Jenna* moved to the Japanese countryside with her Japanese husband and their four-year-old daughter last spring. The family began living with the in-laws, and Jenna started studying Japanese as she settled into her new life.
That autumn, Jenna’s mother-in-law was approached by a member of the local community who was looking for someone to help at her small vegetable shop. Seeing an opportunity for her daughter-in-law, she enthusiastically encouraged Jenna to take the part-time position.
Jenna was hesitant. Although she had previous retail experience, it had been years earlier, in England, and entirely in English. Both her mother-in-law and the shop owner assured her that everything would be fine. Important information, they explained, would be communicated by email, and she would usually be working alongside another employee who could help if needed.
Encouraged by their confidence, Jenna decided to give it a try.
At first, things went smoothly. Then, one day, she forgot to mark down some produce that was nearing its expiry date. A customer later complained that the tomatoes they had purchased were already spoiled when they got home.
That was when the emails began. From then on, every mistake or concern was communicated by email – not only to Jenna, but also to her mother-in-law. Jenna found herself embarrassed by every small critique, knowing that each message would also be read at home. Instead of simply discussing workplace issues with her boss, she also had to deal with the disappointment and frustration of her mother-in-law. She repeatedly asked her boss to communicate directly with her, but her requests were ignored. Every email continued to include her mother-in-law.
The result was a vicious cycle. The constant anxiety caused Jenna to make more mistakes, and each new mistake brought another email, creating even more stress. She wanted to either handle the situation herself or resign from the job altogether, but her mother-in-law strongly opposed both options.
After enduring this for a month, Jenna turned to the union for help. “How can I get my boss to communicate only with me? She won’t listen to my requests.” The union recognized that the situation potentially involved power harassment. Under Japan’s power harassment guidelines, one of the recognized forms of harassment is an invasion of privacy. This does not only refer to revealing confidential personal information. It also includes unnecessarily intruding into an employee’s private affairs or sharing work-related matters with others without a legitimate business reason.
In Jenna’s case, her mother-in-law was not another employee but a family member. Despite Jenna’s repeated requests that workplace issues be discussed only with her, the boss continued copying her mother-in-law on emails about Jenna’s performance. As a result, workplace discipline was no longer confined to the workplace – it followed Jenna home, affecting her family relationships as well as her working life. The union believed this conduct could constitute an invasion of privacy under Japan’s power harassment guidelines.
At the same time, the issue was deeply intertwined with complex family dynamics, limiting the available options. The union could help Jenna draft an email in Japanese that clearly and respectfully explained how the current arrangement was affecting her, in the hope of de-escalating the situation. Alternatively, the union could send a formal request asking the shop owner to direct all workplace communications solely to Jenna.
From Jenna’s perspective, neither option was an easy choice. She had to weigh the potential impact on both her working relationship with her boss and her relationship with her family. Ultimately, however, the decision belonged to her. The union’s role was to explain the available avenues, support her whichever path she chose, and ensure that her voice was heard.
Part 2 – Psychological Aggression through Micromanagement