. You know the deal. Good thing about corona is that it has forced institutions to realize that huddling around each other for 14 hours a day isn’t necessary, in fact hasn’t been necessary for a generation.

I still get the feeling though that these old workplaces, and those raised in them, are terrified of being exposed for the unproductive and time wasting entities that they have become. By keeping people firmly glued to desks the optics and illusion of hard work can continue. The conveyor belt hierarchy won’t ever want that to change, Cause what will the boss do then?? Learn what really makes people tick and how to actually lead?

They say miracles do happen.

And suicides. And depression. And frenzied killings. And a drop in birth rates. And loveless marriages.

Really, is that so? Feel free to give me such an unpopular bureaucratic job with long hours at any government ministry or agency of your choice. JT has my email address on file and will surely be so friendly to pass on your quick and generous job offer. lol

If they can afford to retire early... they are obviously being paid too much. Cut their salaries to the minimum so they have to work until they die. Or even continue after death.

I was only kidding.....

The real reason many bureaurcrats "retire" early is because they then take up positions at companies they were dealing with as government workers. On very lucrative salaries.