Q.
Work-life balance is a trendy topic; but why do Japanese people feel obligated to stay at work?
A.
While countries outside of Japan tend to focus on results and efficiency when it comes to work, Japanese people show dedication to work by working long hours at the office. Coming to work early and staying late is honored by the company employees who do this are seen as hard workers. If an employee still has work to do at the end of the day, coworkers will stay to help finish the work instead of going home on time. They feel bad to leave when there are other people still working, especially if the person still working is a manager. Staying at the office is how they show how loyal they are to the company.
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