Karoshi Has Replaced Kamikazes and Not Just in Japan
Required reading if you’re thinking of not going back to the office
Tokyo was one in a series of overseas “postings” I took in my career.
Between Sydney, Melbourne, Paris, Amsterdam and a few others, I began to notice the subtle differences in a culture’s work ethic.
Each country had some slight tic or variation.
For example, the refrigerator in the staff kitchen in Melbourne was stocked (and I mean jam-packed) with cases of Victoria Bitter (the actual beer they drink, not Foster’s). To my everlasting regret, I never got a picture of this, but words cannot describe my elation at seeing this bounty when I happened into the staff lounge one day.
I thought, “I have died and gone to heaven. I LOVE AUSTRALIA!” The company provided those beers for end of week staff socials … at the end of every week.
Don’t get me wrong, the Australians worked plenty hard, they just played even harder. I was in Australia (probably drinking beer!) when my boss called and said, “When do you wrap up there and how soon can you be in Tokyo?”
