The Hokkaido Prefectural Government headquarters. (Mainichi/Naoto Ishikawa)
SAPPORO — A Hokkaido Prefectural Government employee repeatedly contacted a female student inappropriately, including pressuring her to date him, during a prefecture-run internship program, the Mainichi Shimbun learned Oct. 20.
The prefecture is considering disciplining the man because his conduct may constitute sexual harassment.
According to the Hokkaido government’s personnel division, the internship was held from August to September for university students and others hoping to work for the prefecture after graduation. It was held four times in five-day sessions, with 291 people taking part.
The male employee suspected of sexual harassment oversaw duties including instructing student interns in his department.
The employee approached a female student who took part in the August internship, saying he wanted to “give you materials later,” and exchanged contact information on the messaging app Line. He sent the student messages such as “You’re cute” and “May I call you by your first name?” and invited her to lunch and dinner, among other things.
The student turned down the invitations, but the man then invited her again, saying, “Let’s go out at night after the internship is over.”
The problem came to light after the student consulted the prefectural government department in charge on the final day of the internship. The government apologized to the student but did not share the information with her school, saying, “The student said she did not want us to tell the school.”
‘An act that betrays students’
After the problem came to light, the human resources division in September alerted personnel officials in each department, saying the conduct “damages the dignity of students and undermines trust in the Hokkaido Prefectural Government, and must never happen.”
The prefecture removed the employee from internship duties, but as of Oct. 20 had not disciplined him, saying it was “investigating the facts.” The man has generally acknowledged his conduct toward the female student, officials said.
The government has not disclosed the employee’s age, department or other details, citing reasons including “privacy considerations.”
A personnel division official apologized in an interview with the Mainichi, saying, “This was an act that betrayed the expectations of a student who took part in the internship because she was interested in the Hokkaido Prefectural Government. If true, it is unacceptable.” The official added, “We want to thoroughly alert employees and work to prevent a recurrence.”
Under revisions to Japan’s equal employment opportunity law, employers became obligated in October to take preventive measures against so-called “job-hunting sexual harassment.” The measures cover sexual words and actions during job-seeking activities such as recruitment interviews, participation in internships and visits to alumni, and include exchanges conducted online through social media and other means.
(Japanese original by Daiki Kobayashi, Hokkaido News Department)
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