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  ARM Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

Fujitsu claims world leadership in headache management

(2022/03/04)


Fujitsu has been hailed as the world's leading company by the International Headache Society's World Patient Support Association.

So yeah, it turns out there's actually an [1]International Headache Society . But that's not even the big news.

An [2]announcement on Fujitsu Japan’s web site explains that the company surveyed staff and found 85 per cent were aware of headaches or migraines, but 84 per cent had never had them treated. Internal calculations found the total cost of headaches was $22.5 million a year, or $866 per worker with headaches and $2,250 for migraine sufferers.

[3]

Those numbers were worse than those across most of Japan, so the company devised the Fujitsu Headache Project.

[4]

[5]

The Project ran from 2019 to 2022 and saw over 70,000 staff offered e-learning sessions about how to manage the affliction, online consolations with headache specialists, and useful exercises for sufferers.

Return on investment is yet to be determined, but Fujitsu Japan feels the effort has probably made a difference to quality of life for its staff in Japan.

[6]

The company can also point to a shiny new object: a certificate from the International Headache Society attesting its commitment to addressing the scourge of headaches. Fujitsu asserts it is the first company to be celebrated in this way.

[7]

Fujitsu’s headache award. Click to enlarge

[8]Fujitsu wants technology to shape a better future – its technology, of course

[9]Hungover Brits declare full English breakfast the solution to all their ills

[10]Jailed Samsung boss accused of abusing Propofol aka ‘the milk of amnesia’ or 'the drug that killed Michael Jackson'

The Register recognizes that chronic headaches are no joke – this Vulture’s middle-aged spine can crank up debilitating bouts if taken for granted. But news of the prize left us wondering: why do so many Fujitsu staff have headaches?

Japan's working culture continues to assume staff working very long hours (and occasional heavy drinking), which can aggravate the noggin. Companies like Fujitsu have also come under pressure in recent times as big buyers like Japan's government [11]seek alternative suppliers that are seen as more likely to get things done quickly and cheaply. Stress is definitely a headache precursor. The [12]demise of Fujitsu mainframes may well have made a contribution.

Whatever the cause, at least Fujitsu made an attempt at a remedy. ®

Get our [13]Tech Resources



[1] https://ihs-headache.org/en/

[2] https://pr.fujitsu.com/jp/news/2022/03/2.html

[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YiHxW7Oz9MCeTvhLx2I9LQAAAMg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0

[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YiHxW7Oz9MCeTvhLx2I9LQAAAMg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YiHxW7Oz9MCeTvhLx2I9LQAAAMg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YiHxW7Oz9MCeTvhLx2I9LQAAAMg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[7] https://regmedia.co.uk/2022/03/04/supplied_fujitsu_headache_certificate.jpg

[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/20/fujitsu_activatenow/

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/24/hangover_survey/

[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/12/samsung_propofol/

[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/10/27/aws_google_win_japan_govcloud_deal/

[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/25/fujitsu_signposts_the_end_for/

[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/



"online consolations with headache specialists"

Dr_N

"There, there."

"Internal calculations found the total cost of headaches was $22.5 million a year"

Pascal Monett

Sure. Because you have all the required variables to determine the cost of a headache.

Although I am apparently immune to that scourge, I can see the effect a headache has on my wife, and I have a friend who is subject to migranes. Everyone knows that a powerful migrane means locking oneself up in a dark, silent room and suffering until it goes away.

That's not fun in any book.

But assigning a cost to a headache ? Come on, did you just tally the number of days taken sick and call it a day ?

What about people who have headaches but keep on working and don't say anything about it ? Some headaches are minor inconveniences, and I'm sure that, in a culture like the Japanese have, they won't let a minor inconvenience get in the way of doing their job. So, no cost there then ? They are still inconvenienced, they might work more slowly, or have to check twice. That's time lost, ergo cost, but you have no way of counting that.

$22.5 million a year is a large number, but I have a tendancy to file it with declarations of the "this virus cost that many billions to the industry" sort.

In the round filing cabinet.

Oh ah, Fujitsu-ooooo-ooooo!

Anonymous Coward

I solved my Fujitsu headache by leaving their employment. For the full Fujitsu headache experience you may want to listen the [1]company song .

[1] https://youtu.be/FRTf3UXCpiE

Re: Oh ah, Fujitsu-ooooo-ooooo!

Tubz

That's 2 of us.

Re: Oh ah, Fujitsu-ooooo-ooooo!

Anonymous Coward

I'm guessing you didn't leave Fujitsu to work for The Post Office?

We question most of the mantras around here periodically, in case
you hadn't noticed. :-)
-- Larry Wall in <199705101952.MAA00756@wall.org>