Four in 10 white-collar foreign workers in Japan feel discriminated against in their jobs because of their nationality or gender. Close to half (47%) say they are not given equal opportunities compared with their Japanese colleagues.
Forty-three percent cite gender inequality when asked what they did not like about working in Japan, and 40% say they have trouble with indirect or nonverbal communication with colleagues.
The survey, conducted in October 2017 by private human resource firm Adecco, polled 300 white-collar foreign workers between the ages of 20 and 60, Japan Times reported.
Tomoyuki Ishikawa, Adecco public relations officer, said he hoped the survey will “help Japanese companies understand what foreign workers think of as favourable working conditions and what they expect in Japanese companies”.
He also hopes the public will “reconsider current working conditions and deepen mutual understanding between Japanese and foreign workers.”
The survey comes at a time when the government is trying to attract highly skilled foreign professionals.
Last April, the Japanese government shortened the length of the required minimum stay in Japan from five years to one.
Other poll findings were:
- 80% said their Japanese peers were precise in their work
- 72% complained that there were too many pointless meetings. “People don’t debate during meetings so nothing ever gets decided. It’s a never-ending meeting,” a UK respondent said.
- Some complained about the inefficiency of the working style in Japan. “In the US, many tasks are done independently, possibly with a final report in the end, and superiors are consulted only when there is a problem. In Japan, the work environment emphasizes getting … approval before acting and reporting,” an American respondent said.
- There were many levels in the hierarchy of promotion, often linked to age. People were expected to show respect to their seniors, rendering it unlikely for young people to be managers.
- Despite this, 77% of respondents were satisfied with their current working conditions and 88% would like to keep working in the country
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