The Japanese government is attempting to combat worker burnout, a commonplace issue at companies in the country. The phenomenon is illustrated by the increasing number of karoshi, instances of death due to overwork. The Japanese employment ministry has proposed limiting the number of overtime hours that employees can work to 60 per month and 720 per year. The bill is due to be finalised at the end of March of this year and will take effect in April 2019.
Plans to amend article 36 agreements. A ministerial working group, set up in September 2016 and led by prime minister Shinzo Abe, is aiming to reduce working hours. Their work involves reviewing article 36 agreements, which allow companies to override rules on work duration, provided a deal is reached with employee representatives. The only limits imposed by the article are those in compliance with employees’ health and safety.
The plans involve limiting annual overtime hours to 720 – an average
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