More than 70% of respondents experience paternity workplace harassment multiple times
Nearly a quarter of men in Japan who took up childcare leave said they experienced workplace paternity harassment, according to new government data.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare revealed in a new survey that 24.1% of men who tried to use their childcare leave in the past five years experienced paternity harassment, Nippon reported.
According to the report, more than 70% of the respondents experienced harassment for taking up childcare leave, including 45.2% who experienced it from "time to time" and 27% who said it happened "repeatedly."
By company size, 20% of men in firms with more than 1,000 employees admitted to this experience, with the rate going up to 30% for companies with 100 to 299 staff.
Men in management positions were also more likely to report harassment at 33%, according to the survey.
Detriments caused by paternity harassment
Among the main detriments caused by paternity harassment are work superiors and colleagues that obstructed use of childcare leave (24.1%), while another 20.8% said it was continuous bullying. Others said:
- Detrimental reassignments
- Pay cuts and detrimental bonus calculations
- Detrimental evaluations for promotion and development
- Suggested dismissals
- Demotions
- Dismissals
The Japanese government has been encouraging working fathers in the country to take leave in order for them to be involved in raising their children amid declining birth rates in the country, which is threatening the country's ageing workforce.
Last year, paternity leave uptake in Japan reached a record high of 30%, up by 17% compared to the previous year. The Japanese government aims to have a 50% utilisation rate by 2025.
