Japanese gov't mulling 60-hour monthly cap on overtime
The government is planning to propose an overtime cap to address Japan's widespread issue of excessively long work hours, limiting average overtime hours to 60 per month, sources close to the matter said Saturday.
The labor ministry currently limits overtime to 45 hours a month, but it can be extended by securing a special labor-management arrangement. The proposal, to be submitted in mid-February by the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to a panel on a work reform, would allow up to 100 hours a month of overtime during busy seasons as long as the average extra time does not exceed 60 hours, the sources said.
The plan will be finalized in March and a necessary revision to the labor law will be sent to the Diet, they said. The exception to allow up to 100 hours will likely draw objections from opposition parties and labor unions as it exceeds 80 hours of overtime, a level said to cause serious health consequences.
A series of problems associated with excessive work hours have drawn public attention, including the suicide of an overworked employee of advertising giant Dentsu Inc.
