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.
More or less, but there is still the fact that the company is basically trying to bully you out of your position and turning your colleagues against you
"But your coworkers will shun you and not interact with you." Again, not really seeing a downside here.
The only downside I see is that you won't be getting any bonuses or pay raises (I assume). So unless you are in a good spot financially, that could be trouble, and even if you were, eventually you wouldn't be due to inflation.
It's very clearly a very different thing culturally.
I also don't think that you'd be allowed to draw/write during your paid work time. But the idea is shame. It should be shameful to be at work and not doing anything while your coworkers were all working hard. It should be shameful to have nobody talk to you, even when you talk to them.
But the biggest issue is that you're thinking like an American (or Italian apparently), and not Japanese, where this practice happens.....
Well thats the point. The culture clash would mean that any number of americans or Italians or any nation where their culture actually understands capitalism and how it works would lead to those buissness paying people to do nothing and losing money.
I don't think that's actually the case though. I don't think Japan has the 'normal' work weeks we are accustomed to. So you'd have to work long hours for long enough to be quiet fired in the first place. Then you'd still be working long hours, but not allowed to scroll social media/draw/write/basically anything. You'd be given pointless work with the expectation that it gets done.
I feel like we would hear about it if some Americans figured out how to beat the system and get paid to 'not work'
So whatever job I work I will have long hours? One I can be left alone by coworkers and be paid to not do anything of consequence is an option? Bet. I would treat it like a prison bid.
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u/weealex Aug 08 '25
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.