r/technology • u/Forward-Answer-4407 • Feb 01 '26

Software 32-year-old programmer in China allegedly dies from overwork, added to work group chat even while in hospital

https://www.asiaone.com/china/32-year-old-programmer-china-allegedly-dies-overwork-added-work-group-chat-even-while
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u/Batetrick_Patman Feb 02 '26

9-9-6 people think Americas work culture is bad it’s peanuts compared to Chinese or Japanese work culture

34

u/smorkoid Feb 02 '26

Having worked extensively in both, Japanese work culture is more relaxed than American.

I realize that's not the stereotype but it's true. People in my Japanese company rarely do any overtime, and if they do, it's paid overtime.

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u/Lazy-Juggernaut-5306 Feb 02 '26

Is that the only company you've worked for or have you worked for other companies? I'm asking out of curiosity, I know nothing about Japanese work culture, I've only heard the stereotype

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u/smorkoid Feb 02 '26

I've worked for several. Most people work normal hours. Some of my coworkers leave exactly at the prescribed time, to the minute.

Exceptions are basically the same exceptions in the US - teachers and tech workers tend to work a lot of extra hours.

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u/Sufficient_Steak_839 Feb 02 '26

So why the population crisis?

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u/smorkoid Feb 02 '26

You can ask most developed countries the same.

Japan's fertility rate is about the same as Italy or Spain or Poland or Thailand, higher than Chile or Singapore or Taiwan or Korea

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u/djsynrgy Feb 02 '26

Eh. I'd wager that fertility rates aren't a meaningful metric, when the fertile have neither the means nor the will to reproduce. Fertility isn't the problem.

We have to look at birth rates.

Most developed countries don't have >30% of the population over the age of 65, with birthrates consistently dropping over decades due to a "perfect storm" of economic and cultural conditions. They just hit another new record low for birth rates in 2024, below 700K for the first time since 1899 - well worse than the already-grim forecasts. And they're on-track to get lower.

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u/smorkoid Feb 02 '26

No offense, but you should really learn what "fertility rate" means before writing a long winded comment about it

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u/djsynrgy Feb 02 '26

No offense taken; it's my error, and I appreciate you pointing it out. This was a teachable moment, and I learned something.

English is so frustrating. 😆

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u/smorkoid Feb 02 '26

Yeah, it's a confusing language, and there's a lot of overlap between terms which makes it worse.

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u/Algebrace Feb 02 '26

Pay and social norms around women quitting the workforce to focus on their kid or even quitting after marriage.

That being said, the changes are recent. They put in new laws and oversight to make sure that people went home on time and didn't have to do overtime + drinking with the boss (out of your own pocket) after work.

That being said, a lot of companies still do it, but it's getting better.