Japanese worker fined for taking three-minute early lunch breaks
Have you ever nipped out early for lunch and got away with it? Well, one Japanese worker got a rude surprise when he was busted by a colleague for his early lunch breaks.
When you work for a company where the bosses are relatively easy going, and there’s a pretty relaxed atmosphere, it’s probably easier to sneak away from your desk a minute or two early without too much being said.
If you’re one of those who arrives to work early and leaves late most days, you probably think that it’s not the end of the world to do so, but beware: your colleagues may be the very ones smiling at you but at the same time putting a knife in your back. Always have eyes in the back of your head.
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A 64-year-old employee from the city of Kobe in Japan has been fined and promptly moaned at after being bust by a colleague for leaving his desk three minutes before the noon start of lunch hour. Daily Sun reports that this happened 26 times over a seven-month period. The man is employed at the waterworks bureau in the city. He was fined a day’s pay and has been cautioned by his managers not to do it ever again.
Over the years we've heard many stories of Japanese employees falling sick of even dying due to being overworked. The term 'Karōshi' is defined as "overwork death" according to Wikipedia. Perhaps this employee felt he needed to change things up due to a stressful work environment?
The first thing that crossed my mind is how much work the colleague must have had to do to keep track of this? Secondly, the amount of time the colleague took to keep track of this employee leaving the office early probably equates to also leaving early. It makes sense when you really think about it.
Also read: Five ways to achieve happiness at work
Do you think his 'punishment' is absurd or fair? Share your comments below.