On April 24, it was learned that a female executive in her 50s working for the Japanese subsidiary of Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch Group was certified by the Chuo Labor Standards Inspection Office (Tokyo) as having suffered a mental disorder due to persistent reprimands by a foreign female president who had been assigned to the Japanese subsidiary. The labor union to which the woman belongs, the Sogo Support Union, revealed the incident.
The woman claimed that she was subjected to workplace harassment by the president, who called her “stupid,” “low level,” and other abusive comments. She presented the recorded data and demanded an apology, but the Japanese subsidiary has not responded. The Japanese subsidiary admitted to the interview that it had received a workers’ compensation certification, and responded that “the Labor Inspection Office has not certified it as workplace harassment” with regard to the president’s words and actions.
According to the workers’ compensation certification document, the woman joined Swatch Group Japan (Tokyo) in 2008 and was in charge of public relations.
She was severely scolded by the president, who took office in March 2021, over the budget for the public relations project, and in August 2021, her personnel evaluation was severely downgraded, and in September she developed an adjustment disorder. The union is calling for her resignation as she is not fit to be president.
May 24, 2023 Kyodo
