W ORKPLACE B ULLYING IN J APAN Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT) Department of...
25
WORKPLACE BULLYING IN JAPAN Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT) Department of Industrial Relations Researcher (Labour Law) Shino Naito ([email protected]) 2013 JILPT Seminar on Workplace Bullying and Harassment Tokyo, 27-28 February 2013
W ORKPLACE B ULLYING IN J APAN Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT) Department of Industrial Relations Researcher (Labour Law) Shino
W ORKPLACE B ULLYING IN J APAN Japan Institute for Labour
Policy and Training (JILPT) Department of Industrial Relations
Researcher (Labour Law) Shino Naito ([email protected]) 2013 JILPT
Seminar on Workplace Bullying and Harassment Tokyo, 27-28 February
2013
Slide 2
C ONTENTS Current situation with regard to workplace bullying -
Trend of increase-decrease etc. - Prevalence etc. - Consequences
Background and reasons for the occurrence of workplace bullying
National policies against workplace bullying Intervention and
prevention on the part of companies and trade unions Critique and
conclusion 2
Slide 3
C URRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WORKPLACE BULLYING I NCREASE
OF COUNSELING OF BULLYING IN LABOUR BUREAUX 3 FY2002 2003 2004 2005
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Others Bullying Resignation Other
working conditions Employers suggestion to resign Lowering working
conditions dismissal
Slide 4
4 Current situation with regard to workplace bullying Bullying
acts reported in conciliation cases dealt with by Labour
Bureaux
Slide 5
C URRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WORKPLACE BULLYING C
OMPENSATION FOR W ORKERS WITH M ENTAL I NJURIES 5
FY2009FY2010FY2011 Number of applications for compensation for
worker with mental injuries 113611811272 Number of cases with
compensation decision 234308325 Received (horrible) harassment,
bullying or assault 16 (of which 1 was suicide) 39 (of which 5 were
suicide) 40 (of which 3 were suicide) Trouble with superior 9 (of
which 1 was a suicide case) 17 (of which 2 were suicide) 16 (of
which 4 were suicide) Trouble with colleague 002 (of which none
were suicide) Trouble with subordinate 01 (of which 1 was suicide)
2 (of which 1 was a suicide) Source: Status of workers compensation
paid for brain and heart disorders and mental disorder FY2009-2011,
MLHW
Slide 6
C URRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WORKPLACE BULLYING P
REVALENCE - 1 6 Experiences of Workplace Bullying - 25.3%
experienced in past 3 years (MHLW, 2012) - 21.9% in past 3 years
(Jichiro, 2010) by gender - 26.5% of males and 23.9% of females
(MHLW, 2012) - 19.8% of males and 24.5% of females (Jichiro, 2010)
- 45.0% of male applicants and 54.6% of female applicants in
bullying conciliation cases (JILPT, 2010) - 39.8% of male
applicants and 59.9% of female applicants in bullying conciliation
cases (JILPT, 2013)
Slide 7
C URRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WORKPLACE BULLYING P
REVALENCE - 2 7 by age - high in 30-39 and 40-49 age groups (MHLW,
2012; Jichiro, 2010; JILPT, 2010 and 2013) Number of workplace
bullying cases PercentageIf exclude unclear 10-19 10.40.7 20-29
165.711.2 30-39 4114.428.7 40-49 4716.532.9 50-59 196.713.3 60
& older 196.713.3 Unclear 14149.6 Total 284100 Data: JILPT
survey which analysed the contents of 284 bullying conciliation
cases handled by six Labour Bureaus in FY2011
Slide 8
C URRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WORKPLACE BULLYING P
REVALENCE - 3 8 by forms of employment - Higher in permanent
workers than non-permanent workers (MHLW, 2012) - But, high in
agency workers (Jichiro, 2010; JILPT, 2010) by occupation High in
nursing, childcare, medical care and welfare jobs (Jichiro, 2010)
by industry High in medical and welfare and manufacturing industry
(JILPT, 2013)
Slide 9
C URRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WORKPLACE BULLYING O
RGANISATIONAL STATUS OF BULLIES AND VICTIMS 9 Status of victims
Managerial 31.1% and non-managerial 24.8% (MHLW, 2012) Status of
bullies Supervisors 77.7%, seniors 15.7%, permanent workers (to
non-permanent workers) 10.6%, colleagues among permanent workers
4.5%, colleagues among non-permanent workers 2.4% (multiple
answers)(MHLW, 2012)
Slide 10
C URRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WORKPLACE BULLYING C
ATEGORIES OF BULLYING 10 Intimidation, defamation, insult, or
slander (mental abuse) Forcing the employee to perform certain
tasks which are clearly unnecessary for the business of the
company, impossible to be performed, or interfere or interrupt with
their normal duties (excessive work demands) Isolation,
ostracization, or neglect (cutting off from human relationships)
Excessively inquiring into the private affairs of the employee
(invasion of privacy) Ordering an employee to perform menial tasks
that are unreasonable in relation to the companys business or
tasks, which are far below the employees ability or experience.
Also includes not providing any work at all for the employee.
(insufficient work demands) Assault (physical abuse) others (MHLW,
2012) ( (%)
Slide 11
C URRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WORKPLACE BULLYING C
ONSEQUENCES - 1 11 Mental health - risk of psychological stress
reaction was 4 to 5 times higher and of onset of PTSD symptoms was
8 times higher in workplace bullying victims, compared to those who
were not exposed to bullying (Tsuno et al., 2010) - number of days
of sick leave suggest that the more times a victim is bullied, the
greater the ill effects on mental health and spiritual quality of
life (Hyogo Institute for Traumatic Stress, 2011a)
Slide 12
C URRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WORKPLACE BULLYING C
ONSEQUENCES - 2 12 Work performance - mild correlation between time
management, power of concentration, social functions and
productivity, and the more the exposure, the lower was the
performance in these three work aspects (Hyogo Institute for
Traumatic Stress, 2011a) - work performance of the victims was much
lower than those who were not exposed to workplace bullying (Hyogo
Institute for Traumatic Stress, 2011b)
Slide 13
13 B ACKGROUND AND REASONS FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF WORKPLACE
BULLYING What do you think could be backgrounds and causes of
harassment? Overwork and stress caused by staff cuts or too few
staff Lack of workplace communication Results improvement pressure
or results focus from company Managers are too busy, lack free time
Diverse forms of employment Related to apprenticeship system unique
to industry Business structure changes (resulting in personnel
transfers), workplace environment changes Low wage structure of
industry Weaker human relations and lack of trusting relations
between bosses and subordinates, or between colleagues Disposition
of violators and lack of awareness of harassment Lack of training
for managers Weak awareness of human rights and respect for
individual Disappearance of people in workplace who sought
consultation or arbitration Less communication ability Weaker
management abilities of managers Sense of right because pay money
(when harassers are customers) Data: JILPT Interview Survey for
Employers and Trade Unions on Measures Against Workplace Bullying
(2011)
Slide 14
B ACKGROUND AND REASONS FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF WORKPLACE
BULLYING C HARACTERISTICS WHICH ARE COMMON AMONG WORKPLACES WHICH
HAD CONSULTATIONS ON BULLYING 14 Data: MHLW, 2012 (Company
Survey)
Slide 15
B ACKGROUND AND REASONS FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF WORKPLACE
BULLYING W ORKPLACE CHARACTERISTICS ( BY HARASSMENT EXPERIENCE ) 15
Data: MHLW, 2012 (Employee Survey)
Slide 16
B ACKGROUND AND REASONS FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF WORKPLACE
BULLYING COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE - 1 16 Data: MHLW, 2012
(Employee Survey) It is easy to communicate to my company that I
feel worries, dissatisfaction or problems
Slide 17
B ACKGROUND AND REASONS FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF WORKPLACE
BULLYING COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE - 2 17 Data: MHLW, 2012
(Employee Survey) It is easy to communicate to my boss that I feel
worries, dissatisfaction or problems
Slide 18
B ACKGROUND AND REASONS FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF WORKPLACE
BULLYING COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE - 3 18 Data: MHLW, 2012
(Employee Survey) There is smooth communication between
colleagues
Slide 19
B ACKGROUND AND REASONS FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF WORKPLACE
BULLYING COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE - 4 19 Data: MHLW, 2012
(Employee Survey) I have a colleague with whom I can discuss issues
other than work
Slide 20
3. N ATIONAL POLICIES AGAINST WORKPLACE BULLYING 20 The first
national meeting on workplace bullying started in 2012 -
Round-table Conference on Issues of Workplace Bullying and
Harassment and Working Group for Round-table Conference - Working
Group published its Report in January 2012, and Round-table
Conference published its Recommendations for Prevention and
Resolution of Workplace Bullying ( Power Harassment) in March
2012.
Slide 21
3. N ATIONAL POLICIES AGAINST WORKPLACE BULLYING W ORKING GROUP
S REPORT - 1 21 Definition of Workplace bullying ( Power Harassment
) - The Working Group defines power harassment as an act by an
employee using his superiority, such as position of seniority or
relationship with a co-worker which causes such co-worker mental or
physical stress or a degradation of the working environment beyond
the appropriate scope of the companys business. - The term
superiority at the workplace is not limited to occupational
position; it includes any interactions between seniors and juniors
or between colleagues of equal standing or even from subordinates
to superiors, based on the various backgrounds of superiority.
Slide 22
3. N ATIONAL POLICIES AGAINST WORKPLACE BULLYING W ORKING GROUP
S REPORT - 2 22 Categories of bullying ( Power Harassment ) (i)
Assault (physical abuse) (ii) Intimidation, defamation, insult, or
slander (mental abuse) (iii) Isolation, ostracization, or neglect
(cutting off from human relationships) (iv) Forcing the employee to
perform certain tasks which are clearly unnecessary for the
business of the company, impossible to be performed, or interfere
or interrupt with their normal duties (excessive work demands) (v)
Ordering an employee to perform menial tasks that are unreasonable
in relation to the companys business or tasks, which are far below
the employees ability or experience. Also includes not providing
any work at all for the employee. (insufficient work demands) (vi)
Excessively inquiring into the private affairs of the employee
(invasion of privacy)
Slide 23
4. I NTERVENTION AND PREVENTION ON THE PART OF COMPANIES AND
TRADE UNIONS 23 Employers implementing intervention and prevention
45.4% - Companies with workers more than 1,000 = 76.3% - 300 to 999
workers = 53.9% - 100 to 299 workers = 40.3% - workers less than 99
= 18.2% (MHLW, 2012)
Slide 24
4. I NTERVENTION AND PREVENTION ON THE PART OF COMPANIES AND
TRADE UNIONS C HARACTERISTICS OF THE MEASURES TAKEN BY COMPANIES
AND TRADE UNIONS 24 Main 3 measures + 2 (1) set up and operate a
consultation desk, hotline and helpline (2) understand the actual
situation by questionnaire surveys (3) provide awareness raising,
training, and education (4) promote communication and create an
open atmosphere at the workplace (5) hold discussions and share
information on bullying between labor and management ( JILPT
Interview Survey for Employers and Trade Unions on Measures Against
Workplace Bullying, 2011)
Slide 25
5. C RITIQUE AND CONCLUSION 25 - Not many employers and trade
unions implementing intervention and prevention - Even if they take
some measures, their effectiveness are much questioned (ex. very
few workers (1.8% in companies helpline; 1.4% outside consultation
helpline) consult the matters, and 46.7% did nothing after they
were bullied (MHLW, 2012) - Especially Japanese trade unions are
reluctant to tackle this issues - Measures of intervention and
prevention has not yet established - Significance to tackle this
issue and knowledge of consequences after bullying has not been
shared - Only few research surveys operated = limited understanding
the actual situation - Effectiveness of the national policy is
limited (ex. Round-table Conferences Recommendations) Thank you
very much for your attention and interest !