Japan Press Weekly

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2008 October 29 - November 4 [LABOR]

Nagoya District Court orders Toyota and Denso to pay compensation for work-related mental depression

The Nagoya District Court on October 30, ordered Toyota Motor Corp. and its affiliate supplier to pay about 1.5 million yen in damages to an employee, who has been forced to take a leave of absence due to depression caused apparently by excessive overwork.

A 44-year-old Denso employee was on loan to Toyota in August 1999. He developed depression in April 2000. After taking a leave of absence from August 2000, he was reinstated to his former workplace at Denso. On June, 2002, he was assigned to a joint project by the two companies and suffered a relapse of depression. He has been in recuperation at home since then.

The judge said that the two companies neglected to pay attention to the health condition of the plaintiff although they were aware of the danger of his redeveloping depression.

The ruling also acknowledged that at Toyota, the plaintiff, assigned to the engine development section, was given excessive workloads. The plaintiff’s health worsened because he was made to suffer from power harassment by his senior colleague.

The plaintiff said, “This ruling encourages all those who are suffering from depression due to heavy workloads. I hope that this court ruling will help to improve working conditions at Toyota as well as at many other companies.”

He filed a lawsuit against the state demanding recognition of his disease as work-related because the Kariya Labor Bureau refused to pay compensation for his absence from work.