Official working day in Japan. How to work in Japan. Working week in Japan. Typical working day in Japan

Japan is one of the most highly developed countries. It is not rich in resources; its territory occupies only two islands in the Pacific Ocean. But why does this country have a high standard of living? modern technologies and people live peacefully until they are 80? Perhaps they have special conditions work? Or do they work every day, without breaks? And why are so many of our compatriots so stubbornly eager to go to the Land of the Rising Sun?

History of the labor process

The history of the peculiarities of the labor process dates back to the 70s of the twentieth century, as people actively tried to increase their earnings. Then, in the 80s, the features were preserved, and already at that time Japan rose to second place in the world economy. The crisis and the end of the 90s entailed a restructuring of large companies and active labor activity of employees, as everyone fought for a vacant position.

About foreigners in Japan

Many people think this island nation is a great place to work. This opinion comes primarily from those who work in foreign companies, where employers try to create all the most comfortable conditions for foreigners. However, in ordinary factories or local firms, the labor process is organized in a very specific way, and working productively is quite problematic. It is for this reason that you are unlikely to see a foreign careerist in a traditional (for a Japanese) workplace.

Appearance requirements

If you are from Russian Federation, then you will have to get used to more stringent dress code requirements. Undoubtedly, everything here depends on the company itself, but in general the rules appearance stricter. Violation of them will entail serious consequences, which does not exclude immediate dismissal.

In ordinary companies, a mandatory element of the dress code is a black suit. You should wear it in any weather, be it hot summer or cold winter. For us this seems wild, but the Japanese begin to harden themselves very carefully in childhood. Not long ago, a decree appeared allowing people to wear short-sleeved shirts on a working day. Japan decided to take pity on the workers? No, this is how energy is saved: air conditioners are not turned on even in the hottest heat.

There are companies where female representatives are prohibited from wearing fitted and tight outfits. Straight cut only. And the skirt should cover the knees.

In addition, any jewelry is prohibited - only wedding rings.

There is a minimum of cosmetics on the face, although Japanese women themselves love bright makeup: pink blush and false eyelashes. In the labor process, a girl should become neutral, so as not to attract male attention.

There is also a rule: girls should have a short hairstyle that does not cover their ears. But hair color should always be black. If you have gorgeous blonde hair, prepare black dye.

However, not only women, but also men have their limitations. For example, they are prohibited from having a beard and mustache.

Behavior at work

How do the Japanese work and how do they behave at work?

Before starting work, the Japanese sign many papers, where they undertake not to discuss the work process with their family or colleagues. You can't even discuss the weather, let alone personal matters.

And after all, the work is not secret, but they still force you to keep the secret: that’s the agreement.

The working process

Before entering your office, you will need to hand over your personal belongings to the checkpoint and take only what is useful for work. For example, a pen and necessary papers.

In addition, if in Russia we are always given instructions for the day, then in the Land of the Rising Sun there is no such thing. We can finish work earlier and go home, but here, if you work 8 hours, work 8 hours and do what you are told.

How do the Japanese work? How many hours? Indeed, the Japanese work hard. However, their principle of organizing the work process is different. For example, in the Russian Federation they pay for quality. If you don't work hard enough, you get paid accordingly. And you did everything - you have the opportunity to leave early or receive an additional task, and future career growth is ensured.

But how do they work in Japan? They pay by the hour, so almost everyone in the country takes on overtime assignments. However, they often stretch out one two-hour assignment over an entire week. The companies themselves set deadlines that do not correspond to the degree of complexity of the task. Russians regard this type of work as slowness, and the Japanese, in turn, believe that they carry out orders very carefully and attentively. And this is why it is very difficult for our compatriots to work in ordinary Japanese companies.

This phenomenon of inhibition is driving Japan into a trap. After all, in essence, work is designed not for quality, but for the amount of time spent in the office.

This is how we explained why the Japanese work a lot.

Conversations are irrelevant

Russians working for the Japanese note in their reviews that residents of the Land of the Rising Sun do not know how to speak briefly and to the point. For them, laconic speech is a sign of low intelligence. They can explain in such a way that even the most dim-witted person understands what they mean. we're talking about during conversation. Such a dialogue can drag on for an indefinite number of hours. Japanese people believe that their detailed and long conversations are a sign of respect for the interlocutor.

Division of labor and stratification of society

In order to grow a seed, you need a lot of work and clear organization of your actions. For this reason, a concept with a very strict stratification of people was formed in Japan. Each person has his own direct responsibilities and his own role in the production process.

Communities in Japan have always been well organized. For example, a samurai never prepared food for himself and could easily die of hunger if the peasants did not feed him.

Because of this mentality, it is very difficult for every Japanese to make independent and independent decisions that are not typical for him. social status. They cannot take on any responsibility that is in any way outside the scope of their “normal” life. To put or not to put a comma is a difficult decision for a Japanese that takes half a day. Preparing ordinary papers is a process of endlessly long, slow consultations and negotiations. It is worth noting that if an employee has the courage to make a decision that does not correspond to his status, then everyone without exception in the hierarchical chain will receive a reprimand. The principle of the system is this: “I am a simple person and I am obliged to do only what I am supposed to do.”

However, such a rigid system is understandable: Japan is a small country with a large overpopulation. To best support people, strict boundaries and rules are needed. It is necessary to clearly understand: here is my territory, and there is the territory of another. And respecting the boundaries of another is simply necessary.

The Russian Federation has a huge territory, so we are not so constrained in our actions.

Why are the Japanese less reserved?

In Japan, it is not particularly appreciated when a person shows off his achievements or advantages. The Japanese can perfectly pick up any idea and improve it several times so that the whole world will admire it. And they really succeed! But creating something of your own is very problematic. Creativity is not the most important trait of the Japanese. The ability to improve is especially valued here.

In Russia, without a creative approach, you can simply get lost in the crowd, so a creative mindset is very important for us.

Career ladder

In an ordinary Japanese company, a career is created over a long period of time. Here, promotion depends not on your merits and awards, but on your age. A young and talented specialist will always work in low positions with low salaries. Because of this organization of the labor process, Japan becomes less competitive in the world market. Although this type of business maintains “Japanese quality,” it greatly slows down progress.

Wage

We figured out how the Japanese work, and it’s time to raise the topic that interests people the most—salary. Compared to the world, wages in Japan are quite high. However, its size is reduced by 30 percent due to the current tax system. Young staff receive low wages. But the older the person, the higher his salary. And pensions in Japan are very decent.

How are salaries calculated in Japan? Each employee of a certain company has his own “time ka-do”. These are special forms on which the time of your arrival at work and the time of leaving it are manually noted. There are also special cards. When you swipe this card on the required device, your arrival and departure are automatically entered into the electronic database.

At the end of the month, your salary will be calculated using these cards. They will also go out here as the main one wage, and overtime.

Weekend

In the Land of the Rising Sun, people work without vacations. The only days for rest are Saturday and Sunday. Various companies provide the opportunity to take additional days off. For example, a company gives 8 days off. They need to be divided into parts, that is, you won’t be able to take 8 days off at once. You must give 1 month notice of your intention to take a mini-vacation. This is due to the fact that employees must have time to cooperate so that your absence does not cause any damage to the company. In some companies, you need to warn about a day off even earlier. Therefore, if you have an unforeseen situation, you will not be able to leave work.

Another feature of working in Japan: if your temperature rises in the morning, no one will consider this a good reason for missing work. In Japan, people go to work even if the thermometer shows “38”.

The days off are official holidays and Obon (the day when the dead are remembered). However, a young specialist does not have the opportunity to get an extra day off in the first two years.

The main holiday, New Year, takes 1-3 days. But if these additional days off fall on Saturday and Sunday, then no one will reschedule them.

In addition, there is also a “golden week”, which consists entirely of holidays. Whether to arrange a day off or not is up to the company. How long do Japanese people work per week? All 5 working days.

Working day

How long do Japanese people work? Japanese people are doing labor activity about 10 o'clock. Therefore, the statement that the Japanese work 18 hours is a myth. The working day starts at 9 am and ends at 7 pm. However, there is a rule: you cannot arrive exactly at the appointed time. You are required to be at your workplace half an hour beforehand, as Japanese companies believe that the remaining 30 minutes are necessary for mental and physical preparation for work.

You already know how many hours a day the Japanese work. Another one interesting feature: You cannot go home until your boss leaves his place. As long as he works, everyone else should work too. And it doesn’t matter how long you are delayed - 15 minutes or 2 hours: no one will pay for this time. Thus, we have dispelled the myths about how much the Japanese work.

Communication with colleagues

In Japan there is a special tradition called "nomikai". Translated: "to drink together." Most often, this concept refers to companies and firms where employees must drink with their colleagues every day (or less often). For us, this seems wild, since in Russia there is a rather negative attitude towards alcohol, but in Japan such drinks are welcome. Even doctors recommend using them, but they are silent about the quantity and frequency of use.

Residents of the country don’t know how to drink, so they get drunk very quickly. Alcohol will not cost you anything, since it is paid for by the boss or the company itself.

Some companies have even introduced payment for “nomikai”. If you work together, then you drink together - this is the Japanese tradition. In the end, it turns out that a Japanese person spends almost his entire life in the office, surrounded by his colleagues.

Conclusion

In this article you got acquainted with how the Japanese work. That is, we practically learned their ordinary way of life.

Nobody argues: working in Japan is difficult. There are situations when people develop health problems due to stress, and often such illnesses lead to death. There are also those who mentally cannot cope with the load and drive themselves to suicide. Moreover, this will not surprise anyone, and everyone around them will only think about going to work as soon as possible.

How long do Japanese people work per day? Let's generalize a little and create a rough daily routine. For example, a resident of Japan wakes up at 6 am and already leaves his apartment at 7 am. The road to work, the work day (the boss was late for one hour) and “nominkai”. That is, an ordinary worker returns home late at night, and he spends the weekend on sleep and simple human rest. There is practically no time for family.

How do the Japanese work in this mode? They just endure. After all, all these rules were not invented by someone, but developed over the course of centuries, under the influence of geographical and historical changes. From the cradle, people are instilled with such qualities as mobility and readiness for any circumstances, because Japan is not at all protected. A small territory, constant natural disasters and a large population only aggravate the people's condition. They must always survive on their small piece of land and be competitive in Japanese society.

There is no doubt that foreign citizens are provided with more comfortable working conditions, but the usual Japanese way of life cannot be avoided. Therefore, when going to work in the Land of the Rising Sun, think carefully.

Undoubtedly, this mode of work will instill in you discipline and the ability to work competently in society. But sometimes health and a free life are much more important than money.

DATA The Japanese are famous for spending a lot of time on work and dedication to the company. They say that they can work for a very long time. In Japan there is even a special term Karoshi (過労死 ) - it means death from overwork. Deaths at work are not uncommon in Japan.

Japanese companies have two facts at work:

1. Loyalty to the company. Compared to the West, where people usually move to other companies to improve their wages and conditions. In Japan, the so-called “lifetime employment” is well known, which is created through a serious loyalty program in the company. This is done not only by psychologists, but also, for example, by pensions that are paid to employees who have worked in the company for more than 20 years. The Japanese love to be proud of their affiliation with the companies in which they work.

2.Low performance. This actually comes out when you try to work with Japanese companies. The Japanese waste a lot of time on meaningless reports and procedures. Really on regular work western man they have to put in more hours.

Most Japanese go on their own workplace using public transport. Since car maintenance in Japan costs on average $1000 per month. Although now public transport (especially trains) is 150% loaded during rush hour. Which creates huge crowds. But the Japanese don't complain.

When you do get to your workplace, the first thing you will need to do is not only greet your bosses and colleagues, but also chant various slogans and inspiring statements with the rest of the workers. After this small morning ritual, it’s time to get down to work. Many Japanese work several times more hours than their Western counterparts, despite the existence of laws that limit the amount of overtime. Many companies officially work from 9.00 to 18.00. But no one will be surprised by the fact that many employees in serious companies come to work at least half an hour earlier and remain at work for several hours after working hours. Moreover, they do this only on their own initiative. When solving a certain problem, each Japanese, as mentioned above, acts as a main link in one huge chain. The main thing for him is to work in such a way that the task facing the working group of which he is a member is completed in an optimal manner and in the shortest possible time. And because this is so, any individual is rooting for the highest quality and fastest solution to the task assigned to a group of workers, and, due to solidarity with colleagues, always strives to provide maximum help and support to all members of the group, which they clearly need. It is for this reason that most Japanese rarely take full advantage of their vacation. The Japanese know that they bear full responsibility for other people and that is the only reason why they do not allow themselves to relax for a long time. Finally - a comparison of the working day in different countries


An Epson employee says. There is a stereotype that Japan is a good place to work. This stereotype comes from our compatriots who work by invitation in foreign companies, where the Japanese try to adapt to the level and style of foreigners. Meanwhile, traditional working system Japan is structured in a unique way, and it is quite difficult to exist in it. That is why there are not many foreigners building a career in classic Japanese companies. About how the average exists office worker in Japan says Epson employee Marina Matsumoto

Dress code

Of course, the conditions depend on the specific company, but in principle the dress code in Japan is much stricter than in Russia. Failure to comply with its rules has serious consequences for the employee, including immediate dismissal.

In a traditional Japanese company, they always wear a black suit, regardless of the weather, even if it’s +40 outside. The Japanese tolerate both heat and cold calmly, as they go through a very harsh school of hardening the body in childhood. Recently released new law allowing you to wear short-sleeved shirts to work. This is due to the forced saving of electricity, in which even in extreme heat air conditioners are no longer always used in offices.

In some companies, women are not allowed to wear fitted suits - they must be completely straight. The skirt must cover the knees.

Women's accessories are also prohibited. I have a large, serious company, it is known internationally. But I work where mostly Japanese work. At my workplace I was only allowed to wear a cross - under my clothes so that it would not be visible - and a wedding ring.

Makeup should be invisible. Japanese women love to wear bright makeup, their cheeks are very rosy, and almost all of them have false eyelashes. But at work, a woman should be as unattractive as possible to men.

In some places, women must only wear short hair that does not cover their ears. Hair color must be black. If you are naturally blonde, for example, you will have to dye your hair.

In addition to long hair, men are not allowed to wear a beard or mustache. This is an unspoken rule that everyone knows. The persistent image of the Yakuza (the traditional form of organized crime in Japan) gets in the way.

Subordination

When I got a job, I signed a bunch of documents, where I assured that I would not discuss anything with clients and colleagues except work: neither the weather, nor nature. I don’t have the right to share my “personal data” at work - who is my husband, how are I doing... At home I don’t have the right to talk about my work. My work is not secret, but it is customary and stipulated in my contract.

At work they only work

They only take to the workplace what they need for work: for me, these are documents and a pen. I can’t take my bag, wallet or phone; it remains at the checkpoint.

In Russia there is a favorite saying: “If you’ve done the job, walk boldly.” In the Russian workplace, the main thing is that you complete the plan for today. In Japan, no one is interested in “plans for today.” You came to work and you have to work at it.

How the Japanese slow down the work process

In Russia, we all know that your salary depends on the results of your work. If you work poorly, you get nothing. If you work well, you receive bonuses and promotions. You’ve done everything, you can leave early or ask for an additional task to earn more.

In Japan you pay by the hour. Almost all Japanese people take overtime. But often this results in them stretching out one task that can be completed in two hours for a week. The deadlines set by the company also do not always correspond to the level of complexity of the work. The Japanese will poke around for hours, it seems to us that they work like sleepy flies, but they think that they do the job “thoroughly”. They incredibly slow down the workflow, so it’s difficult for us to work with them.

And this, by the way, is one of the main reasons why their economy was not in the best condition. They have trapped themselves with this hourly payment system. After all, in essence, work is designed not for quality, but for the number of hours spent in the office.

Long, lengthy conversations

We all know that “brevity is the sister of talent,” but in Japan, brevity is narrow-mindedness. The Japanese cannot speak briefly and to the point. They launch into long and extensive explanations, which are aimed at ensuring that even a narrow-minded person understands what they are talking about. Meetings can last an incredible number of hours. The Japanese believe that if they talk for a long time and in excessive detail about the same thing, then they respect the interlocutor.

Stratification of society

Growing rice requires a lot of work and organization. Therefore, historically, Japan has developed a system with a very narrow specialization of labor and strict stratification of society. Everyone has their own responsibility and their place in the life and production process.

Japanese communities have always been clearly organized. For example, a samurai never prepared food for himself; he could easily have died of hunger if the peasantry had not helped him out.

As a consequence of this mentality, it is very difficult for any Japanese to make an independent decision that is not inherent in his status. They cannot take upon themselves basic responsibility that somehow goes beyond the scope of their everyday routine. To put a comma or not to put it is a problem for half a day. Preparing basic documents is a series of endless, very slow consultations. Moreover, the mandatory nature of such consultations is amazing. If an employee nevertheless takes it upon himself to make a decision that is not based on his status, then everyone in the hierarchical chain associated with him will receive a reprimand. This is eastern despotism in action: “I am a small man, I am a simple peasant, and I should only do the work assigned to me.”

Again, everything is understandable: Japan is a small country with a large overpopulation and needs strict frameworks and rules. To survive in Japan, you need to clearly know: my border is here, and this is the border of another person, I must respect it. No one goes beyond their limits. If a Japanese man marries them, he will literally be lost.

Russia has a huge territory, vastness, and open spaces. We are not constrained. We are free. A Russian person can do whatever he wants. And the Swede, and the reaper, and the player on the pipe... - this is primarily about us, Russians!

Same as everyone else

Interestingly, in Japan you are not supposed to demonstrate your difference or superiority in mind. You can’t show your uniqueness, your specialness. This is not welcome. Everyone should be the same. Since childhood, uniqueness is burned out there with a red-hot iron, so Japan will not give the world either Einstein or Mendeleev.

Famous Japanese technologies are a myth. As a rule, these are ideas that were not created by the Japanese. What they are good at is deftly picking up and improving on time. But we, on the contrary, can brilliantly create and forget...

To survive in Japanese society you have to be like everyone else. In Russia, on the contrary, if you are the same as everyone else, you will get lost. New ideas are constantly needed to master and fill a large space.

Career.

In a classic Japanese campaign, it takes a long time to build a career. Career advancement depends on age, not merit. A young specialist, even a very talented one, will occupy an insignificant position, work a lot and for a low salary, because he has just arrived. Due to this organization of the work process, it is increasingly difficult for Japanese companies to compete in the international market. Yes, there is the concept of Japanese quality, but this no longer saves them, because business is conducted too much in the Japanese way.

Salary

Officially, salaries in Japan are high. But with the deduction of all taxes, which amount to almost 60%, they receive an average of a thousand dollars. Young people receive even less. At 60 years old, the salary is already a very decent amount.

Vacations and weekends

There are no holidays in Japan. Weekends are Saturday or Sunday. And depending on the company, you are entitled to a few extra days off per year. Let’s say you’re allotted 10 days, but you can’t take them all at once. They need to be broken. It happens that you need to take one day off during the week and go somewhere on business. In my campaign, I have to give a month's notice so that everyone can cooperate and replace me. In some companies these terms are even longer. Taking time away from work due to an unexpected incident is problematic.

If you are sick on Monday and are thinking of not going to work, then they will not understand you. Everyone goes to work with a fever.

Weekends may include holidays: Remembrance Day - Obon, in mid-August. But young specialist There is no such possibility; he will work for the first two years without extra days off.

On New Year 1-3 days are given. If they fall on Saturday-Sunday, then no one, like in Russia, will move them to Monday-Tuesday.

There is also a “golden week” in May, when several public and religious holidays occur in a row. My husband worked all days, I had 3 days off.

Working day

Standard working hours are from 9 am to 7 pm. But the main thing you should keep in mind is that if it is stated that the working day is from nine, then you cannot come directly to this time. Even if you arrived at 8.45, you are considered late. You have to arrive to work at least half an hour before, some people come an hour before. It is believed that a person needs time to get into a working mood and prepare for work.

The end of the official workday does not mean you can go home. It is not customary to leave before your boss. If he is late in the office for two hours, then you are late too, and this will not be considered overtime. Your personal circumstances are your personal problems, which, as I already mentioned, according to the agreement I signed with my colleagues, are not discussed.

Informal communication

In Japan there is such a concept - “nomikai” - “drinking together”, reminiscent of a Russian corporate party. Somewhere “nomikai” takes place every day, in my campaign - twice a week. Of course, you can refuse, but they will look at you askance. Why drink? – because in Japan there is a positive attitude towards alcohol. Shintoism involves making offerings to certain gods in the form of alcohol. Japanese doctors believe that drinking alcohol every day is beneficial. Nobody talks about doses.

The Japanese don't know how to drink, and, as a rule, they get very drunk. The drink itself will not cost you anything; either your boss or the company always pays for it.

Now, in order to further encourage visiting bars with colleagues, workers are even paid for “nomikai”. It's part of Japanese culture to work together and drink together. It turns out that you spend almost 24 hours a day, 365 days a year only with your work colleagues.

In addition to "nomikai", you need to drink with clients, with partners, with officials with whom the company is connected.

Yes, there is something similar in Russia, but it is completely incomparable to the Japanese alcoholic scale. And then in Russia the attitude towards alcohol is much more negative.

Now you can imagine the whole picture. A Japanese man leaves his house at 7 am. At work, he exists within the strict confines of his status. After the end of the official working day, he takes extra hours because he has to feed his family. He then goes out drinking with colleagues and returns home from there at 2 a.m., most likely drunk. He works on Saturdays. Sees his family only on Sundays. Moreover, until the evening, he can either sleep or drink all day off, because he is under terrible stress from such a cruel regime.

In Japan there is a separate concept - “death from overwork.” This is a very common case when people die at their desks or, unable to withstand the workload, commit suicide. For Japan, this is par for the course, an event to which there is practically no reaction. People will even be outraged if someone's suicide interferes with their work. Everyone thinks: “Why didn’t you do this somewhere in a quiet, inconspicuous place, because of you I won’t come to work on time!!”

We must understand that Japanese society did not sit and invent these rules for itself. Everything has evolved over the centuries due to the geographical and historical uniqueness of Japan. Probably everyone will agree that they had good reasons for such a mobilization of society, constant readiness for something. A small territory, many people, wars, earthquakes, tsunamis - everything can collapse at any moment. Therefore, from childhood, the Japanese learn to work in a group, learn to survive on their piece of land. In essence, all Japanese education is not built on teaching a person something, developing him, it teaches him to be a real Japanese, to be competitive in Japanese society... Not everyone can endure such a life, because it is really hard.

There is a stereotype that Japan is a good place to work. This stereotype comes from our compatriots who work by invitation in foreign companies, where the Japanese try to adapt to the level and style of foreigners. Meanwhile, the traditional Japanese work system is structured in a unique way, and it is quite difficult to exist in it. That is why there are not many foreigners building a career in classic Japanese companies. Epson employee Marina Matsumoto talks about how the average office worker lives in Japan.

Tokyo. View from the 45th floor observation deck. Photo by Swe.Var (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/swe-var/)

Dress code

In a traditional Japanese company, they always wear a black suit, regardless of the weather, even if it’s +40 outside. The Japanese tolerate both heat and cold calmly, as they go through a very harsh school of hardening the body in childhood. Recently a new law was passed allowing people to wear short-sleeved shirts to work. This is due to the forced saving of electricity, in which even in extreme heat air conditioners are no longer always used in offices.

In some companies, women are not allowed to wear fitted suits - they must be completely straight. The skirt must cover the knees.

In some places, women must only wear short hair that does not cover their ears. Hair color must be black. If you are naturally blonde, for example, you will have to dye your hair.

Subordination

At work they only work

They only take to the workplace what they need for work: for me, these are documents and a pen. I can’t take my bag, wallet or phone; it remains at the checkpoint.

How the Japanese slow down the work process

In Japan you pay by the hour. Almost all Japanese people take overtime. But this often results in them stretching out one task that can be completed in two hours over a week. The deadlines set by the company also do not always correspond to the level of complexity of the work. The Japanese will poke around for hours, it seems to us that they work like sleepy flies, but they think that they do the job “thoroughly”. They incredibly slow down the workflow, so it’s difficult for us to work with them.

Long, lengthy conversations

Stratification of society

Japanese communities have always been clearly organized. For example, a samurai never prepared food for himself; he could easily have died of hunger if the peasantry had not helped him out.

Same as everyone else

Career

Salary

Vacations and weekends

If you are sick on Monday and are thinking of not going to work, then they will not understand you. Everyone goes to work with a fever.

Weekends may include holidays: Remembrance Day - Obon, in mid-August. But a young specialist does not have such an opportunity; he will work for the first two years without extra days off.

For the New Year, 1-3 days are given. If they fall on Saturday-Sunday, then no one, like in Russia, will move them to Monday-Tuesday.

There is also a “golden week” in May, when several public and religious holidays occur in a row. My husband worked all days, I had 3 days off.

Working day

Informal communication

The Japanese don't know how to drink, and, as a rule, they get very drunk. The drink itself will not cost you anything; either your boss or the company always pays for it.

In addition to "nomikai", you need to drink with clients, with partners, with officials with whom the company is connected.

Yes, there is something similar in Russia, but it is completely incomparable to the Japanese alcoholic scale. And then in Russia the attitude towards alcohol is much more negative.

12.01.2017 109 904 42 Reading time: 15 min.

Today I decided to collect and publish data on how long it lasts working day, working week and work time in different countries of the world, and also analyze how much these indicators influence the level of economic development of countries. I was prompted to this idea by the so-called so-called revolution that recently ended in Russia. “New Year holidays”, during which many workers rested. There are many other holidays that are not celebrated in other countries, and I have more than once heard opinions that Russians rest too much, and they should be working. After delving into the statistics, I came to the conclusion that this is all an absolute fallacy: in fact, Russians are among the people who work the hardest in the world! Well, residents of neighboring CIS countries are also not far behind. And now more details...

There is one international organization Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which calculates and compares statistics in a variety of areas. So, among other things, she keeps a tally of actual working hours worked (including official part-time jobs and overtime).

According to OECD data, in 2015 the average resident of Russia spent at work, attention, 1978 hours! This means that he worked 247 8-hour working days, that is, he worked all working days of the year according to the norm, without shortened days and without any vacation at all. And this is only according to official data! Is it worth mentioning how much people recycle unofficially?

According to this indicator, Russia took 6th place in the world in 2015. The top five countries where workers worked the most hours looked like this:

Mexico.
Costa Rica.
South Korea.
Greece.
Chile.

Please note: these are predominantly “middle-level” and “below-average” countries, not the most developed, but not the most backward. In general, it is not entirely clear why many Asian countries were not included in this TOP, where working a lot is considered good form, people basically do not rest and do not take vacations. Nevertheless, the report is just that. Do you know which countries, according to OECD data, had the shortest working hours?

Germany.
Netherlands.
Norway.
Denmark.
France.

In general, the entire top ten is occupied by European countries. For example, the working time of the average resident of Germany in 2015 was 1371 hours, which is a third less than in Russia! In fact, all European countries included in the top 10 countries with minimum working hours are at very high level development.

Where did such a difference between the hours worked by Russians and residents come from? Western Europe? There are 3 main reasons:

Shorter working hours and working weeks.
Longer holidays.
A more strict approach to overtime and work outside of school hours.

Moreover, interestingly, the length of the working day and working week does not have the strongest impact on the actual working time worked in the year. Because according to the results of the OECD study, it is clear that countries with approximately the same length of the working day and working week can take diametrically opposed positions in terms of the actual working time of the average worker.

Let's look at the length of the working day and working week in different countries of the world:

Netherlands- the minimum working week in the world. A working day is on average 7.5 hours, a working week is 27 hours.
France, Ireland— working week 35 hours.
Denmark— working day 7.3 hours, working week — 37.5 hours. It is noteworthy that the average hourly salary in Denmark is 30% higher than in the EU as a whole - 37.6 euros per hour.
Germany— working week 38 hours. Despite the fact that Germans are traditionally considered workaholics, annual working hours are the lowest in the world!
Russia Ukraine- working day 8 hours, working week - 40 hours. However, due to overtime (even official!) and short, often unobserved vacations, these countries are among the ten countries with the largest working hours per year.
USA— maximum working week — 40 hours. In fact, in the private sector, workers work an average of 34.6 hours per week.
Japan— working week 40 hours. Everyone has heard about the workaholism of the Japanese, however, the official working week there is no different from the Russian one. In this country, it is customary to stay unofficially at work to advance in career ladder, this does not appear in official statistics. In fact, the work week often lasts up to 50 hours.
Great Britain— working week — 43.7 hours.
Greece— working week — 43.7 hours, actual working time worked — the maximum in Europe.
Mexico, Thailand, India— working week up to 48 hours, six days.
China— the average working day is 10 hours, the average working week is 60 hours. Lunch time in China is 20 minutes, and the average vacation length is 10 days.

In addition to the length of the working day and extracurricular work, the duration of vacation also has an impact on the total working time worked; in European countries, things are also better with this than in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the post-Soviet space.

For example, the average duration of paid leave in different countries of the world is:

Austria— 6 weeks of vacation (from 25 years old);
Finland— vacation up to 8 weeks (including “bonuses” up to 18 days for long service at one enterprise);
France- up to 9.5 weeks of vacation;
UK, Germany— 4 weeks of vacation;
Average for Europe— 25 working days of vacation (5 weeks);
Russia— 4 weeks of vacation (28 days);
Ukraine— 24 days of vacation;
USA- there are no legislative provisions on the duration of leave - at the discretion of the employer;
Japan- 18 days a year, taking a vacation is considered bad manners; on average, the Japanese take 8 days a year on vacation;
India- 12 days a year;
China- 11 days a year;
Mexico- 6 days a year;
Philippines— 5 days a year (minimum).

As for the “extended” New Year holidays, in Western countries they actually turn out to be even longer. Although there are not many official holidays there, in reality it is already from December 20 business activity there it is practically reduced to zero, from December 25 almost all enterprises close, and open from January 9-10.

In general, if we look at the trend, working hours in most countries of the world are gradually decreasing. In the early 1900s, residents of many countries devoted 3,000 hours to work annually (!), but now the global average is 1,800 hours, and in the most productive and economically developed countries it is even lower.

Back in 1930, economist John Keynes, author of the famous theory of Keynesianism, predicted that in 100 years, in 2030, the working week would last an average of 15 hours. Of course, he was most likely mistaken in the numbers, but not in the trend: working hours have indeed been steadily declining since then.

If you analyze labor data provided by the OECD, you can clearly see that for a strong economy you need to work not hard, but efficiently. They also have such an indicator as productivity of working hours, so, for example, if we compare two European countries with maximum and minimum working hours - Greece and Germany, then in Germany productivity is 70% higher than in Greece. This example perfectly demonstrates the now popular expression: “you need to work not 12 hours a day, but with your head!”

Fans of workaholism often cite Asian countries as an example, for example, China, India, where working hours are very long, and these countries demonstrate high performance economic growth. I propose to look at Asia from a slightly different perspective.

It is in Asia that there is a special term “karoshi”, which means “death from overworking”. Because such cases are far from uncommon there: people literally die at their workplaces, since their body cannot withstand such a heavy load. For example, in Japan, official statistics on karoshi are kept, and many believe that they are underestimated.

In general, I think that in terms of the length of the working day, working week and working time in general, we need to focus on Europe, not Asia. The economies of European countries demonstrate perfectly that labor productivity is much more important than hours worked. Here are just the most important advantages of a shorter working day and working week:

A person gets less tired at work, which means he can work more efficiently;
Limited working hours leave no room for so-called distractions. — the employee is fully involved in the work process;
The shorter the working time, the more a person can concentrate on work;
The employee spends more time at home, with his family, with relatives and friends, devotes more time to his hobbies, relaxes, which means he has more energy and strength for work;
A person who works less has fewer health problems, which means he again has more strength and energy to do work.

To summarize all of the above, I can conclude: you need to take a closer look at positive examples and stay the course towards reducing the working day, working week, and working time in general. To begin with, at least eliminate constant overtime from practice. Because when - this, I assure you, will not lead to anything good, neither for employers nor for employees. Normal civilized labor Relations will definitely contribute to increased labor efficiency, and everyone will be better off.

In conclusion, for the sake of credibility, I’ll give a personal example: I spend less than half of my traditional working time working on this site. And it didn’t make him any worse, right? And achieved quite good results. That is, in order to, you don’t have to work a lot. Be sure to work efficiently!

Now you know what the working day, working week and working time are in the countries of the world, what results it brings, you see my conclusions and you can make your own. I hope that this information will be useful to you, perhaps making you look differently at things that seemed obvious.

Take care of your time - it is your limited and exhaustible resource. See you again at !

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