Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The employees shut inside coffins

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 121 posts

Re: The employees shut inside coffins

#31

Post by 794CD01 »

luso_brazilian wrote: post #3

From the article: > In a large room in a nondescript modern office block in Seoul, staff from a recruitment company are staging their own funerals. Dressed in white robes, they sit at desks and write final letters to their loved ones. Tearful sniffling becomes open weeping, barely stifled by the copious use of tissues. > The macabre ritual is a bonding exercise designed to teach them to value life. Before they get in…

In what way are your suggestions better? Do you mean that they are actually more effective, or are you just talking about your personal preference?

Personally, I would have thought of better mental health care and limiting access to firearms and dangerous medications, so your proposal seemed very out of left field.

Re: The employees shut inside coffins

#32

Post by jomamaxx »

luso_brazilian wrote: post #3

From the article: > In a large room in a nondescript modern office block in Seoul, staff from a recruitment company are staging their own funerals. Dressed in white robes, they sit at desks and write final letters to their loved ones. Tearful sniffling becomes open weeping, barely stifled by the copious use of tissues. > The macabre ritual is a bonding exercise designed to teach them to value life. Before they get in…

"- pay workers a livable wage - create an environment where the workday is completely and separated from the personal day - and one where it is possible for the worker to fully live their lives apart from their workplaces Then none of these charades will ever be necessary again."

No, I don't think that's really it.

The suicide issues in East Asia are highly contextualized to those cultures.

They don't live the same way we do.

They live in highly structured and organized societies with very strong social norms and obligations.

Add in some hyper materialism in S. Korea since the war.

The benefit of this social order is very low crime, fairly efficient society. But the drawback is that a small percent can't take it type thing.

You know how many gun deaths there were in Japan last year? Like one! Of course it has something to do with extremely strict gun control, but it has mostly to do with their culture.

It's not so much a 'workplace' issue so much as it is a cultural issue.

Re: The employees shut inside coffins

#33

Post by jomamaxx »

jagermo wrote: post #6
luso_brazilian wrote: post #3

From the article: > In a large room in a nondescript modern office block in Seoul, staff from a recruitment company are staging their own funerals. Dressed in white robes, they sit at desks and write final letters to their loved ones. Tearful sniffling becomes open weeping, barely stifled by the copious use of tissues. > The macabre ritual is a bonding exercise designed to teach them to value life. Before they get in…

whenever I read an article like this, I am so glad for the German labor laws. They might make it harder for employers, but they make it possible to work AND have a decent live.

"I am so glad for the German labor laws."

Labour laws are not so much the issue.

This is a cultural phenom.

Re: The employees shut inside coffins

#34

Post by gambiting »

yardie wrote: post #21
mjevans wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For someone not from Europe; what sort of worker protections would you like to highlight (also what is the healthcare like there)?

They are really strict on after hours working. It's now illegal to require you to check email or call in. Some companies have even gone as far as locking inboxes after hours and during holidays.

In France. There is nothing like that in UK.

Re: The employees shut inside coffins

#36

Post by peter303 »

nxzero wrote: post #19

Is anyone in South Korea able to comment on why there's such a high sucide rate? According two Wikipedia, it's ranked number #2 in the world and double the rate of sucide of America: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide...

Traditional way out of problems

Inability to talk through negative emotions with friends and family

In US easy availibity of guns helps.

Re: The employees shut inside coffins

#38

Post by JoeAltmaier »

orblivion wrote: post #37

"This person doesn't even have limbs and they learned to swim. And you can't deal with your own stupid little problems?" Not exactly a confidence builder. It just guilts you back into living.

Some of us gain perspective from comparisons like that. We don't need guilt to motivate us. Its unfair to imagine folks only react to guilt but not to a real appreciation of their situation.

Re: The employees shut inside coffins

#39

Post by tokai »

hoodoof wrote: post #17

I wonder if it has the opposite to the intended outcome.

Me too. If you have been contemplating suicide, this could serve as a rehearsal showing you that it wouldn't be so bad. A depressed brain can react to input in ways that seem counterintuitive for the non-depressed.

Re: The employees shut inside coffins

#40

Post by orblivion »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #38
orblivion wrote: post #37

"This person doesn't even have limbs and they learned to swim. And you can't deal with your own stupid little problems?" Not exactly a confidence builder. It just guilts you back into living.

Some of us gain perspective from comparisons like that. We don't need guilt to motivate us. Its unfair to imagine folks only react to guilt but not to a real appreciation of their situation.

Well, I know what it's for, and I can appreciate that aspect. I just know it's been used on me and had that effect.
Post reply on HN