100+ Hours of Overtime & Still Love Work? A Workaholic’s Guide to Surviving 5 Toxic Workplaces

100 hours of overtime a month. Days spent being driven to the office while infected with norovirus (gastroenteritis). And then, a sudden moonlight flit in the dead of night.

There are some people who, for some reason, attract toxic work environments, and I am one of them. In my nearly 20-year career, I have survived five truly chaotic companies. Looking back, they were indeed toxic workplaces. But surprisingly, despite all these experiences, I still love working.

No matter where I worked, my colleagues would inevitably ask, “How can you work so hard?!” For me, that intensity was an everyday occurrence. Of course, there were times when I got fed up with terrible bosses and office politics and hated it. But I never once hated the work itself. No matter how bad the work environment was, I would think, “Okay, how am I going to overcome this challenge?” and enjoy working. I’m a true workaholic.

However, I understand that even the toughest people will find that overwork gradually erodes their physical and mental health. After repeatedly suffering the consequences of underestimating my own worth and prioritizing work above all else, I have finally begun to find ways to protect myself.

What I Want You to Take Away

• Work is not your entire life.
• No company will step in to protect you.
• The most dangerous moment is when you’re pushing so hard that you miss your own breaking point.

Emotional wounds don’t disappear just because the surface has healed. Without mental and physical health, career success means nothing. Please take my tumultuous career journey as a lesson, a guide to “how not to work.” And if you can relate to my experiences, let’s laugh together as fellow sufferers.

Chapter 1: My Timeline of Surviving 5 Toxic Workplaces

Company #1: 100+ Hours of Overtime and Ditching My Bed for the Floor

It was a small apparel manufacturer that catered to high-end clients. Meeting deadlines was absolutely essential. At this company, work started early in the morning and continued until the next morning. Only after the shipping procedures were completed at dawn could I finally go home.

I was so sleep-deprived that I would arrive at work just before the start time. One day, the president stopped me and told me, “Instead of cutting it so close, try to come a little earlier.”

Since oversleeping would be disastrous, I desperately came up with a brilliant “life hack.” I decided to stop sleeping in my bed and sleep on the hard floor instead. Thanks to the cold floor and discomfort, I didn’t fall into a deep sleep and was able to wake up on time. I was actually proud of this plan, but it just goes to show how shot my judgment had become.

The breaking point arrived when my overtime pay surpassed my base salary. My boss casually remarked, “Wow, you made bank this month!”

That was when something inside me snapped. I wasn’t pulling all-nighters for the money. I worked from morning till night simply because I loved my job and found it fulfilling.

Company #2: Down with Norovirus(stomach flu), But Still Picked Up for Work

On a day off, I treated myself to fresh oysters and caught a nasty case of norovirus(stomach flu). Wracked with fever and nausea, I called in sick.

My manager’s response? “It’s peak season, so we really need you. Don’t worry—I’ll pick you up and drop you off. Just do what you can.”

My boss picked me up from my apartment and drove me to the office. I managed to get through the day’s work, constantly running to the bathroom. By the time work was over, I had absolutely no energy left to get home on my own, so I worked overtime, and my boss drove me home again.

I still don’t understand what my boss meant by “it’s fine.” Now, for the sake of my own health and to protect my colleagues, I would never go to work if I contracted an infectious disease.

Company #3: A Sudden Firing and Executing a Midnight Escape

It was a foreign-owned fashion manufacturer. One afternoon, the executive suddenly rushed out of the conference room, muttering, “I have to go right now,” and then packed his bags and disappeared.

Shortly after, we were told: “The executive and consultants have been let go. Decide if you’re staying under new management or quitting.”

Amidst the chaos, we decided to move to another organization. That night, we packed our personal belongings and company equipment and quietly left under the cover of darkness. And I never set foot in that office again.

This incident taught us a harsh lesson: companies do not protect their employees.

Company #4: The Post-Resignation Overtime Waiver

After rushing out of my workplace late at night with my team members, I moved to a new company; however, people there were also quitting one after another due to grueling working hours and intense pressure. I had always considered myself someone who could handle and endure a harsh environment, but even I couldn’t hold out, and I ended up resigning after just three months.

A year later, an envelope arrived in my mail. Inside was a legal waiver asking me to sign and confirm that I had worked zero overtime during my tenure. Someone was clearly suing for unpaid wages.

I didn’t want anything to do with them anymore, so I just signed the paperwork and sent it back. Looking back, I deeply regret not keeping records of my overtime and weekend work.(Pro Tip: In Japan, you can claim unpaid overtime retroactively for up to three years. Always keep proof of your working hours!)

Company #5: More Holidays, But Longer Hours?

The fifth company announced, “We are increasing the number of annual holidays from 87 to 105 days!”

Sounds great, right? But looking at the new daily schedule, I did the math. Annual working hours were actually jumping from 1,946 to 2,080—an extra 134 hours of labor a year!

Realizing it was a trap, I entered negotiations with the president one-on-one. I stated firmly, “I cannot work under these conditions.” As a result, I succeeded in securing a personal contract that included weekends off and reduced working hours.

Don’t be swayed by superficial perks. It is crucial to always carefully evaluate the actual working conditions. (And honestly, you should avoid any company with fewer than 100 days off a year in the first place! The average in Japan is 110–120 days.)

Chapter 2: Why Workaholics and Toxic Workplaces Are a Dangerous Match

Even without company loyalty, loving the process itself can drive a workaholic to work endlessly. It feels like getting hooked on a video game and staying up all night to beat it.

To a toxic company, a workaholic is the ultimate budget-friendly asset—someone who handles massive workloads for a fixed salary and rarely says no.

Put the two together, and you get a destructive loop where both sides push each other past reasonable limits until something breaks.

Chapter 3: Three Rules for Keeping Myself from Breaking Down

I tend to view tough challenges at work like conquering new game levels. But even the most resilient employee has limits, and burnout hits fast.

My personal red flags appeared in two specific moments:

• That day, as I gazed at the train tracks…It was supposed to be my day off, yet I was on my way to work. While waiting for the train, a thought suddenly crossed my mind: “If I just stepped onto the tracks right now, I wouldn’t have to go to work tomorrow…”
• The sudden, severe vertigo: I was suddenly struck by severe dizziness. After days spent scrambling to put out fires caused by other people’s problems, I woke up the next morning to find my head spinning so violently that I couldn’t even stand. Intense stress had caused massive disruption to my autonomic nervous system and inner ear, leaving me bedridden for several days.

It is too late once you have already collapsed. I now live my life guided by three fundamental principles.

Don’t let work consume your entire life.

No matter how hard you grind, a company won’t guarantee your health or well-being. Protect your personal time, family life, and hobbies at all costs.

Practice accepting “80%” as complete.

Your idea of an 80% effort often looks like a 120% result to everyone else. Give yourself permission to call 80% a job well done.

Never ignore your internal warning signs.

Dark thoughts or unexplainable physical symptoms are clear cries for help from your body and mind. When something feels off, pull the emergency brake immediately.

Conclusion: Finding Your Own Sustainable Rhythm

Today, I work at that fifth company under a modified full-time arrangement—seven-hour workdays with weekends off.

I wouldn’t say I’ve completely cured my workaholism; habits formed over many years are hard to break. Even now, I sometimes find myself eating lunch at my desk or staying late to finish up a task, thinking, “Just one more thing.” Compared to colleagues who leave right on the dot, I likely still work longer hours.

Undoing years of workaholic tendencies takes time. But these days, I regularly schedule days off for no reason at all—just to reset and rest.

You don’t need a picture-perfect corporate job. Whatever your environment, the goal is to work in a way that feels rewarding without pushing yourself over the edge. For a recovering workaholic like me, that’s the sweet spot.

P.S. This English version was written with the help of translation tools. I hope it reads well, but please bear with me if there are any awkward phrases!