Nearly every country worldwide has issues with sexual harassment in the workplace. Japanese women are now facing additional harassment during the job-seeking process itself. The culprit? A new type of online app that’s supposed to give people a leg-up in their job search. Instead, it’s leaving many women in Japan feeling betrayed.
The Japan Harassment Association, which provides consultation to employees experiencing various forms of workplace harassment, says it’s seen a rise in consultations from women seeking employment or internships. A survey by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) of 1,000 people revealed that 20% of respondents said they’d experienced sexual harassment during the job-seeking process.
Job search harassment, sadly, isn’t a new issue. Back in 2019, organizations like SAY brought to light numerous stories of women who’d been told to stop looking for a job and work on getting married.
However, sexual harassment during job searches has increased in recent years partly due to so-called “broker apps” (仲介アプリ). These apps connect job-seekers or students looking for positions with people in target companies or industries.
Female job-seekers sometimes connect with male employees on these apps, hoping their sempai will help them navigate finding work in their chosen industry. However, stories gathered by the Japan Harassment Association show some men using these apps to pressure women into sex.
“A guy I met through my internship invited me to a dinner meeting and got me to drink a lot of alcohol,” says one job-seeker. “He made me promise not to tell anyone we’d met.”
“One guy tried to get me to go to a hotel, telling me he’d help me get a job offer.”
Japanese companies are cracking down on the practice through additional training. Construction firm Ohayashi Group, for example, makes employees sign an anti-sexual harassment pledge and requires them to use work e-mails for all communication. Insurance company Nihon Seimei forbids employees from using broker apps at all. It also forbids one-on-one meetings in private meeting rooms.
Japan’s MHLW, meanwhile, says it’s pursuing a policy that would hold companies accountable for preventing sexual harassment during the job-seeing process.
Colleges are also telling students how to keep themselves safe, advising female students to arrange meetings in public places, avoid alcohol during business-related meetings, and be wary about using broker apps.
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Sources
就活セクハラ相談深刻「ホテル連れ込まれそうに」「大量に酒を飲まされた」…社員と学生の接触増え. Yomiuri Shimbun
