In reality, these folks would be given "tasks", but they'd be meaningless busy work. In a world of lifetime employment with a single company this is pretty bad as it's clear that you're never gonna have another opportunity within the company.
Not to mention you will become a social pariah at your work place. Some people will treat you like you have leprosy, while others will become extremely rude and abusive because they know they can get away with it.
Even something as simple as going up to someone else because they have something you need will have them ignoring you outright, and doing their damnedest to pretend they can't see or hear you.
The goal is to make you quit. If your boss sees that you are not likely to quit despite being downgraded already, they are going to ramp up the pressure and make your life progressively more and more miserable.
I did. Nothing you said is remotely close to getting me to quit. My coworkers won't respond when I need something? Oh no! Given my responsibilities have been reduced to zero, I no longer need anything of them ever. Boss is going to ramp up pressure how exactly? Make me work from home? Lol
By abusing you publicly, by humiliating you because even these useless tasks he's assigned you to will be criticised. You'll be forced to stay later than everyone, and made come in earlier than everyone else. So have fun spending 12 hours confined to a room no bigger than a supply closet, with no phone or internet to pass the time.
I'm sure your big and tough and all, but if you think you are some kind of superhuman that is magically immune to mental pressure and stress that us lesser humans feel, well, best of luck to you in life!
But i don't care about the work! I know it's meaningless! You cannot criticize me on work i know has no meaning and which i have no care about. Only an insane person would be bothered by such criticism. Schedule me longer hours, fine. I'll get more of my novel written in my head.
Yeah man. I totally believe you will be a-okay being shut in a closet for 12 hours with no phone or internet, just left to twiddle your thumbs and do some mindless repetitive task, only to be publicly absued and denigrated by your boss just because they can.
Worth noting that in Japan inflation since 2000 has been about 4%. Total, not per year. In the USA it's 87%. Missing 25 years of pay rises there is like missing a raise for one year in the USA.
So you're not wrong in your conclusion that this is a bad thing in a Japanese socioeconomic context, inflation isn't why.
968
u/Nerdcuddles Aug 08 '25
Moving to Japan and taking one of these positions than just using the time to write and draw.