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Every employer in Japan now has a duty to prevent customer harassment

2026.10.01 Global briefing

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From October 1, 2026, every employer in Japan must take employment-management measures to prevent customer harassment and sexual harassment of job applicants and others.

The framework does not suppress legitimate customer complaints. A disabled person asking for equal treatment or removal of a barrier is not, by that act alone, committing customer harassment.

What must workplaces prepare

Employers must state and communicate a protective policy and planned responses, then designate a consultation channel. When an incident occurs, they must promptly establish facts, protect the affected worker, respond appropriately to the actor, prevent recurrence, protect privacy and prohibit retaliation for consulting or cooperating.

What counts as customer harassment

The labour ministry guideline addresses conduct in which the content of a customer demand, or the means used to pursue it, exceeds what is socially acceptable and harms a worker’s working environment. A complaint alone is not enough; content, method and persistence matter.

Every employer in Japan now has a duty to prevent customer harassment — This AI-generated illustration explains the policy; it is not a photograph of an actual incident or workplace.

Why job applicants are included

The same start date applies to prevention of sexual harassment toward applicants, interns and similar people. Recruitment happens before employment and can fall outside internal reporting systems, so employers now need policies and consultation and response routes for that stage.

What to check now

Workers can check the published workplace policy, consultation route, privacy protection and non-retaliation procedure. Employers should compare their system with ministry guidance and sector manuals. Actual compliance and enforcement practice will become clearer through post-launch administrative records.