Re: [tlug] [OT] Japan and 海外 credit cards

[Edward Middleton <emiddleton@example.com>]

Ai Ling wrote:
> 2009/8/2 Edward Middleton <emiddleton@example.com
> <mailto:emiddleton@example.com>>
>
>     Sach Jobb wrote:
>
>     > * Not too annoyed by this one, but why do they all close their
>     doors at 3PM?
>
>     As above, because they can. 
>
>
> Having previously worked in a (non-Japanese) bank, I must beg to
> disagree.  End of day accounting/closing procedures take that long to
> finish--my bank closed at 3 and it was a race to get everything done
> and reconciled before 5pm.  I don't think Japanese banks can actually
> _force_ people to stay and do zangyou, even if there's unspoken
> pressure--if the clerks (and notice how most of them are women) want
> to go home and cook/care for their children, the banks can't stay open
> for transactions.

Sorry, I wasn't meaning to belittle the potential difficulty employees
would face, I just meant that I don't think it figures much in the
decision to close at 3pm.  Japanese banks aren't known for taking much
consideration of employee interests.  There was a case a while back in
which a Japanese bank won a sexual discrimination lawsuit not by
proving, the discrimination didn't happen but by clamming it wasn't
strictly illegal.  I know of other people who were told by the bank they
would voluntarily leave if they got married.

Edward