Policy Improvements to Prevent Overwork-related Health Disorders (Karoshi) 

Korean Institute of Labor Safety and Health

2017

In South Korea, recently, there has been increasing public concern over several deaths apparently involving overwork among postal workers, game company employees, and bus drivers. There is a growing need to shorten working hours and develop and implement policies and legislation to protect workers from physical and mental health problems due to overwork. In order to form a social consensus on the prevention of overwork-related health disorders and to implement effective policies and legislation, it is necessary to develop a policy direction suitable for South Korea through analysis of policy and legislative cases implemented in Japan and other countries.

Various cohort studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between long working hours and cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease. Lack of rest and sleep due to long working hours affects the coronary arteries and cerebral blood vessels, resulting in arteriosclerosis and increases in blood pressure and blood sugar, which are the main causes of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. 

In Japan, in June 2014, the Law for the Prevention of Overwork-related Death was enacted. This law contains a very comprehensive policy including research on overwork, development of a counseling system, school and workplace education, and establishment of a special department in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Preventing workplace harassment and sexual violence as well as eradicating long working hours is also the responsibility of the government as a result of reforms to the 2014 law that took effect in 2017.

In South Korea, the most fundamental measures to prevent overwork are the changes in labor culture, including the reduction of working hours in the Labor Standard Act and the strengthening of regulations on exempted industries.

The problem of overwork is an urgent task in South Korea, especially in the face of an aging labor market. Therefore, this study recommends revising the Occupational Safety and Health Act to strengthen prevention and health management in certain high-risk businesses and occupations, and to establish separate provisions for prevention of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases related to overwork. In addition, it is necessary to consider a comprehensive law to prevent overwork similar to the one enacted in Japan.