The forcing of female employees to pour drinks at parties may be considered a form of sexual harassment, according to a report issued Monday by a Labor Ministry panel.
The panel is drafting guidelines for businesses in line with the adoption of a provision to the Equal Employment Opportunity Law to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. The report pointed to the fact that few companies have adopted measures to prevent sexual harassment. It said judgment on whether an act consists of sexual harassment "should be based on how average women perceive" it.
Beside classic cases of sexual harassment, in which a male boss demands sexual favors from a female employee, the report said repeating sexual jokes during work hours should also be considered a form of harassment as the act may affect the workplace atmosphere. Among practices that the report suggests should be avoided include those in which female workers are asked to pour drinks for their bosses during parties that are attended by the women voluntarily.
Although this may be a borderline case, the report calls on businesses to refrain from such practices in a bid to forestall the problem. The Labor Ministry plans to unveil the guidelines in March, based on the report, officials said.
In a poll conducted prior to the report's drafting, the panel found that over 90 percent of businesses feel that some measures are needed to prevent sexual harassment on the job. But a mere 5.5 percent of the companies have actually adopted any preventative measures, the panel said.
The panel divided sexual harassment into two types -- those directly related to work and those considered to be offensive.