Man Died from Overwork after Switch to Discretionary Work

May 17, 2018

Tokyo- A worker at a Tokyo-based system development company died from overwork in August 2017, about a month after he began to work under a discretionary work system, informed sources have said.

Tokyo's Ikebukuro labor standard inspection office has determined that his death was induced by overwork in view of his working conditions.

He worked for 36 consecutive hours shortly after the company applied the discretionary work system to the man, according to an attorney representing the bereaved family.

The attorney recently said that the man developed computer systems for real estate businesses at the Tokyo-based company, ReCI Inc.

The worker switched to the discretionary work system on July 1 last year, when he was promoted to a team leader. He continuously worked from 1 p.m. on July 4 until 1 a.m. on July 6.

He was found dead in his home in the following month.

The man's average overtime work in the two months prior to his death stood at 87 hours per month, exceeding the 80-hour threshold used by authorities for recognizing deaths from overwork.

Before the period, the man's monthly overtime reached as high as 184 hours.

"There is a high possibility that the discretionary work system had a negative effect as it led to work through the night," the attorney said.

A ReCI official said that the company cannot comment on the matter as it has not grasped the facts. Jiji Press