Work-Related Suicide Recognized for Nippon Steel Employee

Nagoya, Nov. 17 (Jiji Press)--A labor standards inspection office in central Japan has recognized the suicide of a male Nippon Steel Corp. <5401> employee in 2020 as being related to his work, it was learned Thursday.

According to a lawyer for his bereaved family, the labor office in the city of Handa, Aichi Prefecture, concluded that the 28-year-old employee of the major Japanese steelmaker committed suicide because he developed depression due to suffering extreme fatigue from his work and being rebuked repeatedly by his boss. The recognition was made on April 20 this year.

The man was assigned to the job of regular maintenance work for large power generation equipment at the company's steelworks in the Aichi city of Tokai from October 2019, the lawyer said. He additionally became in charge of maintenance jobs for similar equipment in January 2020.

His work hours increased substantially as he was new to these duties, and he was scolded repeatedly by his boss.

The man told his mother that his work was very tough and that he wanted to quit the company. He also complained to a friend about what he was worrying about his job as well as sleeplessness. He jumped to his death from the balcony of his dormitory room in February 2020, leaving a suicide note, which was found in the room.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]