Japan Press Weekly

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2013 February 6 - 12 [LABOR]

Kitchen staff sues fast food ‘gyoza’ chain for long work hours

A kitchen staff of a fast-food chain operating “gyoza (Chinese dumplings)” snack bars on February 5 filed a lawsuit against the chain with the Kyoto District Court, arguing that he developed depression due to excessively long working hours.

The plaintiff is seeking about 23 million yen in compensation and damages for the loss of income resulting from his having to take sick leave.

Twenty-seven-year old Funasaka Hajime in January 2010 began working in the kitchen of an outlet in Kyoto Prefecture as a regular employee of Ohsho Food Service Corporation.

During the six months before he became ill, he was forced to work overtime an average of 135 hours a month. The company, however, paid wages only for up to ten hours a day. Work exceeding ten hours a day was unpaid under the company’s payroll system. In April 2011, he fell sick and decided to take a medical leave of absence from work.

Funasaka said, “Some employees are still working the same way I did. I want the company to improve the working environment.”

His lawyer, Sato Katsuaki said, “I must emphasize the fact that restaurant managers and regular employees in many restaurant chains in Japan are forced to work long hours as routine practice.”

The Labor Standard Inspection Office concerned with this case has already recognized the cause-and-effect link between his long working hours and depression and accepted his illness as work-related.