Market pressure adds urgency to Japan's war on workplace bullying

Threat of divestment imposes consequences missing from anti-harassment law

20210607N Office workers

Office workers walk home in Tokyo: Japan's long-standing issue of "power harassment" has been put under the spotlight in recent years. © Reuters

MOTOKAZU MATSUI, ERIKO SHIBUYA and MASAHISA YUZAWA, Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO/NAGOYA, Japan -- Nearly four years ago, a 28-year-old engineer at Toyota Motor was driven to suicide after relentless bullying and abuse from his boss, who told him that he "should die," mocked his educational background and prevented him from taking time off.

On Monday, the automaker announced a set of measures aimed at addressing what Japan terms "power harassment."

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