In Japan, workplace bullying and harassment are driving women to seek mental health treatment
- A study found that a third of women seeking treatment for mental illness blamed sexual harassment, bullying and abuse of power by superiors
- Japan is introducing new legislation on this, but progress has been slow because of a lack of understanding of human rights in Japan, says a researcher
Workplace harassment is far from unusual in Japan, with its hierarchical company structure and culture of subservience and long hours. The government has taken steps to tackle this, introducing legislation specifically to eliminate harassment at work and encouraging companies to draw up their own guidelines to prevent it, but progress on the law is seen to be slow.
For Kayako, the workplace bullying came not from a male superior but an older female in her company.
“She was moved into my department from another section of the company and, for some reason, she just did not like me,” said Kayako, 34, who has since left the company.
“She ordered me around, even when she did not have the authority to do so, and criticised my work to other members of the company. Things got so bad that I would go home in tears.”
To the company’s credit, she said, senior employees stepped in and she was moved to another section, although the two would often cross paths and the atmosphere was “difficult”.
