The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly has passed Japan's first ordinance to prevent customer harassment of employees in stores and businesses, set to take effect in April next year.
Under the ordinance, businesses are required to take appropriate measures when their employees are harassed by customers, including asking the customer to stop the harassment. The regulation also specifies the importance of not improperly infringing upon customers' rights. Tokyo plans to develop guidelines that will detail what constitutes customer harassment.
Tokyo's new regulation is the first in Japan to prohibit unreasonable customer demands toward employees. While the ordinance outlines the responsibilities and obligations of customers, it does not impose any penalties.
Harassment by customers includes verbal abuse, which has led to mental health issues and even incidents of suicide among employees, according to Kyodo News.
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