Background: Why Customer Harassment Legislation?
Customer harassment ("kasu-hara") — abusive behavior from customers, clients, and business partners — has become a serious social problem in Japan. A Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare survey found that approximately 15% of workers experienced customer harassment within the past three years.
The revised Act on Comprehensive Promotion of Labor Policies (2025 amendment), effective October 2026, legally mandates all employers to take employment management measures against customer harassment.
Legal Definition of Customer Harassment
The revised law defines customer harassment as conduct meeting all three elements:
- Business-related conduct — from customers, clients, or facility users
- Socially inappropriate — exceeding legitimate complaints or requests through unreasonable demands, verbal abuse, or intimidation
- Harmful to the work environment — causing significant adverse effects on workers' ability to perform their duties
Examples of Customer Harassment
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Verbal abuse | Personal insults, demands to "quit your job" |
| Excessive demands | Forcing employees to kneel, unreasonable monetary claims |
| Prolonged detention | Occupying a store for hours demanding attention |
| Intimidation | Threats to "expose you on social media" or "sue" |
| Repeated contact | Persistently calling or visiting with the same demand |
Required Employer Measures
The law mandates three categories of measures, following the same framework as the existing workplace harassment prevention law (Article 30-2):
1. Clear Policy and Communication
- Establish and publicize an anti-harassment policy
- Develop response manuals
- Conduct employee training
2. Consultation System
- Set up a consultation desk (in-house or outsourced)
- Protect complainant privacy
- Prohibit retaliation against those who report
3. Post-Incident Response
- Prompt and accurate fact-finding
- Support measures for affected workers (reassignment, mental health care)
- Implement recurrence prevention measures
Consequences of Non-Compliance
- Administrative guidance (advice, directions, recommendations)
- Public naming of non-compliant companies
- Civil liability for breach of the duty of care to employees
Relationship to Other Harassment Laws
Japan now has a comprehensive framework covering workplace power harassment (2020), sexual harassment (2007 revision), maternity harassment (2017), and customer harassment (October 2026).
