I’m starting to discover a 8 hour work day just doesn’t exist. I did a trial for a job that is requesting 10 hours a day which is fine. But I think they are not telling me Overtime is everyday. Yesterday I pulled a 13 hour day, and I am wrecked from being in the sun all day.
Not trying to complain but being from a country with more relaxed work standards how does one conform to this lifestyle? – I feel like being over worked ruins family time and things worth living for.
– How did you get used to it?
– Or if you have an opinion on this topic please share 🙏
25 comments
I didn’t. That’s why I downgraded to software engineering from chip manufacturing.
What job are you working in the sun all day?
It sounds like a job you have a right to complain about. This is heat stroke weather.
As for how to get used to it, I don’t have any advice. I’ve never done an outdoors job. I work an office job and leave on time every day.
Do you have the option to change jobs?
Its very normal in Japan unfortunately. I’m sick of working 12 hour days myself, basically doing the 996
Some of the things I did back then.
– Researched the working hour in advance so that I knew what to expect.
– Lucked out and get assigned to a company that pay OT by the actual hours.
– Thought about how much the extra money will help my family back home.
I don’t – work for a company where it is unusual to work more than 8 hours a day
Coming from South America Japan work hours are pretty good. Anyway 13 hours too much. are you really working all that time non stop?
By not doing long working hours
The moment I got PR, I quit and became a contractor for overseas companies.
My hours as are everyone else’s are 9:30 am to 6pm. I go home around 6:30pm if they like it or not but of course because this is Japan 90% of staff stay until around 11pm just opening and closing random emails and going for smoke breaks.
It boggles the mind.
They’re all nice and the job is okay so I don’t really care but honestly it just blows my mind away.
Everybody else stays until 6, 7, 8, or 9 but I just dip out at 17:30 no matter what. latest I’ve stayed is 18:00, but I don’t care what kind of work I have left to do I’m already away from my home at least 11 hours a day between work and commute and I’m not sacrificing any more of that time for a company that couldn’t care less about me. This may be classified as a gaijin smash situation, but I don’t care. I’m tired enough as it is
I might not get paid tons, but I work 7 hours a day. That said I have a pretty good salary for my field, especially considering I also get about 6 weeks off a year (without using my paid leave). I chose the lower paying less hours job over one that works me 10+h a day for more money. My mental (and physical) health is more important.
I told companies flat out during the recruiting process that I value work/life balance, and would not be willing to do much overtime. Now I work 9:00 to 17:00, fully remote. As long as I get my tasks done nobody cares about my actual working hours. If I have to do overtime its often simply because I was slacking off during working hours, not due to actual work load. There are “white” companies out there.
It seems like you are fresh off the boat and may also have misunderstood some things:
1) Japanese working hours are 8 hours a day. Anything over that is overtime (there are some exceptions, but I do not think HVAC is in there) This means the 10 hour day would include overtime
2) Many Japanese companies have something called minashi zangyo. This is included overtime. So a company may pay you for example 40 hours of overtime in advance every month. If you work less than 40 they still pay this fixed amount. If you work more than 40 they should pay extra overtime.
Japan does have laws protecting you against unreasonable amount of overtime, but not all companies follow them. While you are not at this stage, one piece of advice is to record all overtime closely so you can show proof if shit hits the fan.
8 hours is too long for me. I try to keep my average day to 5-6 hours when I can. Flex time and remote work so I just do whatever.
I work like 4 hours or less…from home.
Before I got my new job . Told my new employer that I require 8 hour work days with one hour break. Similar to America. Not 8hrs and a break. Just need to communicate your wants and needs. Be prepared to turn down a job.
When I was working in Rakuten, many foreigners left company at 5:30 but others stayed.
Hmmm, my bosses always tell me to go home, I do 1 hour overtime to get additional “allowance” ..
>being in the sun all day.
Now I’m kind of jealous that you get to go outside during working hours.
My first project had a lot of overtime. I would cope by snacking at the konbini, and having the rice cooker set on a timer so that it was ready when I arrived at home.
My next (and current) project has much less overtime, at least for me. Many of the team members work well into the night, but I’m not entirely sure why. Unless there is a specific deadline that I need to meet, I go home at 17:35. My salary is low enough that it pays of to go home and make my own dinner.
I think the ship is leaking in both ends. Managers expect people to stay, and workers expect that they have to stay. A bit of realistic goal setting for what a worker is supposed to complete in a day might help to some degree, but that would probably mean more meetings to set those goals, and we can’t really fit more meetings into a 8-hour day at this point.
I used to work long hours, but then my kid was born and I stopped giving a shit because I realized that spending time with my kid is a lot more valuable to me then the horse shit that goes on in a corporation. I do my hours then get up and leave, every day.
Wow, many people here work at black companies huh. My company actually pays overtime in full upto the minute. So the long working hours translates to more money. It’s not that bad and all the overtime regulations are followed properly. (Still wouldn’t mind slightly lesser hours tho)
I can’t even imagine working 8 hours a day anymore
On ‘long’ days, I work maybe 4 to 5 hours. Full time, work from home job
I’m in a similar boat as you. 7:00 to 17:00 plus and hour commute each way. I also work all day in the sun as a gardener. My secret is drinking tons. I drink like its my medicine because if not heat stroke. I quit coffee now I drink 2 litters of green tea by 10. (green doesnt dehydrate you) than I drink 2 litters of barley tea and than maybe a liter of Aquarius sugar free. I use an air fan jacket with a hood. I have 3 neck ice coolers I roate out of my cooler and always sunblock. I also use the weird clothes cooling spray.
you usually are responsible for your work life balance. Don’t expect the company to side with you on this. Fcking leave on time that’s all.
I said i wanted to do overtime in the interview. Told them i didn’t want todo overtime on my first day. They cant fire me for that because the law makes it very hard for companies to fire people. If you dont wanna do overtime, your options are to either lie or just work part time jobs