Japan Press Weekly

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2016 October 5 - 11 TOP3 [LABOR]

Dentsu worker’s suicide recognized as work-related

A labor standards inspection office in Tokyo acknowledged that the suicide of a 24-year-old female worker at Japan’s major advertising agency Dentsu as work-related, Akahata reported on October 8.

Takahashi Matsuri started working at Dentsu in April 2015 and was assigned to the department in charge of internet ads. In October that year, the company began forcing her to work overtime for more than 70 hours a month.

After that month, Takahashi repeatedly tweeted on her Twitter account, “I want to die. I hate waking up in the morning.” She killed herself by jumping from her company dormitory on December 25.

Takahashi’s bereaved family in April this year requested the Mita labor standards inspection office to recognize her death as work-related. The office decided that Takahashi developed depression in early November 2015 after working 105 hours of overtime during the previous month.

Takahashi’s mother said, “In order to prevent another death from overwork, I demand that the government instruct companies to fulfill their responsibility to ensure a healthy workplace.”

Dentsu said that it takes the worker’s death seriously but is refraining from making comments on the labor authorities’ decision.

Past related articles:
> High court recognizes suicide of city bus driver as work-related [April 23, 2016]
> Wife of Toyota worker who committed suicide launches court battle for official recognition of his death as work-related [July 11, 2015]