Karoshi, we are reliably informed is a Japanese word for a Japanese phenomenon... that of dying at work (from overwork). During the industrial push of the 1970's Japanese workers were typically working over 100 hours a week, with few if any breaks, and all for very little pay. There are documented cases of employees literally 'dying on the job'.
Armed with this information I went along to Salford's King's Arms Theatre to find out more. However, this hour long presentation had really nothing to do with Japan or Karoshi at all. In fact, it was a nicely 'marketed' title to entice would-be audience. The presentation - and indeed that is exactly what it was... a powerpoint lecture....was a contemporary workplace 'interface' or 'training module' for us 'the employess' to understand how our bosses and our companies are metaphorically 'killing' us with the little mind-games and workplace ethics that they employ.
Our lecturer, Mel Byron, we found out, is former book publisher [middle management level], but she was absolutely hating her job, as indeed some 70% of the population do, according to statistics. So, she 'jacked it in' and is now performing this piece of infotainment to educate and alert people of the hidden traps of modern corporate behaviours.
Byron's personality was very chatty, bright, forthright and friendly, but her banter was almost non-stop. Even when engaging with and asking questions of the audience, she barely stopped for breath as she pre-empted our responses. Perhaps this was a deliberate mockery of how presentations are given. Unfortunately, I was somewhat excluded from many of the in-jokes or corporate-speak since I have never worked in such an environment and thankfully have never (except as an actor in roleplay scenarios) been subjected to powerpoint presentations of this nature before.
Byron used a lot of humour to get her message across, and even started the meeting (sorry presentation) by saying that she is a middle-aged woman with an ax to grind, and grind it she does. There are some 'fun facts' in the presentation too as we learn some of corporate-speak's more bizarre and annoying jargon and she takes us on a SMART appraisal [I had and still do not have any idea what that is!] via the Rank And Yank system [ditto!]; and it has to be said that her rather blinkered and one-sided view of our industrial forefathers and their inventions and innovations was rather cynical and condescending (again, perhaps intentionally provocative?).
In the hour, Byron touches upon many subjects, too many, and none in any detail, so we simply get only the briefest flavour of some of the issues she is raising. She offers no solutions to any of the problmes she highlights, including issues such as gender equality,. health and safety and the #metoo campaign. But she does suggest small acts of non-confrontational sabotage that we can all do to try and equal the balance a little. One of these is one which I already do and have been doing for some time; and that is, never to use the self-service check-outs at supermarkets. We are not employed by the company, so why should we do their work for them?!
Karoshi is an interesting and informative diversion which, to sum up, is probably a cross between Dave Gorman and your worst corporate nightmare.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 2/7/19
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