Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Our Story
    • Partner with us
    • Reach Us
    • Career
    Subscribe Newsletter
    HR KathaHR Katha
    • Exclusive
      • Exclusive Features
      • Research
      • Point Of View
      • Case In Point
      • Dialogue
      • Movement
      • Profile
      • Beyond Work
      • Rising Star
      • By Invitation
    • News
      • Global HR News
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Diversity
      • Events
      • Gen Y
      • Hiring & Firing
      • HR & Labour Laws
      • Learning & Development
      • Merger & Acquisition
      • Performance Management & Productivity
      • Talent Management
      • Tools & Technology
      • Work-Life Balance
    • Special
      • Cover Story
      • Editorial
      • HR Forecast 2024
      • HR Forecast 2023
      • HR Forecast 2022
      • HR Forecast 2021
      • HR Forecast 2020
      • HR Forecast 2019
      • New Age Learning
      • Coaching and Training
      • Learn-Engage-Transform
    • Magazine
    • Reports
      • Whitepaper
        • HR Forecast 2024 e-mag
        • Future-proofing Manufacturing Through Digital Transformation
        • Employee Healthcare & Wellness Benefits: A Guide for Indian MSMEs
        • Build a Future Ready Organisation For The Road Ahead
        • Employee Experience Strategy
        • HRKatha 2019 Forecast
        • Decoding and Driving Employee Engagement
        • One Platform, Infinite Possibilities
      • Survey Reports
        • Happiness at Work
        • Upskilling for Jobs of the Future
        • The Labour Code 2020
    • Conferences
      • HRKatha Futurecast
      • Automation.NXT
      • The Great HR Debate
    • HR Jobs
    WhatsApp LinkedIn X (Twitter) Facebook Instagram
    HR KathaHR Katha
    Home»Culture»Karoshi culture – the silent killer at work
    Culture

    Karoshi culture – the silent killer at work

    mmBy Prajjal Saha | HRKathaNovember 8, 20163 Mins Read3216 Views
    Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
    Share
    LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

    The suicide of Matsuri Takahashi, 24, was recognised as a case of death from overwork, or karoshi.

    Vineet Vij, COO of Britannica, 47, committed suicide in May this year, by jumping off from the 19th floor of his Gurgaon apartment. The police discovered a note in his pocket stating that he was fed up with his life.

    A few months later, another part of the globe that has been grappling with something similar, picks up media interest. The case of a 24-year-old female employee of Japan’s biggest advertising firm, Dentsu, who committed suicide last December, has recently come to light as authorities found out last month that the suicide was due to stress from overwork.

    The suicide of Matsuri Takahashi, who joined Dentsu in April 2015 after graduating from the University of Tokyo, was recognised as a case of death from overwork, or karoshi. Severe work conditions were ruled to have caused her to suffer from depression. The young woman was a member of a Dentsu section in charge of online advertising. Her workload grew sharply in October, after she completed her probationary period, leading her to work some 105 hours a month in overtime, compared with 40 hours while on probation.

    The entry-level employee left a number of comments on social media hinting at her harsh work conditions, including a tweet stating: “Again I have to go to work on Saturday and Sunday. I seriously want to die.”

    She committed suicide on 25 Dec by jumping from a corporate dormitory.

    It isn’t something that has happened for the first time in Japan. But this time, the government is looking to take serious measures against the commonly prevailing karoshi culture in the country. Well, Japan is not the only country suffering from this issue as a 2014 Towers Watson study revealed that close to half of the respondents (employees) in India reported excessive pressure at work. Around one-third of them pinned the blame on ‘overwhelming’ productivity demands from employers.

    Another recent study by Fortis Escorts Heart Institute revealed that longer working hours and work-related stress are the major causes of cardiac stroke. Of 2,000 respondents in the age group of 30–45 years, 48 per cent were found to have suffered from a heart stroke due to work-related stress. During the study, it was revealed that long work hours (48 per cent), work pressure (40 per cent), work–life imbalance (32 per cent) were the top three causes of stress at work. The other reasons included lack of role clarity, personal and professional relationship conflict, inability to recognise stress and managers’ inability to fight stress.

    The government and leadership teams of organisations need to have a sensitive approach towards such work culture as one can’t afford to lose their life over work. Despite many organisations investing in employee wellness initiatives, most people undergo stress, anxiety, fear, insecurity and other health issues owing to their work culture or stringent work schedules. Despite various measures, work is taking a toll on not just physical but mental wellness of employees across levels and organisations.

    Japan’s largest ad agency, Dentsu which controls about a quarter of ad revenue in the country, has already taken measures to improve working conditions, such as limiting overtime to 45 hours per month above statutory working hours, and restricting office hours to between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. However, long working hours are not unique to Dentsu in Japan or to this one country. It is an issue across geographies and businesses and needs to be dealt with seriously, or it could quietly take away many more lives.

    Britannica conflict Dentsu Fortis Escorts Heart Institute Karoshi culture Matsuri Takahashi Overwork personal and professional relationship stress The silent killer at work Vineet Vij
    Share. LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
    mm
    Prajjal Saha | HRKatha

    Dr. Prajjal Saha, editor and publisher of HRKatha since 2015, leverages over 25 years of experience in business journalism, writing, and editing. He founded HRKatha to provide insightful analysis on the evolving workplace. With expertise spanning HR, marketing, distribution, and technology, Saha has a deep understanding of business dynamics. His authorship of the acclaimed Marketing White Book highlights his versatility beyond HR. A trusted voice across industries, his clear and thoughtful commentary has earned him a reputation for thought leadership, making him a reliable source of knowledge and insights for professionals navigating the complexities of the business world.

    1 Comment

    1. R Muthukumar on November 9, 2016 8:19 am

      Overall – the happiness is reducing in the society because of lopsided priorities and reckless pursuit of economic objectives by the organisations. Sooner or later the results will there in bigger force for all to carry.

      Reply
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    9 − 3 =

    Related Posts

    How Urbanic India blends humanity with high performance

    April 21, 2025

    Kerala State Youth Commission recommends stress-level audits at workplaces

    February 28, 2025

    HR’s breaking point: The crisis we can no longer ignore

    January 21, 2025

    Why 90-hour workweeks are a losing game

    January 10, 2025

    QUICK HR INSIGHTS

    EDITOR'S PICKS

    How language sensitivities are shaping workplace culture in India

    May 22, 2025

    The culture that’s quietly killing us

    May 21, 2025

    How ‘snowplow managers’ can stunt your growth

    May 21, 2025

    Three transformative HR roles of the future

    May 20, 2025
    Latest Post

    Hiring gains momentum in March with 7.54 lakh new EPF subscribers

    News May 22, 2025

    India’s formal employment sector showed signs of recovery in March 2025, breaking a three-month decline…

    IBM rehires after AI-driven layoffs backfire; sparks debate on automation limits

    News May 22, 2025

    IBM’s aggressive push to automate HR functions through artificial intelligence (AI) has taken an unexpected…

    How language sensitivities are shaping workplace culture in India

    Exclusive Features May 22, 2025

    In India’s bustling and deeply-layered linguistic landscape, where a language isn’t just a means of…

    Westpac gears up for major rehaul & 1500 job cuts

    Global HR News May 22, 2025

    Westpac, the Australian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Sydney, is preparing to…

    Asia's No.1 HR Platform

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn WhatsApp Bluesky
    • Our Story
    • Partner with us
    • Career
    • Reach Us
    • Exclusive Features
    • Cover Story
    • Editorial
    • Dive into the Future of Work: Download HRForecast 2024 Now!
    © 2025 HRKatha.com
    • Disclaimer
    • Refunds & Cancellation Policy
    • Terms of Service

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.