Record 629 cases of mental illness at work in FY2021, the third consecutive year of increase

 

  According to the workers' compensation situation in FY2021 announced by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on June 24, there were 629 cases of depression and other mental disorders caused by strong stress from work.

  This was an increase of 21 cases from the previous fiscal year and a record number for the third consecutive year. The most common cause was "power harassment by superiors" (125 cases).

  Other than power harassment, the common causes were "change in work content/volume" (71 cases) and "experiencing or witnessing an accident or disaster" (66 cases). Looking at the number of certifications by age group, those in their 40s accounted for the largest number of 200 cases.

  The number of cases certified in relation to new coronavirus infection rose to 18. The number of suicides and attempted suicides decreased by 2 cases to 79. The number of applications for workers' compensation for mental disorders also increased by 295 cases to a record high of 2,346 cases.

The 3-day weekend system

◆Government is also pushing for the introduction of a 3-day workweek

A three-day workweek system with three days off per week. Creating an environment in which employees can work comfortably, such as by preventing employees from leaving the company due to childcare or nursing care needs or by allowing time for self-development (skill improvement), will also increase the attractiveness of the company when hiring. Major companies such as IBM Japan, Yahoo Japan, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo have introduced this system.

In the "Basic Policies for Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2021", the government also stated, "With regard to the selective three-day workweek system, we will promote the introduction and spread of the system in companies by collecting and providing good examples, since it can be used for childcare, nursing care, volunteer work, and dual employment in rural areas.”

◆How to operate

There are three main patterns of operation: (1) income decreases as the number of work days decreases, (2) hours worked on work days increase and income remains the same, or (3) hours worked on work days remain the same and income remains the same. Many companies seem to adopt (1).

◆Is keeping the level of income a key to retention?

According to a survey by the job-transfer information site "Mynavi Jobchange," approximately 60% of respondents answered that a three-day workweek was "not possible" because of the "workload" and "labor shortage" reasons. In addition, nearly 80% of respondents "do not want to use" the 3-day workweek if their income would decrease in proportion to one less day of work. By age group, respondents in their 20s "want to use" the system even if their income is reduced (slightly less than 30%), higher than other age groups, indicating a tendency for a higher percentage of respondents to prioritize holidays over income.

As for measures to introduce a three-day workweek, responses such as "improving operational efficiency," "changing the mindset of upper management," and "increasing manpower" were raised, and it appears that the key points are to improve productivity and reduce manpower shortages.