Industrial Accident Authorities Investigate Six Months of Working Conditions
A convenience store manager in Japan who worked without any holidays was recognized for a work-related industrial accident.
According to Yonhap News Agency on the 7th, citing the Asahi Shimbun, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare acknowledged the work-related industrial accident of Mr. A, who worked as a store manager at a Seven-Eleven franchise store in Oita Prefecture and committed suicide.
Seven-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo, Japan. Reuters-Yonhap News (File photo unrelated to the article content)
The industrial accident authorities investigated Mr. A’s working conditions for six months following a request from his bereaved family, who raised the issue of mental disorder caused by overwork. It was recognized that Mr. A worked without a single day off, which led to depression. Once recognized as an industrial accident, survivor’s pensions and other benefits are paid through industrial accident insurance.
Previously, Mr. A started working part-time at Seven-Eleven and was employed as a store manager at a store in Oita Prefecture in 2019. The deceased’s wife applied for industrial accident recognition, claiming her husband developed a mental disorder due to overwork.
Mr. A ended his own life in July 2022 at the age of 38. His suicide note reportedly included statements such as “Working long hours without rest is natural,” “No matter how much I work to cover shifts, only I suffer,” and “Being a convenience store manager is just being exploited.”
A 2019 survey by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed that 26% of franchise employees, not part-timers, responded that they go to work almost every day.
The Seven-Eleven headquarters stated regarding this matter that the roles between headquarters and franchise stores are divided and labor management is the responsibility of the franchise stores, adding “We are not in a position to respond.” The Asahi Shimbun pointed out, “There have been past cases where deaths from overwork at convenience stores were recognized as industrial accidents,” and noted, “The background of excessive labor conditions at convenience stores is their 24-hour, year-round operation.”
Meanwhile, in Korea, more than 13,000 people die by suicide every year. The average annual number over the past 10 years (2014?2023) is 13,380. A significant number of industrial accident claims for suicide cite “work-relatedness” such as overwork and workplace bullying as causes. According to the office of Representative Yong Hye-in of the Basic Income Party, an average of 89 suicide-related industrial accident claims per year were filed with the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service over the past five years (2019?2023).
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