On April 21, the Japanese government approved the 2022 edition of the “White Paper on Measures to Prevent Death by Overwork,” which analyzes the current situation of death by overwork and suicide by overwork. The report introduces data showing that the number of workers’ compensation certifications for depression and other mental disorders increased by more than 60% over the 10-year period from FY10 to FY19. The report also points out that the number of cases involving women has increased by nearly 80%, and that sexual harassment is the cause in many cases.
According to the white paper, the number of cases of workers’ compensation for mental disorders increased from 308 in FY10 to 509 in FY19. An official from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare analyzed the reasons for the increase, saying, “Awareness of labor issues has increased due to reforms in work styles and other factors.
By industry, “manufacturing,” “wholesale and retail,” and “medical care and welfare” were the most common industries, in that order.
The number of women certified increased from 104 to 179, a noticeable increase. Since FY12, when the criteria were changed, “Sexual harassment” and “Experiencing or witnessing a tragic accident or disaster” have accounted for 20% each of the reasons for certification.
The most common reason given by men was “constant long working hours,” followed by “events causing a change in the content or volume of work”.
