A labor ministry panel has at last addressed one of the biggest problems in the Japanese workplace — power harassment. The ministry's definitions and proposals were contained in a report aimed at preventing and resolving the problem. Considering that the number of consultations about power harassment totaled a shocking 39,405 in fiscal 2010, the labor ministry's belated response is welcome.
For the first time, the labor ministry report defined power harassment, specifying it as an abuse of authority by higher ranking employees who behave in a manner that causes subordinates physical pain or emotional distress.
Actions now officially considered power harassment include violence and physical offenses, mental abuse such as threats and verbal assaults, segregation, treating workers coldly, demanding the impossible and forcing workers to engage in activities beyond the scope of their duties. Unfortunately, for many employees those actions may sound like a typical day at the office. Defining and categorizing the problem is likely to prove easier than actually changing such behavior.