BIZCHINA / Biz Life
600,000 Chinese killed by overwork
(Chinanews.cn)
Updated: 2006-06-30 09:32
With continued economic development, Chinese people's working hours have
become longer and longer, and death from overwork has also increased
sharply. It is estimated that overwork kills as many as 600,000 every
year.
Global Times reported that China has become one of the countries with the
longest working hours in the world. China's average hours at work have
surpassed that of Japan and South Korea. As overtime becomes "popular",
stories of young people dying in the office have become quite common.
Some white collars receive high pays but have to work under tremendous
pressure in the daytime and accompany clients in the evenings, which lead
to an irregular pace of life. However, facing the corporate system of
either promotion or elimination, they often work overtime "on their own
initiative".
Owing to the fierce competition in the job market, many people choose to
work overtime for fear of losing their jobs. Although the Labor Law
prescribes that working hours should be eight hours a day, overwork has
become China's job market culture, and excessive overtime is the primary
cause of death from overwork.
Many enterprises only focus on quick profits without realizing that the
work force is essential to the company's development. Overtime has become
a tally of bosses, and such a way of sacrificing the staff's health
aggravates the phenomenon of death from overwork.
Practitioners of industries with heavy mental stress are highly
vulnerable to death from overwork. Media workers, scientific researchers
and senior management staff of enterprises report the highest rate of
death from overwork. More and more Chinese people are confronted with the
threat of death from overwork.
(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
Most Popular Stories in 48 Hours
� Only cohabiting during the weekends
� Sand washing
� Gap indicates conomy status quo
� System limits car exporters
� Divorce rise, reforms linked
Today's Top News
� China opposes US lifting of Taiwan contact ban
� Yuan to be convertible in Tianjin
� Hu vows fight against corruption
� Israel hits Palestinian ministry
� Japan, China to hold gas talks 'soon'
Top Biz News
� Yuan to be convertible in Tianjin
� 600,000 Chinese killed by overwork
� HK gets wider access to mainland market
� China to tighten supervision over blogs
� China to widen investment channels
Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship,
wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress,
pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe.
Chinese Mandarin
