This WAN website has a section titled “temporary workers have opinions!” In Japan, the number of temporary workers called “haken” has been increasing, perhaps reflecting the widening of social gap between the rich and the poor. It is said that being a full time employee with benefits is nowadays a privilege.

The following is an article submitted on May 26, 2017 by Gashuraho, who had applied for a temporary position at a company and is now probably receiving sexual harassment.

When I was interviewed for the current job (they called the session “workplace observation” for some reason, although it was obviously an interview), the section chief who interviewed me said “Are you okay with middle to old-aged guys (ojisan)?”

I was already 43 years old and that is considered to be a middle aged woman (obasan). Generally I find it easier to talk with men than with women, so I said “I really like ojisan!”

The section chief said he never asked how much I loved them and my agent laughed bitterly.

I asked why the section chief asked such a strange question, and it turned out that in the past, he had been accused of sexual harassment just because he came close to a woman to teach something. He’s traumatized from that experience.

True, he comes very close when he talks to people. I could understand some women hated that.

But it ended up that, for me, this was not his problem. What is annoying is how he stares at me when I change from heels to walking shoes. He often stares at my legs. Even worse, he stares at my whole body when I wear a new outfit, and ask what I am doing after work.

That’s more of sexual harassment than standing too close.

Is it only me who thinks he should correct his behavior before asking if we’re okay with ojisan?

Translated by Naoko Hirose

Original article