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Toyota employee's suicide caused by workplace harassment

23 Comments

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Sue the supervisor as well, publish his name! That jerk should be criminally liable for what he did!

28 ( +29 / -1 )

Different companies but similar case in Dentsu back in 2015 resulted in Matsuri Takahashi death it was caused by unnecessary pressure from her bosses.

https://japantoday.com/category/features/kuchikomi/dentsus-power-harassment-hell

11 ( +11 / -0 )

A Toyota official said, "We take the decision of the labor office seriously and will further work to prevent work-related accidents and promote employees' health management."

Nobody in their right mind would believe you

13 ( +13 / -0 )

How I would have dealt with it:

Report him to HR.

If that doesn't work, start applying elsewhere.

Go to another company.

But that's just me.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

Name and shame the SOB boss.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Usually, in cases where a worker stops seeing a doctor after returning to work, labor offices do not recognize subsequent incidents as work-related, judging the worker to be recovered

It would seem the hurdles involved in any complaint are such that death is the only way out. You return to work and as such are unable to get time off that matches with the doctor being open. So can't see a doctor, and subsequent incidents no longer count.

Delt with the Labour office myself once, they are bat nuts crazy. Seriously. Their reasoning is exotic to say the least.

For some reason (conformity) working at a large company is viewed as being special. And they use that to abuse any who fall into their clutches.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Japan should get rid of these "tough" old men ( which in reality they,re not tough, at all. just a bunch of p-ss--s that know they will never find any resistance, they feel like they can say and do whatever they want and still nothing happens because they know the younger person needs to do whatever they want and respect them no matter what (!!) because... this is Japan ) . we can still be disciplined and do our best while respecting each other. western countries have a very good thing which is: "you want respect, you earn it. you respect me, i respect you". unfortunately, that does not exist in Japan. so we,re gonna keep having emotionally unstable (and repressed and sometimes angry which can be dangerous) Japanese men (and women) and suicides because of stupid (but serious) things that shouldn,t happen.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

. . . senpai kouhai nonsense going on in Japan since forever ( bs from the stone age ) . . .

10 ( +11 / -1 )

My hopes are not high, Toyota are far too powerful, but a chance for a landmark ruling here.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

How on Earth can they say what triggered this guy to commit suicide? Only he knows. And he isn't currently available for comment.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

will further work to prevent work-related accidents and promote employees' health management

More like "we will create a system such that death by a worker will never implicate the company in any way".

They will most probably just make their workers sign a monthly sheet that will report if they were harassed or not, and obviously the workers will just say no. Just like they do in my university.

People need to care more. That will mostly solve every of our relationship problems.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Very sad. Try that stuff in the US and you will get a punch in the face.

people need to stand up for themselves, a job any job is not worth that abuse, if it happened to me Id calmly tell the boss quit with the insults or Ill report you to the relevant management of your power harassment and government agencies, if that failed then Id just say lets go outside and settle this in the car park if youve got the nads! Even if you lose bullies always remember a punch in the face think twice next time they start hurling insults.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

That he killed himself is indicative of deeper mental issues. He could simply have quit like most of us would have done. Many of us have experienced abuse and bullying in the work force but we never thought to kill ourselves. So this is hardly a Japanese thing and mainly a mental health issue.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

We re not on an equal footing concerning health issue. Some will respond badly to a specific attack on their own and others will just move away without any damages. Be just as much respectful on mental health issue as you could do on common and physical (so visible) health issue.

We do not have to blame the employee but only the boss.

Let's have kindness on your comments.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Normal work environment in capitalist societies businesses. Need thicker skin as they say or work else ware.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

@wtfjapan

people need to stand up for themselves

It doesn't work like that in Japanese culture.

In Japan, every relationship is vertical, and those in superior position can abuse the one in inferior position all he/she wants. You see this in everyday interactions, such as customer/sales rep, superior/subordinate, Abe/Ordinary Japanese, teacher/student, etc.

There are no horizontal relationships in Japan, not even between husband and wife(Unless it is a marriage between a Westerner and a Japanese wife) or between friends.

 if it happened to me Id calmly tell the boss quit with the insults

And then what, become a freeter for life?

In Japan, there is an unspoken rule of never hiring whose jumping ships for full time positions. This guy was a Toyota employee, that meant he had nowhere else to go in Japan and the only way to get a similar position in automotive sector was to go to China or something like that.

or Ill report you to the relevant management of your power harassment

And nothing will happen.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

What about the superior?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If someone is mean to you, then the only logical response is to kill yourself seems to be the message here. Not an ounce of sympathy for the guy but lots for his family.

As others have said, other options available, and mental health issues at play here.

Killing yourself is rarely, if ever the a solution to a problem.

The censoring powers are have a field day with this thread.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

A Toyota official said, "We take the decision of the labor office seriously and will further work to prevent work-related accidents and promote employees' health management."

I couldn't read this with a straight face because I know its all pure, fresh and steamy BS!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

And then what, become a freeter for life?

In Japan, there is an unspoken rule of never hiring whose jumping ships for full time positions. This guy was a Toyota employee, that meant he had nowhere else to go in Japan and the only way to get a similar position in automotive sector was to go to China or something like that.

It might be true decades ago but not recently, that young employee has many options these days. He could go to supplier or contractor for car manufacturers, since automotive industries is really big environment. Another options is that he can go to another line industries still as a full time.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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