Japanese restaurant pays out $500,000 after manager commits suicide

A Japanese restaurant will have to pay $500,000 in damages after overworking an employee to the point of suicide. The man had worked 190 hours overtime a month, as well as suffering abusive treatment from his supervisor, RT reports.

The 58 million yen in damages will be paid out by the company and its two officials to the man’s parents, according to the Tokyo District Court ruling against Sun Challenge, a steakhouse chain.

"With only one holiday given to him every several months, the psychological load of prolonged work and power harassment caused his mental disorder," Judge Akira Yamada told reporters, according to a Kyodo News report.

The 24-year-old man took his life in November 2010, having worked at the restaurant for three years. He was appointed manager in July 2009, and began doing an average of 190 hours overtime each month, taking just two days off in the entire period.

It also transpired that the suicide victim had incurred verbal attacks and even physical violence from his supervisor.

A lawyer for the man’s parents has called the ruling “epoch-making” in the way that it shines a light on problems of harassment at work. He also says the investigation had found nothing that would justify the ill-treatment the victim received at the hands of his employers.