The number of workplace complaints reported and consultations requested by Japanese government employees hit a record high in fiscal 2022, with harassment issues the most common problem, the National Personnel Authority said.
The total number of complaints and subsequent consultations conducted by the entity, which represents the interests of government staffers, rose to 1,739 through this March, up 138 from the previous year, according to data released in early July.
There were 1,294 consultations conducted across the 12 months, with cases in which multiple discussions were held over a single incident only counted once, an increase for the ninth consecutive year.
Among them, consultations and complaints regarding harassment topped the list at 450, with 422 of those related to bullying and abuse of power, 20 concerning sexual harassment and the remaining eight associated with such life events as pregnancy and nursing care, it said.
There were 284 cases linked to working hours and taking holidays as well as 177 about the movement of personnel, promotions and other workplace issues.
The tally of complaints and consultations does not capture the number of times government workers directly approached the arm of government that employs them independent of the personnel authority.
Meanwhile, a separate survey conducted by the authority showed roughly a third of government workers who were appointed by each ministry to offer consultations over harassment were not trained for the job.
Of around 9,000 respondents who double as "counselors" along with their regular duties, 36.2 percent said they had not received any training before or after they were appointed, according to the survey conducted in December and January.
It also showed that 67.6 percent of counselors who dealt with consultations said they were unsure when making decisions.
"We would like to promote support measures, such as providing online training and offering advice from counseling experts," an official at the authority said.
