Just over half of Japanese firms are reviewing rules on working hours with many looking to cut down on overtime, a Reuters poll shows, in a sign that the government has gained traction in its campaign for more employee-friendly labor practices.
The survey results also come amid a scandal engulfing advertising agency Dentsu Inc. this year after a young worker committed suicide, with the apparent trigger being 105 hours of overtime in one month — a scandal that has also likely given firms more impetus to reform.
The suicide, later ruled by the government as karoshi, or death by overwork, has led to an outpouring of public grievances on social media as well as raids on Dentsu by the labor ministry.