BBC-Deaths spotlight Taiwan's 'overwork' culture

Article reading:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16834258

▲Picture from: http://twhijoe.blogspot.com/2011/02/blog-post_4379.html

Working hard is a kind of nationality for countries such as Japan, Korean and Taiwan. Coincidentally, the three countries mentioned above are Asian countries and are really close to each other geographically. But, it doesn’t mean that all the Asian nations have the same nationality. Back to the topic “Taiwan's 'overwork' culture”, I think it is not merely culture, but it is an ingrained habit or life pattern. Through out ordinary people’s life in Taiwan (maybe it is a bit exaggerated), we spend our efforts working harder, harder and harder. And if we would like to work harder, we have to spend more time on working. I personally attribute this condition to the education system in Taiwan—the entrance exams. We are told when we were little child that we have to study hard if we want to get a good job in the future. The way to evaluate whether we study well or not is through the entrance exams (for college, for senior high or even for junior high). When entering the society, our boss will tell us: if you want to earn more money, you have to work hard. Working hard or working overtime becomes a doctrine in our society.

It is astonishing that Taiwan ranks among the top countries with the longest working day. Actually, I suppose that Japan would be the top 1 because I usually see news in Taiwan report “karoshi (Japanese word for: death from overwork)” in Japan. So, it shows an ironic situation that corresponds to the saying: the pot calls the kettle black. In the article, we can see the three overworked cases all died at the age of 29 or 30. This is an appalling number of age, and it is thus clear that even though we do not over work thought out our lifetime, we over work in our whole golden age. The government in Taiwan has set down the laws for restricting working hours, but it seems useless because the company will still find loopholes. Besides, the fine for violating the law is just small money for those companies because they can ask their employees to work overtime and earn more money for them to make up the loss of mulct. The problem with existing laws is the penalties are too light, analysts say. "Stepping up fines or jailing is too late - the worker has already died," Taiwan Labor Front's Mr Sun said.

Employers say that working hard can lead to the economic prosperity in Taiwan, yet have they ever think of the question: if workers all die of long hours working, are there still people who can work for them?

Related article:

http://ozsoapbox.com/taiwan/culture/working-in-taiwan-watch-out-for-death-by-overwork/