Japan eyes law requiring measures against customer harassment

Tokyo (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry has drawn up a report that includes a plan to require companies to take measures against customer harassment of workers, it was learned Thursday.

The report also calls for expanding the scope of companies obliged to disclose the proportion of women in managerial posts and the gender pay gap, from those with over 300 employees to those with over 100 employees.

Based on the report, the ministry will submit related bills during next year’s ordinary parliamentary session.

The report was presented and approved at a meeting of a subcommittee of the ministry’s Labor Policy Council on Thursday.

In the report, customer harassment is defined as “behavior by customers, business partners, facility users and others that goes beyond what is socially acceptable and harms the environment for workers.”

It urged companies to create an environment in which employees can work without major mental or physical concerns, through such initiatives as drawing up guidelines on countermeasures and offering consultation programs, while ensuring that consumers’ rights are not compromised.