Comments on: Japanese? Overwork? No way. http://www.japanprobe.com/2006/03/06/japanese-overwork-no-way/ Japan News Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:10:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ken http://www.japanprobe.com/2006/03/06/japanese-overwork-no-way/comment-page-1/#comment-175 Ken Fri, 16 Jun 2006 19:17:50 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=55#comment-175 Although your vies is partly true, I do not think you get a full picture of workplace in Japan. There are a lot of Japanese who want to go home early but just cannot because they have a lot to do in the office. Working quicly and efficiently does not necessarily makes us to leave the office early, for the more capable one is, the more tasks he/she is assigned. And usually we do not say no. One of the problems is that most japanese take it granted that others are also in the office late, and they call colleagues at night and tell them to do something for them, like "please send the updated data and document by tomorrow morning." We usually does not reply that "what time do you think it is now? I am about to go home and I cannot help you today, sorry," because we also often ask others to do something in a hurry at night. Maybe the colleague just come back from a customer visit and has to reply to his inquiry right away. Or maybe i have to ask for a help to the sales department because the operation in the facility is in trouble and production forecast is going to change dramatically. Many Japanese do not wait for their boss's leaving office when they finished what to do. They work late almost every day but they go home or go for a drink when possible. If your friends are in the office late only because of the reason you mentioned, they are lucky, or maybe they are not considered competent. One more comment; I am currently working with people from various countries and they all are supposed to be very smart, but I do not think in general that they work efficiently. They are often irresponsible for their job. But yes, many of them leave office quickly. The great thing is that that's not a problem at all. Although your vies is partly true, I do not think you get a full picture of workplace in Japan. There are a lot of Japanese who want to go home early but just cannot because they have a lot to do in the office. Working quicly and efficiently does not necessarily makes us to leave the office early, for the more capable one is, the more tasks he/she is assigned. And usually we do not say no.

One of the problems is that most japanese take it granted that others
are also in the office late, and they call colleagues at night and tell them to do something for them, like “please send the updated data and document by tomorrow morning.” We usually does not reply that “what time do you think it is now? I am about to go home and I cannot help you today, sorry,” because we
also often ask others to do something in a hurry at night. Maybe
the colleague just come back from a customer visit and has to reply to his
inquiry right away. Or maybe i have to ask for a help to the sales department because the operation in the facility is in trouble and production forecast is going to change dramatically. Many Japanese do not wait for their boss’s leaving office when they finished what to do. They work late almost every day but they go home or go for a drink when possible.

If your friends are in the office late only because of the reason you mentioned, they are lucky, or maybe they are not considered competent.

One more comment; I am currently working with people from various countries and they all are supposed to be very smart, but I do not think in general that
they work efficiently. They are often irresponsible for their job. But yes,
many of them leave office quickly. The great thing is that that’s not a
problem at all.

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]]> By: Ken http://www.japanprobe.com/2006/03/06/japanese-overwork-no-way/comment-page-1/#comment-391051 Ken Fri, 16 Jun 2006 19:17:50 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=55#comment-391051 Although your vies is partly true, I do not think you get a full picture of workplace in Japan. There are a lot of Japanese who want to go home early but just cannot because they have a lot to do in the office. Working quicly and efficiently does not necessarily makes us to leave the office early, for the more capable one is, the more tasks he/she is assigned. And usually we do not say no. One of the problems is that most japanese take it granted that others are also in the office late, and they call colleagues at night and tell them to do something for them, like "please send the updated data and document by tomorrow morning." We usually does not reply that "what time do you think it is now? I am about to go home and I cannot help you today, sorry," because we also often ask others to do something in a hurry at night. Maybe the colleague just come back from a customer visit and has to reply to his inquiry right away. Or maybe i have to ask for a help to the sales department because the operation in the facility is in trouble and production forecast is going to change dramatically. Many Japanese do not wait for their boss's leaving office when they finished what to do. They work late almost every day but they go home or go for a drink when possible. If your friends are in the office late only because of the reason you mentioned, they are lucky, or maybe they are not considered competent. One more comment; I am currently working with people from various countries and they all are supposed to be very smart, but I do not think in general that they work efficiently. They are often irresponsible for their job. But yes, many of them leave office quickly. The great thing is that that's not a problem at all. Although your vies is partly true, I do not think you get a full picture of workplace in Japan. There are a lot of Japanese who want to go home early but just cannot because they have a lot to do in the office. Working quicly and efficiently does not necessarily makes us to leave the office early, for the more capable one is, the more tasks he/she is assigned. And usually we do not say no.

One of the problems is that most japanese take it granted that others
are also in the office late, and they call colleagues at night and tell them to do something for them, like “please send the updated data and document by tomorrow morning.” We usually does not reply that “what time do you think it is now? I am about to go home and I cannot help you today, sorry,” because we
also often ask others to do something in a hurry at night. Maybe
the colleague just come back from a customer visit and has to reply to his
inquiry right away. Or maybe i have to ask for a help to the sales department because the operation in the facility is in trouble and production forecast is going to change dramatically. Many Japanese do not wait for their boss’s leaving office when they finished what to do. They work late almost every day but they go home or go for a drink when possible.

If your friends are in the office late only because of the reason you mentioned, they are lucky, or maybe they are not considered competent.

One more comment; I am currently working with people from various countries and they all are supposed to be very smart, but I do not think in general that
they work efficiently. They are often irresponsible for their job. But yes,
many of them leave office quickly. The great thing is that that’s not a
problem at all.

Rate this comment: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: panasianbiz http://www.japanprobe.com/2006/03/06/japanese-overwork-no-way/comment-page-1/#comment-23 panasianbiz Sun, 30 Apr 2006 02:10:49 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=55#comment-23 You're exactly right about most workers just hanging around until their bosses or colleagues leave. They don't have anything to do, but can't risk being viewed as lazy. As for the vacation time, many companies don't "allow" their employees to take consecutive days off. So workers get one or two days per month here or there rather than being able to take a whole week off to get away from it all. You’re exactly right about most workers just hanging around until their bosses or colleagues leave. They don’t have anything to do, but can’t risk being viewed as lazy. As for the vacation time, many companies don’t “allow” their employees to take consecutive days off. So workers get one or two days per month here or there rather than being able to take a whole week off to get away from it all.

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]]> By: panasianbiz http://www.japanprobe.com/2006/03/06/japanese-overwork-no-way/comment-page-1/#comment-391050 panasianbiz Sun, 30 Apr 2006 02:10:49 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=55#comment-391050 You're exactly right about most workers just hanging around until their bosses or colleagues leave. They don't have anything to do, but can't risk being viewed as lazy. As for the vacation time, many companies don't "allow" their employees to take consecutive days off. So workers get one or two days per month here or there rather than being able to take a whole week off to get away from it all. You’re exactly right about most workers just hanging around until their bosses or colleagues leave. They don’t have anything to do, but can’t risk being viewed as lazy. As for the vacation time, many companies don’t “allow” their employees to take consecutive days off. So workers get one or two days per month here or there rather than being able to take a whole week off to get away from it all.

Rate this comment: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

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