Dentsu ruled guilty over illegal overtime

October 6, 2017

TOKYO- A Tokyo court on Friday ruled Dentsu Inc. guilty over a high-profile illegal overtime case in which a young female employee committed overwork-induced suicide in 2015.

Tokyo Summary Court imposed a fine of 500,000 yen as demanded by public prosecutors, finding that the major advertising agency violated the labor standards law.

Handing down the judgment, Judge Tsutomu Kikuchi said he "cannot overlook (the crime) because a precious life was lost."

It is unusual for a trial to be held on charges of violating the law. Dentsu is unlikely to appeal the day's ruling, so the court decision is expected to become final.

In the first court hearing in September, Dentsu President Toshihiro Yamamoto admitted illegal overtime at his company.

He also admitted the company's responsibility for the suicide that Matsuri Takahashi committed in December 2015 at the age of 24 after developing depression due to overwork.

Labor standards authorities recognized her death as related to overwork in September 2016.

According to the ruling, three division chiefs at Dentsu's Tokyo head office made four employees, including Takahashi, work up to 19 hours more than the monthly overtime limit between October and December 2015.

Takahashi worked about 105 hours overtime in the month before she developed depression.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office stopped short of indicting the three division chiefs in the case. Jiji Press