Is the Japanese way of working abnormal in the world?
This time, it is not news, but my personal opinion.
I am also working and raising my child in Japan, and the Japanese way of working requires the following as “normal” things.
○ Never be late for work. When you leave, you have to stay at work until the regular time comes.
○Not to be late even for a minute, even if you have to take care of your children or nursing caregivers.
○When I inform my workplace that I will be late because public transportation will be delayed due to heavy rain, etc., I am told, “Why didn’t you calculate that and leave home earlier?
○When taking a day off, make sure that there is no work that will be delayed by your absence before you call in for the day off.
○If someone is in trouble because the person in charge is absent, the person who is at work will solve the problem for them.
○Many workplaces will assume that those who are at work are doing more work than those who are teleworking.
○When at work, do your job correctly, diligently, and honestly.
○ Language, attitude, makeup, hair, clothing, and personal belongings should make a good impression on the customer.
○Each worker should work as if he or she represents the workplace, because one person with a bad attitude will give a bad impression of the entire workplace.
○The wages are low, averaging about 4.4 million yen per year. Incidentally, the average wage in the U.S. is ¥13,190,000 per year, so even if you work this way, you will earn only about one-third as much.
○Stores are open even on holidays, and there are many people who work there.
○I go to work even if I am not feeling well because it causes trouble for those around me if I miss work.
The above is what I feel when I work as a member of society.
I think there are probably many Japanese who feel this way.
However, there must be many people who feel suffocated by this way of working.
However, from a different perspective, managing in this way reduces the variation in the quality of working people, which can be a source of relief for customers.
That is why the issue of working style is so difficult.