In Japan, long working hours culture prevails, and despite being in a tight and stressful working environment, some companies completely disregard their employee’s well-being and health. These companies are called ‘black companies.’ Anyone who wants to experience what is it like to work for such an organization without being their employees can find out by applying for a special event called ‘The Black Holiday.’ On November 23rd, Japan celebrates Labor Thanksgiving Day. It’s a national holiday and a rare opportunity where people can enjoy a long weekend without any work stress.
Super Miracle Happy is a black company whose applicants get a chance to work during The Black Holiday. The company is made up of a group of Japanese actors who will do their best to replicate the working environment of real black companies. It is not clear what do these volunteers experience during their one-day employment. However, the performances are based on true stories from people who have worked in Japanese black companies.
One former black company employee said, “If my boss didn’t like you, he’d make you stand by his desk while he ignored you and fiddled with his PC for four to six hours.” Another person talked about his experience and said, “For a required ‘development retreat,’ we were confined in a tiny one-room apartment near our office for several hours. One of the members of the board of directors (the president’s son) took me to a private room at a bar where he spent two hours trying to convince me to go on a travel date to Okinawa with him, then got angry at me for being indecisive when I tried to dodge the question of whether or not I would go with him.”
According to a job advertisement, Super Miracle Happy is a company from the medical devices sector which is looking to hire people who have stamina, endurance, and never complain. The poster shows a shadowy and creepy manager who welcomes the applicant to the company that people most want to quit from in all the world. The company is looking for 30 new employees who have to work in 90 minutes shifts twice. One shift starts at 1 pm and the other one at 6 pm, however, there is always some mandatory overtime around the clock. IT Media reported that the selected applicants see other employees of Super Miracle Happy resting in sleeping bags when they entered the company office for the first time. They can also expect to be yelled at and scolded most of their 90-minute shifts.
The organizers say that the stress of working for a Japanese black company can be a lot even for a single day. It sometimes becomes a bit too much for some people, so they urge the selected candidates that their bosses are paid-actors. Instead of turning the situation into any violence, the stressed-out employees are invited to offer a letter of resignation if at any point they realize they have had enough and want to cut their experience short and go home. The Black Holiday is a special event for masochists. The SoraNews24 claims that it is aimed at two categories of people. The employees who are not satisfied with their current job but not looking for something better and managers/executives.