50% of temps see maternity harassment

As reported in 'The Japan News' : November 12, 2015 The Yomiuri Shimbun Among female workers who have conceived children, about 20 percent of regular employees and about 50 percent of dispatched workers said they have experienced maternity harassment (see below) at their workplaces, according to the first survey of its kind to be conducted by the labor ministry. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry revealed the results Thursday at a meeting of the subcommittee of its Labor Policy Council. Based on the results, the ministry aims to oblige firms to take measures to prevent maternity harassment, by revising the Equal Employment Opportunity Law and the Child Care and Family Care Leave Law. In September and October, the ministry distributed questionnaires to 26,000 female employees aged from 25 to 44 at 6,500 companies around the country. It asked them to send the questionnaires directly back to the ministry after filling them in, so their employers would not see them. The ministry asked the same questions on the Internet to 5,000 women aged from 25 to 44 with experience being employed. According to the results, 21.8 percent of regular employees and 48.7 percent of dispatched workers said they have experienced maternity harassment. Details of the harassment included many serious cases. For instance, 20.5 percent of the respondents said they were fired, and 21.3 percent replied that their employers refused to renew their employment contracts, according to the survey, which allowed multiple responses. In addition, 47.3 percent of the respondents said they were subject to remarks that made it difficult for them to defend their rights, such as “You’re a nuisance” or “Why don’t you quit?” Asked who had harassed them, 19.1 percent — the largest group — said their “direct male superiors” and 11.1 percent cited “direct female superiors,” while 5.6 percent said “male workers in charge of personnel affairs,” who are responsible for preventing maternity harassment. Multiple answers were also allowed on this point. The survey also found that 25 percent of women experienced maternity harassment at companies that lack provisions on maternity and child-rearing leave in their employment regulations, while 17.6 percent experienced such behavior at companies that do have such provisions. ■ Maternity harassment The harassment of women at their workplaces, through such measures as dismissal and pressure to quit, because they are pregnant, have babies or take child-rearing leave. The Equal Employment Opportunity Law prohibits employers from firing female workers during pregnancy or within one year after giving birth. In October last year, the Supreme Court prohibited the demotion of female workers, in principle, due to pregnancy or childbirth.Speech