Application for industrial accidents for mental disorders Recorded the highest number of “Causes of stress such as power harassment” June 28, 14:17
It was found that the number of people who applied for a work injury last year was 20,60, the highest number ever, because of the mental health problems caused by long-term work and the stress of work such as power harassment.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, last year, 2060 people applied for industrial accidents due to depression and other mental disorders caused by long-term work and strong work stress such as power harassment.
This is 240 more people than the previous year, the largest increase for the 7th consecutive year since the survey started in 1983.
509 people were recognized as work-related accidents, an increase of 44 compared to the previous year, and of these, so-called "overwork suicide" was increased by 88, including 12 attempts.
On the other hand, the number of people who applied for work accidents for cerebral and heart diseases such as cerebral hemorrhage and myocardial infarction was 936, an increase of 59 from the previous year, for the fifth consecutive year.
216 people were recognized as industrial accidents, including 86 deaths from overwork, four more than in the previous year.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said, “For mental illness, the number of applications is increasing in their twenties and forties, and many people work for medical care and welfare. For brain and heart diseases, the number of middle-aged and elderly is increasing, and the number of female and elderly workers is increasing. Is also in the background."
Bereaved family “A structure that protects employees' lives and health, whatever it is”
Some of the bereaved families of people who commit suicide by overworking complain that overwork suicide cannot be eliminated unless companies understand the importance of measures to prevent long working hours and power harassment.
Yukie Sato (31 at that time), the son of Hisae Sato who lives in Oita City, committed suicide four years ago and was certified last year as a work-related accident, so-called overworked suicide.
Hisae said, “When I heard that my son died, I couldn't believe it, and I couldn't understand what had happened, so I picked him up,” he said.
Konobu was a group company of a software development company, and was in charge of satellite control work, but Mr. Hisae asked about the large amount of work and poor contact with his boss.
However, after Mr. Yukinobu's death, the company said, "I did not work long hours, and I was working well while consulting with my boss. There is no particular situation to worry about, and there is no section I can think of as a company." I heard that I received an explanation.
Hisae is not convinced and begins to collect company materials and testimonies of colleagues.
What I found was that Yukinobu was left with excessive work and had to work overtime for a long time, and he was often hit hard by his boss and suspected power harassment.
Eight months after Mr. Yukinobu died, Hisae applied for a labor accident at the Labor Standards Inspection Office, and as a result of the survey, he had overtime hours of over 70 hours a month, had trouble with his boss, and had a night shift. It was recognized that an unachievable quota of software development was imposed at the same time as the control work including the above, and it was recognized as an industrial accident.
However, the boss's power harassment was not recognized as there was no evidence, and the company apologized to the bereaved family, but did not show specific measures for power harassment or recurrence prevention.
From this month, a law that requires companies to take measures against power harassment came into force, but Mr. Hisae said, "Though there are laws, deaths from overwork and overwork suicide do not decrease, and some family members cry and fall asleep. If we don't change our lives and health into a constitution that protects everything, we cannot prevent death from overwork or suicide. Lost life will not come back. Imagine the feeling of the person who lost the family to the company I want you to think of it as yourself."
Expert "Management should take serious measures, but consciousness does not change"
Professor Ryukoku University's Professor Emeritus Shigeru Wakita, who is familiar with labor issues, explained the cause of the increase in overworked suicide. "There are still persistent ways of working in companies, such as forcing, ordering, and willingness to work long hours from the top, and this is reflected in it."
In addition, “Work-style reform-related laws were enacted, and it should have been that the management should seriously take measures, but the consciousness has not changed. It is necessary to spread the way of thinking."