Q92  The hours worked, in comparison to the United States and Europe, are still high but, compared to the past, they have decreased. Do salaried workers now have more time on their hands than before?

A92    No. In the second half of the 1990s, many Japanese companies restructured their operations, reducing the number of permanent employees. In contrast, the number of part-time workers, working students, and those doing jobs on the side increased, polarizing working hours. Now, the number of people working more than 60 hours a week has increased, as has the number of people working less than 35 hours a week: Part-time staff work less than 35 hours a week, while permanent employees work longer than before. A case in point is the service overtime that recently has become a
problem. This is when employers do not pay employees standard wages for working outside normal hours. Employers put pressure on employees, making them work overtime for which they are not paid. It is not uncommon for people to stay in the office and work after formal working hours when they have "officially left." Since it looks as if staff remain in the office of their own volition, this has been dubbed service overtime.

Some companies do not recognize overtime and some even turn off the main office lighting, expecting busy staff to continue working in darkened offices with only the light from desk lamps and the screens of their computers. Employees who work under such conditions are referred to as the firefly tribe.