In a significant legal development, a Japanese man has been deemed eligible for compensation by a labor office after experiencing mental illness following the unauthorized disclosure of his sexual orientation by his boss.
The man filed a worker’s compensation claim, which led to this historic judgment—possibly the first of its kind in Japan.
Following the man’s submission in April of the previous year, a labor office in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district accepted the claim in March 2022.
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported on this noteworthy case on Tuesday, shedding light on the potential implications for workplace rights and LGBTQ+ individuals in the country.
The man in his 20s faced an unfortunate outing by his boss, which the labor office considered an abuse of power, leading to substantial psychological distress.
According to Posse, a non-profit organization addressing labor issues, this could be the first instance in Japan where compensation has been awarded to a worker who was involuntarily outed in a workplace setting.
The specific details of the compensation amount or type the man will receive have not been disclosed.
According to the unnamed man, when he joined an insurance company in 2019, he openly informed his boss about his sexual orientation, intending to list his partner as an emergency contact person.
He also told the boss that he would share his sexual orientation with colleagues only when it became essential.
Regrettably, the boss breached the man’s trust by disclosing his sexual preferences to a colleague without obtaining his consent.
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“I thought you would be too embarrassed to tell others yourself. It’s OK if it’s just one person, right?” the boss allegedly told the man during a drinking session.
According to The Japan Times, the man experienced a decline in mental health due to the revelation by his boss.
The incident led to a deep mistrust toward others, and at one point, he even contemplated suicide.
In response to the boss’ actions, the man left his job in October 2020. The company acknowledged the boss’ wrongdoing, apologized to the man, and reached a confidential settlement, the specific amount of which remains undisclosed.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn