The Edge Of Grace

Some colleagues say to me that they do not want to be stationed in certain Departments of our office due to the extreme work culture required. They dread the unusual working hours where staffs there often work into the wee hours of the morning just to get some reports done. Their weekends are spent constantly checking in with the office. Work begins to take up nearly their every waking hour. And it is contagious! My colleagues just avoid to enter the working to death environment.

Another story goes the opposite way. Some colleagues of mine often brag about on how they have to juggle their mundane tasks with the deadline. Their boss needs them as he relies on them constanty. It makes them feel important and worthy. Their goal of life is to work and save and build weath and assets until such time as they believe they can retire and ‘enjoy’ life. As a result, they always have outstanding work performance every year by working so hard with longer work hours. Yes, the company dubs them as exceptional employees who give an unremitting struggle to perform  their best and to sacrifice everything.

Of the two, I think I have been there in both vessels. I have worked arms and legs just to get my works done to my ideal. My job becomes my existence. Oh, how naive I was back then. Holding on desperately to my ideals, thinking that working hard nail to toes would bring happiness, one step closer to what I strive for in office. Then, a hard slap on my face brings me back to reality, waking me up from the dreadful dream. Overworking will not get me everywhere but to the land of physical and physhological strains. Work life balance is the answer to the psychosis environment. I work hard but I do not overwork.

Sadly to say, we live in a culture that applauds overworking. Overworking means role model employee who goes hand in hand with outstanding performance, bigger paycheck, boosted prestige, a success and land into the circle of the golden children. Working up to the wee hours will certainly be met with a pat on the back rather than a look of concern. Such employees become so emotionally tied to their job which provides fundamental source of meaning and recognition as well as helps them determine who they are. They would feel lost without it and desperate when it is threatened. Often, it is in the expense of life.

Then, the death of a Chinese banking regulator Li Jianhua who literally worked himself to death last June has again cast a spotlight on the extreme work culture in the financial industry. China is now facing an epidemic which a decade ago has threatened Japan. It is called karoshi, sudden death from overwork as it is called in Japan. The china Youth Daily reported that about 600,000

Chinese a year die from working too hard. What a scary statistic! Yes, believe it or not, the toll for achieving an economic success is dready!

In regards to this stunning reality, I remember having one senior colleague who tragically met the same fate. Barely fifty, he died from heart attack which was believed to be the result of his overworking lifestyle. The major medical causes of karoshi deaths are heart attack and stroke due to stress. I believe if a study conducted, we would have higher casualties in statistics. In emerging markets like Indonesia, I am sure the ethics of  overworking to gain success still prevails even in the cost of one’s health or well-being.

With unemployment on the rise, people are worried about losing their jobs. The working environment become so competitive. There goes the much befitting survival of the fittest.They need the pay check to make ends meet for their family. It is absolutely a noble cause to do, a grace of a man.

Yet, as companies cut back to squeeze more productivity out of the existing employees, many of us feel like we’re working at double-speed just to stay in place. Many will do overwork due to this circumstances, making them vulnerable to suffer sudden occupational death. Many might fall from grace.

Perhaps, in a perfect world, we would not do ‘this death by overwork thing’ anymore but the reality is that for very competitive jobs, people still expect it and many will do it if they want the job badly enough. In the end, it’s about how far will you go to reach your goal?

For me, given the fact that I’ve been on both sides of the arguments, I think I choose to have my monthly paycheck without having a karoshi. What’s more rewarding than getting home early to see you kids or soulmate await you with a smile, having normal conversation in normal hours, and just enjoy the new day unfolds before you.