Japan Press Weekly

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2015 November 18 - 24 [LABOR]

Woman hospital worker wins compensation for ‘maternity harassment’

The Hiroshima High Court on November 17 issued a ruling recognizing a female hospital worker’s demotion due to her pregnancy as “maternity harassment” and ordered the hospital to pay her about 1.75 million yen in compensation.

In 2008, the woman working at a Hiroshima hospital as a physical therapist asked her employer to assign her light duty after getting pregnant, but was demoted from her supervisory position. She initiated a legal battle, claiming that the hospital demoted her in violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act for Men and Women banning so-called “maternity harassment”, discriminatory treatment against a woman worker when pregnant or after giving birth.

In the legal battle, the Supreme Court sent back the case to the high court after its epoch-making decision in October 2014 that demotion on the grounds of pregnancy and childbirth violates the law if it is carried out without the worker’s clear consent or a vailid business reason. The high court this time overturned its previous ruling.

Past related article:
> Top court ruling is a big step forward: ‘maternity harassment’ victims’ group [October 24&25, 2014]