Departments
Intermediate Japanese - Free Online Course
ZangyŌ
残業
overtime
Overtime is a standard part of the salaried life in Japan. In addition to the extra hours which must be spent in the office, many evenings are also consumed entertaining clients. As a result, there is not much leisure time for the average Japanese worker during the week.
Peer pressure - both real and perceived - is one factor that keeps many Japanese employees at their desks. No one wants to be the first person to go home for the evening. Japanese employees are of course evaluated by the results that they produce, but they are also evaluated based on the perceived effort that they expend. Staying late at the office is a very visible way of demonstrating one’s dedication to the company.
The international operations of most major Japanese companies also force employees to stay late. Because of differences in time zones, telephone discussions with overseas offices frequently occur at odd hours. This is especially true for Japanese employees who are themselves stationed overseas in North America or Europe. They often must remain in the office until eight or nine o’clock in the evening in order to hold important discussions with headquarters.