Drone to Force Japanese Workers to Leave their Office

Office workers are reflected in a glass railing as they cross a street during lunch hour in Tokyo June 1, 2015. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo
Office workers are reflected in a glass railing as they cross a street during lunch hour in Tokyo June 1, 2015. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo
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Drone to Force Japanese Workers to Leave their Office

Office workers are reflected in a glass railing as they cross a street during lunch hour in Tokyo June 1, 2015. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo
Office workers are reflected in a glass railing as they cross a street during lunch hour in Tokyo June 1, 2015. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

A Japanese firm is planning to use a drone to force employees out of their offices by playing music at them if they stay to work overtime.

The drone will fly through offices after hours playing Auld Lang Syne, which is commonly used to announce that stores are closing.

Japan has for years been trying to curb excessive overtime and the health issues and even deaths it can cause, BBC reported.

Experts were unimpressed, one branding it a "silly" idea.

"Will this help? The short answer is: no," Seijiro Takeshita, professor of management and information at the University of Shizuoka told the BBC.

"It's a pretty silly thing and companies are doing this just because they have to be seen to be doing something on the problem."

The issue of excessive overtime is deeply rooted in the work culture and should be tackled from a more fundamental basis, he argues.



1 Killed and 19 Injured as Hot Air Balloons Crash in Central Türkiye

Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)
Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)
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1 Killed and 19 Injured as Hot Air Balloons Crash in Central Türkiye

Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)
Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)

Two hot air balloons crashed in central Türkiye on Sunday, leaving one person dead and 19 injured, according to local media reports.

The accident occurred near the Ihlara Valley in Aksaray province, the private Ilhas News Agency and other outlets said. It was not immediately clear why the hot air balloons crashed.

Hot air ballooning is a popular tourist activity over the rugged landscape of central Türkiye, which is dotted with ancient churches hewn into cliff faces. The attractions include the “fairy chimneys” of Cappadocia, tall, cone-shaped rock formations created by natural erosion over thousands of years that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Video from Ilhas showed one deflated balloon, its passenger basket lying on its side, as emergency services tended to injured people.