Latest news with #karoshi
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Karoshi: The deadly work culture that's killing careers and people
Depositphotos/anekoho Thousands of people are aware that job stress can lead to mental and physical ailments, but only a few realize that there's a fatal stage beyond exhaustion and burnout, one that can put an end to careers and even lives. According to a recent article published by Forbes, the death-causing sickness begins with lingering, unmanaged work stress leading to burnout, when left ignored, ends in 'karoshi,' a Japanese term that means 'death from overwork.' However, this is not just an issue in Japan; workers all over the world also die from karoshi annually, yet it is rarely called by its name. In Japan, where karoshi is widely recognized, overworked personnel often work 60- to 70-hour weeks, transforming workplaces into 'killing fields.' Economic experts in India have labeled death from overwork as 'a poison by slow motion.' Burnout in disguise Despite alarming data, the U.S. remains hesitant to recognize karoshi. Nearly half of American workers consider themselves workhorses, and 59% experience moderate to high burnout, according to the 2024-2025 Aflac WorkForces Report. Instead of 'karoshi,' when workers collapse from too much exhaustion, it is attributed to heart attacks, strokes, or diabetes—the indicators rather than the real source. Stress levels continue to climb, with 62% of workers reporting higher stress in 2025 than in 2024. Millennials are the most affected, with 66% experiencing burnout, but the problem is not confined to young people alone. Burnout has infiltrated corporate management, with 71% of CEOs experiencing regular or occasional exhaustion. The burden on top officials is driving many to resign. In 2024 alone, 2,221 CEOs left their posts, citing persistent anxieties, discontent, frustration, and disillusionment. Redefining work and wellness The cost of burnout extends beyond the office. A study of 2,000 workers found that 60% spend their free time not being truly alive. Many people feel embarrassed about taking breaks or pursuing hobbies, and some don't even exercise, socialize, or travel. This is a crisis point, as continued burnout erodes drive, drains inspiration, diminishes creativity, and weakens individuality—key elements for success. Gen Z, championing work-life balance and trends like micro-retirement, indicates a reflective shift. Business owners and company managers must adopt adaptable, human-centered approaches that value personal time and promote wellness. Eventually, averting karoshi is about harmonising productivity with humanity, creating work cultures where viability and well-being coexist. Without vital change, the lethal price of overworking will only escalate in 2025 and beyond. It's time to stop taking burnout as a symbol of integrity and begin caring about the lives and futures of workers universally.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
‘Karoshi': The Unspoken Killer That Can End Your Career And Life
A large body of research shows that job stress leads to mental and physical illnesses, but too few people understand that there's another dangerous step after burnout that can end your career and lead to death. It starts with unmanaged chronic job stress, leads to burnout and, when unaddressed, to karoshi--the Japanese term for death from overwork. Members of the American workforce die from karoshi on an annual basis. It's a paradox, isn't it? The jobs we perform day-in and day-out to survive--paying bills and putting food on the table to keep us alive--also kill us, and nobody talks about it. But the Japanese do. They call it karoshi, referring to the thousands of workers a year who drop dead from putting in 60-to-70-hour workweeks. It's so common in Japan that the workplace had been dubbed, 'a killing field.' And some economists in India have referred to death from overwork as 'a poison by slow motion.' Cases of anxiety, depression, suicide and stress-related diseases are on the rise. Studies show that unmanaged work stress bombards our neurological system, keeping our fight-or-flight response on high alert, creating high blood pressure and heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and a lowered immune system. As unmanaged overworking damages our health, it also leads to an unmanageable life, family disintegration and even karoshi. There's a reluctance to call it what it is in the U.S., where 45% of workers consider themselves to be modern-day workaholics. And another 59% of all American employees face moderate or high burnout, according to a 2024-2025 Aflac WorkForces Report. But karoshi goes unspoken in the U.S. because the English language has no word for it. When workers keel over at their work desks from karoshi in this country, we call it heart attacks, strokes or diabetes, but those are actually the symptoms of unmanaged work stress and burnout that lead to karoshi. So, to put this in perspective, it's time to put a name to this unseen killer, and for now karoshi will do. A new report finds that 62% of employees are more stressed in 2025 than a year ago, making the potential for death from burnout and karoshi even more real, driving a generational shift in employees opting out. With 65% of workers daydreaming about quitting their jobs just to focus on themselves, this is a much bigger story than meets the eye. The Aflac WorkForces Report cites that 64% of employees with high burnout plan to look for a new job within the next 12 months. Millennials are the most burned-out generation with 66% saying they're facing moderate or high burnout. Of course, stats on karoshi don't exist because that data isn't collected. But karoshi is an equal opportunity employer, and the risks don't stop with the younger generation. New data from Vistage reveals that burnout has climbed the corporate ladder--all the way to the top, showing that the vast majority (71%) of CEOs feel regularly or occasionally burned out, with one in three (32%) saying they have experienced burnout 'frequently' or 'nearly every day' over the past year. According to Carl Niedbala, co-founder and COO of Founder Shield, top executives are walking away. In 2024, a record 2,221 CEOs stepped down in the U.S. (up from 1,914 the year before) and that number keeps climbing, he told me by email. The role has become overwhelmingly stressful from dealing with AI and cyberthreats that often lead to lawsuits, to facing nonstop pressure from boards and the public--all while dealing with expectations that feel impossible to meet. 'Top-tier talent courageously redefines what 'success' means as the CEO exodus continues, fueled by relentless demands, intense scrutiny and personal unfulfillment,' Niedbala explains. "Companies must implement savvy risk management strategies to effectively support rising leaders—and prevent their C-Suites from collecting dust." So, forget about relaxing after work. A new study shows most employees are using their free time to recover from their jobs. A survey of 2,000 workers from Headway app reports that 60% say their free time is being spent burnt out, recovering from work and not enjoying life. The study found one in four feel guilty for doing something as simple as pursuing a hobby, and a quarter of employees say they feel as if they no longer have a personality outside of work. Experts at Headway are calling this a crisis point, where 36% of employees have stopped exercising because of work, 32% no longer socialize and 27% have quit traveling altogether. One in four employees say they've stopped doing anything for fun. 'Employees who spend evenings and weekends just recovering from work aren't making a living--they're surviving it,' says Cindy Cavato, certified productivity coach at Headway app. 'Over time, this drains motivation, creativity and the sense of self that drives success. Businesses that ignore this risk higher turnover and lose valuable potential. Sustainable productivity comes not from pushing employees to the limit, but from giving them time and space to be human.' Studies show that self-care is the first line of defense and that companies that prioritize employee self-care boost their bottom line. Many professionals believe the myth that work stress and risk of burnout are prerequisites to get ahead in your career. But the science shows the opposite: work stress and burnout truncate your career trajectory. If you're in the habit of sacrificing your well-being to meet work demands, it's hard to be the best version of yourself. Self-sacrifice isn't a badge of honor; it's a death sentence. Self-care prepares you to give more to your job. When you put yourself first, there's more of you to go around, and you can work healthier and longer. Gen Z have been advocates for greater work flexibility and work-life balance and at the forefront of micro-shifts and micro-retirements. 'The rise of micro-retirement reflects a deeper lifestyle shift, it signals the relationship between people and work continues to evolve,' Dr. Marais Bester, senior consultant at SHL, told me. "People want a break to re-balance priorities in a world where traditional work and career models no longer fit everyone. For employers, this trend can be unsettling, but it also opens the door to a more flexible, human-centered talent strategy.' It's crucial that leaders encourage their employees to unplug. Nearly half (47%) of employees say that having an employer who respects personal time off is a top contributor to work-life balance. Half (51%) of employees say more paid time off is the most effective way to alleviate burnout, followed by self-care programs (47%) and options to work from home (43%). There's a call for redefining the wellness category in corporate America. It begins with changing the collective delusion that it's a badge of honor for employees to burnout or put their lives on the line and die from karoshi to succeed. As more organizations ditch the collective delusion and more workers do their part to bring a healthy mind, body and spirit to the workplace, the potential for a sustainable career trajectory and the company's bottom line are guaranteed. In the final analysis, karoshi prevention is about finding a healthy work-life balance, not a profit versus humanity proposition. And finding it will continue to be a problem in 2025 unless significant changes are made in work practices, overtime demands and inefficient meetings. The challenge will be for companies to create work cultures that blend productivity and profitability with humanity and physical and mental wellness. Ultimately, it's a package deal.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Work you to death': How young people are fighting back against Japan's ‘toxic' work culture
Think your work weeks are long? Try taking a job in Japan. It's the country where the workers refuse to be seen leaving the office. To the point you might see them dropping dead on their desk. That's no metaphor. It's called 'karoshi'. Death by overwork. That this social illness has its own special name shows just how pervasive it is. For decades, Japan has been plagued by people driven to die early from the stress of their never-ending jobs. The issue is even blamed for the country's critically low birth rate and declining productivity. Pressure on home soil and abroad has forced the government to do something about it. But critics say its not enough. And on the ground, we're still hearing the same sinister story. So young workers are taking matters into their own hands. But what's driving the brutal overwork culture? 'So exhausted' Despite government claims of cracking down on exploitative employers, it seems there's still more work to be done. Employers have been taking to social media to lift a lid on just how demanding their hours are. One recently viral video, from user Salaryman Tokyo, charts a gruelling day in the life. From his 7am wake-up to a 11.50pm dinner. That's an 18.5 hour workday. The man claims to work for what's known as a 'black company'. These sweatshop-style employers are notorious for demanding around-the-clock working hours. According to the user, Salaryman Tokyo, black companies 'focus on hiring fresh graduates because they are inexperienced and less likely to resist harsh working conditions'. The man 'finally' leaves work at 8.15pm, writing that he felt 'so exhausted'. By the time he gets home, he can barely squeeze in dinner. 'Working long hours is not productive,' Salaryman concluded. He's not mistaken. Rather than helping profits, overwork hurts them. Employers suffer low productivity, poor retention, absenteeism or unplanned leave, or the TikTok trend of 'quiet quitting'. So why has it taken so long to change?' Corporate loyalty Japan is a big believer in corporate loyalty. Most workers will rarely switch companies or careers once they've scored a position. But that's not enough. Because the real measure of your loyalty is how long your feet spend under your desk. Japan's rapidly-ageing population plays a part. In 2024, the country recorded its ninth straight year of birthrate decline, with the number of babies born falling to a record low of 720,988. For every new baby born, more than two people died. This phenomenon has left many employers grappling with labour shortages. To combat this, 'black companies' use a bait-and-switch approach. They advertise a role with reasonable working hours, then offer a contract with much longer hours to the successful applicant. These hours may run overnight or on weekends, with no overtime pay. It's also frowned upon for workers to go home before their boss. Working overtime for free is the norm. This means many workers clock up 80-hour weeks, year-round To put it in perspective, in Australia full-time employees work an average of 38 hours. Japanese workers also rarely take days off. Japan ranks among the lowest allotted annual leave benefits of any country in the world. As Japanese reporter Himari Semans told ABC News, '[It's a] toxic work culture'. Burnout cycle This burnout cycle takes a corrosive toll. Over sustained periods, overwork can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other conditions contributing to chronic disease. Not to mention poor mental health and exhaustion. That's why it's so common to see salarymen – a term for Japanese businessman devoted to their jobs – dozing on Tokyo's train system. But behind closed doors, the reality is much darker. Grinding themselves to the ground, Japan's workers are suffering stress-induced heart attacks, strokes or starvation. Official figures put cases of karoshi between hundreds and thousands each year. But experts say the real number is much higher. Many of these deaths are by suicide, another tragic side of the story. Breaking point It was the case that finally brought change. In perhaps the highest profile examples of karoshi, a 26-year-old doctor died by suicide in 2022. Shingo Takashima, 26, was later found to have worked 100 days straight and 207 hours of overtime in the month leading up to his death. The hospital where Takashima was employed denied his death was professionally related. But the backlash wouldn't go away. To tackle the problem, the Japanese Government planned sweeping employment law reforms. They recently offered employers a half day off on the last Friday of each month, and started naming and shaming 'black companies' In April, amended laws came into effect requiring companies to offer flexible work options including a four-day work week. But not everyone is convinced. '(I) heard Japan is implementing (a) four-day work week' Salaryman Tokyo says in his video. 'Guess that was just rumours. My work schedule didn't change at all this year.' The government claims more change is coming. But younger workers aren't sitting around waiting for it. Doing less According to a new survey, 45 per cent of full-time employees in Japan now identify as 'quiet quitters'. The trend, which first went viral on TikTok in 2022, is about helping workers avoid burnout by doing the bare minimum. The survey of 3000 Japanese workers by job-matching company Mynavi found the quiet quitting was most common with young workers, with 46.7 per cent of those in their 20s identifying as quiet quitters. This reflects the global trend for Gen Z workers opting for work-life balance. 'As values are becoming more diverse, it's important for companies to accept the diverse values of individuals and offer flexible work styles that fit them,' says researcher Akari Asahina. The rest of the world is watching closely. Because overwork – and even karoshi – are not uniquely Japanese. According to a 2021 study by the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization, approximately 750,000 people who worked more than 55 hours per week died from karoshi globally. In Australia, full-time employees work an average of 6.2 hours on top of the standard 38 hours each week. That's a worse work-life balance than New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. And our numbers are surging. So Japan should be a cautionary tale. Because while many sides of Japanese culture are worth emulating, death from overwork is not one of them.
