Measures that employers should take to prevent “power harassment” (workplace bullying) presented at the the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare review assembly.

◆ Discussion of prevention measures in progress
Regarding the government’s “plan to implement reform of the work style” (decided March 28, 2017), “the government will discuss measures with labor and management officials in order to strengthen prevention of power harassment in the workplace”. In response, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare started the “assembly to discuss workplace power harassment prevention measures” last May, and having grasped the actual condition and challenges of workplace power harassment, is undergoing discussion of effective preventive measures.
The definition of power harassment in the workplace, countermeasures for the prevention of power harassment and their merits and demerits, and countermeasures that employers should take were presented at the 8th meeting held at the end of February.
Within this discussion, the proposal for countermeasures that employers should take to prevent power harassment are as follows.

◆ Proposal for power harassment prevention measures
(1) Clarification, dissemination, and public awareness of employers’ policies
・Clarification, dissemination, and public awareness of what is considered power harassment
・Regulation, dissemination, and public knowledge of the policy for dealing with perpetrators, workplace regulations to deal with incidents (such as discipline)

(2) Establishment of a system necessary to respond appropriately to consultation
・Establishment of consulting service
・Guarantee of adequate consultation by the person in charge of the consulting service
・Establishment of a system that can broadly respond to other harassment

(3) Prompt and appropriate response after the incident
・Prompt and accurate verification of all the facts of the incident
・Proper implementation of considerate response towards victims (such as consultation support to those in bad mental health condition)
・ Proper implementation of response to perpetrator (such as punishment)
・Implementation of measures to prevent recurrence

(4) Desired outcomes from efforts to reduce the primary factor that results in the cause and circumstance of power harassment
・Improvement of the workplace environment, such as revision of long working hours
・Coordination between the consultation service and the industrial physician etc.
・Implementation of training to facilitate communication

(5) Actions to carry out alongside the above suggestions
・Dissemination of necessary actions to protect the privacy of consultants and perpetrators
・Dissemination and public knowledge regarding the prohibition of unfair treatment due to cooperating with consultation and confirmation of the facts of power harassment