To combat “customer harassment” (casuhara)—where employees are subjected to unreasonable demands by users of administrative services—Fukuoka Prefecture has crafted a new guide for staff. This initiative seeks to mitigate the mental strain and operational hindrances caused by such behaviors, fostering a healthier work environment.
A comprehensive survey spanning from April 2020 to June of the previous year highlighted the prevalence of harassment within the prefecture’s offices and agencies, with 168 incidents recorded. A significant majority of these cases involved verbal abuse or excessive time demands placed on employees.
The newly developed guide categorizes harassment into three levels, enabling a structured response to protect staff from undue stress and potential disruptions. Initial steps involve addressing grievances and complaints with utmost respect and thorough explanations. If the situation escalates to persistent unreasonable demands or aggressive conduct, supervisors will intervene to make a unified assessment of the harassment.
Actions deemed as harassment may lead to a warning, discontinuation of the interaction, or even a request for the offender to vacate the premises.
Fukuoka Prefecture is reaching out for public support to prevent the operational delays caused by customer harassment, emphasizing the importance of providing efficient administrative services to the community. Source: Fukuoka Prefecture / NHK
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