Telecommuting Grows in Japan to Reduce Deaths from Over Work
Monday May 21, 2007
Japan wants to increase the number of teleworkers in the country. Currently, telecommuters are estimated to account for over 20 percent of the Japanese workforce. The Japanese government has indicated that it wants to double the numbers of those working from home by 2010, and to enable that kind of growth, the government has completed a project that will make its Internet connection speeds 10 times faster than they already are.
Estimates are that about 355 workers became severly ill or have died from overwork in Japan. Overworking is not uncommon in Japan, however, and has been part of its culture since the post World War II economic explosion. So it's no wonder that the Japanese government is looking for ways to improve the work-life balance of its citizens by promoting working from home and by encouraging workers to take some time off when starting their families or for caring for their elderly parents.
To encourage telecommuting, the Japanese government is offering tax incentives to those employers that set up telecommuting programs for their workers. Matsushita (Panasonic) recently began offering telecommuting options to more than half of its workers. Estimates are that about 30 percent of IBM workers in Japan have taken advantage of IBM's telecommuting program that started back in 2001.
Part of what's driving Japan's growth in telecommuting are its advanced work from home tools and equipment, especially with respect to network security and mobile capability. In Japan, mobile phones offer advanced GPS, credit card purchasing power, high-definition video display, video conferencing, and web surfing capabilities all in one mobile unit. While mobile phone technology is blossoming here in the US, it still has a way to go to catch up, and units like the new Apple iPhone are considered a bit of old school technology in Japan.
Source: Taipai Times
Estimates are that about 355 workers became severly ill or have died from overwork in Japan. Overworking is not uncommon in Japan, however, and has been part of its culture since the post World War II economic explosion. So it's no wonder that the Japanese government is looking for ways to improve the work-life balance of its citizens by promoting working from home and by encouraging workers to take some time off when starting their families or for caring for their elderly parents.
To encourage telecommuting, the Japanese government is offering tax incentives to those employers that set up telecommuting programs for their workers. Matsushita (Panasonic) recently began offering telecommuting options to more than half of its workers. Estimates are that about 30 percent of IBM workers in Japan have taken advantage of IBM's telecommuting program that started back in 2001.
Part of what's driving Japan's growth in telecommuting are its advanced work from home tools and equipment, especially with respect to network security and mobile capability. In Japan, mobile phones offer advanced GPS, credit card purchasing power, high-definition video display, video conferencing, and web surfing capabilities all in one mobile unit. While mobile phone technology is blossoming here in the US, it still has a way to go to catch up, and units like the new Apple iPhone are considered a bit of old school technology in Japan.
Source: Taipai Times
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