Key Facts
• Urasoe City, Okinawa, established guidelines to address customer harassment (June 2025).
• Defined harassment as actions harming staff dignity or disrupting work environments.
• Based on Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare manual.
• Nine harassment types include “time constraint” and “repeat demands.”
• Approximately 860 regular staff surveyed on harassment over the past two years.
• No internal consultation system for harassment cases currently exists.
• Some staff reported mental health issues due to harassment.
• Urasoe City collaborates with police and lawyers for potential legal measures.
• Uruma City implemented similar guidelines in May 2024, including 30-minute consultation limits.
• Uruma City employs retired police officers for difficult cases.
Summary
Urasoe City in Okinawa has introduced comprehensive guidelines to combat customer harassment, defining it as actions that harm staff dignity or disrupt work. The guidelines, based on a national manual, classify harassment into nine types, such as prolonged staff detention and repeated unreasonable demands. Despite lacking an internal consultation system, the city plans to address harassment cases with support from police and lawyers, while also surveying its 860 regular employees to improve mental health support. Neighboring Uruma City implemented similar measures in 2024, including time-limited consultations and the involvement of retired police officers. These efforts aim to protect public employees and ensure a safe working environment.
