Lead engineer in developing a hybrid version of Camry line died of overwork

[Shern25]

TOKYO - A Japanese labor bureau has ruled that one of Toyota's top car engineers died from working too many hours, the latest in a string of such findings in a nation where extraordinarily long hours for some employees has long been the norm.

The man who died was aged 45 and had been under severe pressure as the lead engineer in developing a hybrid version of Toyota's blockbuster Camry line, said Mikio Mizuno, the lawyer representing his wife. The man's identity is being withheld at the request of his family, who continue to live in Toyota City where the company is based.

In the two months up to his death, the man averaged more than 80 hours of overtime per month, according to Mizuno.

He regularly worked nights and weekends, was frequently sent abroad and was grappling with shipping a model for the pivotal North American International Auto Show in Detroit when he died of ischemic heart disease in January 2006. The man's daughter found his body at their home the day before he was to leave for the United States.

The ruling was handed down June 30 and will allow his family to collect benefits from his work insurance, Mizuno said.

An officer at the Aichi Labor Bureau on Wednesday confirmed the ruling, but declined to comment on the record.

In a statement, Toyota Motor Corp. offered its condolences and said it would work to improve monitoring of the health of its workers.

There is an effort in Japan to cut down on deaths from overwork, known as "karoshi." Such deaths have steadily increased since the Health Ministry first recognized the phenomenon in 1987.

Last year, a court in central Japan ordered the government to pay compensation to Hiroko Uchino, the wife of a Toyota employee who collapsed at work and died at age 30 in 2002. She took the case to court after her application to the local labor bureau for compensation was rejected.

 

 

In the company I am working now, it's a norm to work over 100hrs of OT per month....

[Furrynadz]

even prosti got better life than u

 

[Ccssgm]

Boss Never Say U

 

[bigcry]

[Jman888]

it is quite easy to get 80-100hr of OT, but i believe his problem is more than the physical stress from OT, he probably need to OT at home too

[Gabriel]

eh..80 hours onli leh.....my old coy...

workers allowed to work 199 OT hours..on top of 190 working hours

and approved by gahmen somemore

 

and me averaged 50 hours easily every month ...so yeah..80 is realli no big deal

[Sosaria]

80 hours of OT to do rushed but routine work won't kill people. I think this guy's problem is more due to the stress of his position and responsibility, and the many demands placed on him - this kind of stress, always on the mind, can trigger gastric pain, sleeplessness, heart attack, even without much OT...

[Booboon]

80hrs of OT with pay n 80hrs of OT w/o extra pay is diff.

[Rainman]

80 hrs alot?

 

take 22 working days per mth...1 day OT 3+ hrs

 

anyway if claim time off, he can take 2 weeks paid leave :)