Court rules Toyota employee worked to death

[JODO 2]

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Toyota Motor Corp employee died of overwork after logging more than 106 hours of overtime in a month, a judge ruled on Friday, reversing a ministry's earlier decision not to pay compensation to his widow.

The Toyota Labour Standards Inspection office, a local branch of Japan's labour ministry, refused to pay the widow the usual compensation for a spouse's work-related death, saying the man had only logged 45 hours of overtime in the month before he died, Japanese media reported.

But the court ruled that the employee had worked far more than that, said Yomiuri Online, a Japanese news website. The Nagoya District Court in central Japan said the ruling overturned the labour ministry's decision.

"We want to think of how to respond to this ruling by discussing it with relevant agencies," an official at the Toyota Labour Standards Inspection Office told Reuters.

The employee, who was working at a Toyota factory in central Japan, died of irregular heartbeat in February 2002 after passing out in the factory around 4 a.m.

"(The employee) worked for extremely long hours and the relationship between his work and death is strong," Yomiuri Online quoted Judge Toshiro Tamiya as saying.

Overworking is a serious issue in Japan, where an average worker uses less than 50 percent of paid holidays, according to government data.

In fiscal year 2005-2006, the labour ministry received 315 requests for compensation from the bereaved families of workers who died of strokes and other illnesses seen as work-related.

Toyota said in a statement it would further improve the management of its employees' health.

(Reporting by Yoko Kubota; Additional reporting by Chang-Ran Kim)

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Toyota Motor Corp employee died of overwork after logging more than 106 hours of overtime in a month, a judge ruled on Friday, reversing a ministry's earlier decision not to pay compensation to his widow.

106 hours in a month? what a wimp.

[Marc and Olga 0]

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Toyota Motor Corp employee died of overwork after logging more than 106 hours of overtime in a month, a judge ruled on Friday, reversing a ministry's earlier decision not to pay compensation to his widow.

106 hours in a month? what a wimp.

That is ONLY 266 hours in 1 month! I wish I could work that many hours!

[mawilson 2,133]

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Toyota Motor Corp employee died of overwork after logging more than 106 hours of overtime in a month, a judge ruled on Friday, reversing a ministry's earlier decision not to pay compensation to his widow.

106 hours in a month? what a wimp.

106 hours overtime, not 106 hours total.

Still a wimp though, I agree. I've been doing a lot more than 106 for several years now.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Braggards who sit behind a computer screen all day. What's next...you'll say you can swim the English channel without using your legs?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

That's about 5 extra hours a day. I do it too but only because I spend an inordinate amount of time on VJ

[Osakeme 0]

Braggards who sit behind a computer screen all day. What's next...you'll say you can swim the English channel without using your legs?

LOL , too funny...

But seriously it is sad to know that one would allow themselves to be worked to death......

What about family, love and enjoying life's simple pleasures???

[mawilson 2,133]

Braggards who sit behind a computer screen all day. What's next...you'll say you can swim the English channel without using your legs?

Are you suggesting that mental work is less tiring than physical work?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Braggards who sit behind a computer screen all day. What's next...you'll say you can swim the English channel without using your legs?

Are you suggesting that mental work is less tiring than physical work?

In terms of dying from physical exhaustion....yes.

[mawilson 2,133]

Braggards who sit behind a computer screen all day. What's next...you'll say you can swim the English channel without using your legs?

Are you suggesting that mental work is less tiring than physical work?

In terms of dying from physical exhaustion....yes.

You obviously have no clue.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I've never done physical labor non-stop for 72 hours. So I have no idea what that must feel like. I have, however, worked 72 hours non-stop in a data center for a data center move. That was the single most tiring thing in my life, I slept for 2 days after that (my employer had no problem with it) and a month later we all got bonuses for the work.

Aah, memories.

[mawilson 2,133]

Who says the guy was doing physical work when he died?

Japanese factories are fully automated -- he probably sat behind a computer screen all day.

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Toyota Motor Corp employee died of overwork after logging more than 106 hours of overtime in a month, a judge ruled on Friday, reversing a ministry's earlier decision not to pay compensation to his widow.

106 hours in a month? what a wimp.

106 hours overtime, not 106 hours total.

Still a wimp though, I agree. I've been doing a lot more than 106 for several years now.

like i said, what a wimp. i've totaled that amount in 2 weeks.

[Amby 490]

Braggards who sit behind a computer screen all day. What's next...you'll say you can swim the English channel without using your legs?

oh I can do that

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

Braggards who sit behind a computer screen all day. What's next...you'll say you can swim the English channel without using your legs?

oh I can do that

ditto, i can propel myself across it by farting