Saturday May 26, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Hard to digest: Spain's long lunches under threat

Food Nov. 26, 2011 - 06:48AM JST ( 9 )

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9 Comments

5

ScroteNov. 26, 2011 - 07:49PM JST

one snag is a syndrome in which people stay late at the office, even idly, just so the boss sees them there, putting in the hours, and will not leave until he or she does

That sounds familiar. Although in the country I'm thinking of people eat their lunch in five minutes, rather than two hours.
4

kaminarioyajiNov. 26, 2011 - 08:27PM JST

Scrote, my thoughts exactly - WHAT is Japan's excuse? Some workers don't even leave their desks, but somehow still manage to not be able to finish a day's work in a timely fashion.

Germany has the right idea - if you continually put in overtime and stay late, it's seen as a sign that you can't do the job!
2

MorryNov. 26, 2011 - 10:58PM JST

**Japanese work long hours due to slowness and incompetence. **
0

JapanGalNov. 27, 2011 - 11:04AM JST

I eat while I work, and eat lightly so I stay in pretty and sexy.

There is no need to take a long lunch.

And I agree with Morry. I see more people here fake running. When I walk next to them, I get there first.
0

ExportExpertNov. 27, 2011 - 07:59PM JST

2 hour lunch breaks no wonder spain is in financial trouble, how long do the italians and greeks take for lunch break ?

Most days i stop for 10 minutes to get a sandwich thats it.
-1

SerranoNov. 27, 2011 - 08:09PM JST

I like the headline.

OK, slackers, new rules, back to work after a 45 minute lunch!
0

cloa513Nov. 27, 2011 - 09:18PM JST

Japanese would mostly overwork due to inefficient systems such a personalisation - if only one person can service each customer then you can waste a lot of time. They have to work harder to overcome these atrocious systems.
1

Elbuda MexicanoNov. 28, 2011 - 12:29PM JST

Spain maybe too relaxed but Japan?? Well, way too much work here in Japan, work work work get sick and die??
0

warnerbroNov. 30, 2011 - 08:57PM JST

"One thing that would help is to scrap the traditional productivity-sucking black hole at midday, say economists and advocates of a more American-style 9-to-5 schedule."

Economists be damned. Look at how splendidly the American economy is now performing. Japanese office workers "work" themselves to death, but are extremely unproductive. They sit at scrums of desks piled high with documents despite Japan's vaunted technological prowess and complete a ludicrous number of dilatory tasks from morning to night. I have to fill out multiple papers just to reserve a room for a meeting. Economists have been calling the shots for two centuries. Business needs to adopt human rhythms rather than the other way around. We need to use technology for human needs rather than for producing and selling more superfluous junk.