Engineering a hybrid can evidentially kill you...
 

And it was just a Camry....

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/09/japan.overwork.death.ap/index.html

I dunno.. The article said he averaged 80 hours of overtime per MONTH. That's only 20 per week. The average workweek in Asia (according to some quick research ) is about 45 hours per week. That puts him at 65. I work closer to 70-80 per week and while it's hard, I don't think it's killing me. :) I'm guessing there were mitigating circumstances.

Don't get me wrong, the Japanese folks I worked with were madmen when it came to working, during busy times I saw them come in at 7-8AM, work untill 10PM, then go out for Karaoke or what-have-you-untill 2AM several nights per week, then take the hourlong train ride home and still be back at work at 8AM... 80 hours per month just doesn't sound excessive.

I suspect that the "80 hrs per month" is a typo and it should read 80/week.

I've done 60+/week of over time (100+/wk hours) for a couple of months straight. But I was in my 20's and it was the nature of startup.

I love how they have a name for it: karoshi.

Did 80hr weeks repeatedly this past tax season.

I'd say somebody told him the std. 4cyl Camry gets 32mpg on it's own and he just keeled over from the shock!

80 hours of OT a month is nothing. I did that for about 3 months straight last year.

80 hours of OT a week would be insane. I bet that's what it's supposed to say.

FWIW, a person's effectiveness drops off precipitously after about 50-55 hours. At least according to things I've read, and some first-hand knowledge/experience.

There are 168 hours in a week. I suppose you could work 120 hours and sleep 6 hours per night, with no week-ends. But that would be a pretty stupid thing to do. I`d rather lose my job than lose my life (in both senses).

Aurel

I doubt he was working 125 hours per week. Add in commuting time (avg 2 hours per day), eating (2 hours per day) and other umm "biological functions" (1 hour per day)... You'd sleep about 2.5-3.0 hours per day if you did NOTHING else.

No one can function for long like that. I don't mean die, I mean you'd not be able to navigate thru basic human functions like walking, talking, etc.. Let along designing a car. I'm not buying it.

So I contend it WAS 80 per month and I say "Pshaw - that ain't much"

Further in the story there is mention that his family wanted him declared "worked himself to death" so that they could collect benefits.

There is ALWAYS more to the story that the press let's us know.

Lol!

+1
However, as you know, good jobs are hard to find. And these days, any job seems like a good job.

Once worked in a pizza place and did a 112 hour week shift. Totaly burned out.
Worse part about it was: That night ~4am I was getting sloshed at a friends house when I got a phone call: Someone left a pizza in the oven, the firefighters busted the largest street window and sprayed everything inside the store with a fire extinquisher and I had to go in and clean up.

Interesting thing about the Japanese: There remains in the culture that work=war. "Gambate" (dedicate yourself fully) is a parting phrase.
As restrictive and plateaued as their society is, personal debts and recognition of dedication is not easily discarded. Call it "honor", which we seem to lack as a society.

I agree, 80 hours of OT a month is a cakewalk.