Key points
- From October 1, 2026, under the amended Act on Comprehensive Promotion of Labor Policies, measures to prevent customer harassment (kasuhara) become mandatory for all employers, regardless of size.
- From the same day, under the amended Equal Employment Opportunity Act, employers must also take measures to prevent sexual harassment of "job seekers etc." — applicants, workplace visitors, interns, nursing trainees and others.
- "Customers etc." include users of hospitals and welfare facilities, and people who may use them in the future. Conduct by phone or on social media is also covered.
- Workplace visits and internships are listed as examples of "job-seeking activities etc." If you host workplace visits or trial shifts, assume they may be covered and prepare.
- Measures to prevent power harassment (workplace bullying by those in a position of power) are already mandatory: for large companies since June 1, 2020, and for small and medium-sized companies since April 1, 2022.
This article reflects information as of September 25, 2026. Some points read differently before and after the effective date (October 1, 2026).
On October 1, 2026, two new anti-harassment duties take effect at the same time. One requires measures to protect workers from harassment by customers and service users — customer harassment（カスハラ, "kasuhara"）. The other requires measures to prevent sexual harassment of people you have not yet hired, such as applicants and workplace visitors. Both bear directly on recruitment, so this guide sets out what hiring managers need to know.
01What changes, and when
| Measure | Legal basis | Mandatory from |
|---|---|---|
| Power harassment（パワハラ）prevention | Amended Act on Comprehensive Promotion of Labor Policies（労働施策総合推進法）; guidelines (MHLW Public Notice No. 5 of 2020（令和2年厚生労働省告示第5号）) | Large companies: June 1, 2020 SMEs: April 1, 2022 |
| Customer harassment prevention | Amended Act on Comprehensive Promotion of Labor Policies (promulgated June 2025); guidelines (MHLW Public Notice No. 51 of 2026（令和8年厚生労働省告示第51号）) | October 1, 2026 All employers, regardless of size |
| Sexual harassment prevention for job seekers etc. | Amended Equal Employment Opportunity Act（男女雇用機会均等法）and its guidelines | October 1, 2026 |
02What counts as customer harassment
Customer harassment is conduct that meets all three of the following criteria.
- It is conduct by customers etc.
"Customers etc." include users of hospitals and welfare facilities, and people who may use them in the future. - It goes beyond what is socially acceptable, in light of the nature of the work and other factors
- It harms the worker's working environment
This covers conduct by phone or on social media, not just face to face.
03What employers must do about customer harassment
MHLW's leaflet lists measures along the following lines that employers must take (summary).
ASet and communicate a policy
- Set out and communicate a policy of responding firmly and protecting workers
- Explain what customer harassment is and the responses decided in advance (e.g. seek instructions from a manager or supervisor, avoid having one person deal with it alone where possible, report conduct that may be a crime to the police)
BConsultation system
- Designate a point of contact for consultations and make it known
- Make sure the staff handling it can respond appropriately
CWhen an incident happens
- Establish the facts quickly and accurately
- Take measures to support the affected worker
- Take steps to prevent a recurrence
- Put in place a policy and system for dealing with especially serious cases
DAlso required
- Protect the privacy of those who seek consultation and others involved
- Do not treat anyone unfavorably for having sought consultation
04Preventing sexual harassment of "job seekers etc."
Until now, measures against sexual harassment have mainly been about protecting an employer's own workers. From October 1, 2026, employers must also take measures to prevent sexual harassment of job seekers etc. who are not yet employed — "job seekers etc."（求職者等）covers applicants, interns, workplace visitors and others looking for work.
Who counts as "job seekers etc."
- People applying for a job
- Participants in recruitment-related activities (such as company information sessions)
- Internship participants
- Trainees, such as nursing students on clinical placement
Examples of "job-seeking activities etc."
- Job interviews
- Information sessions
- Visits to workers (workplace visits)
- Taking part in internships and nursing placements
- Online contact is also included
The required measures include setting a policy and communicating it to workers, a policy of dealing strictly with perpetrators, a consultation system (including making it known to job seekers etc.), and a prompt, appropriate response when something happens (establishing the facts, supporting the victim, taking action against the perpetrator, and preventing a recurrence).
05Preparing for workplace visits and trial shifts
Assume workplace visits and trial shifts "may qualify," and prepare
Workplace visits and internships are listed as examples of "job-seeking activities etc." It is sensible to assume that hosting a workplace visit（見学）or a trial shift（お試し勤務）may also be covered, and to prepare accordingly.
How it applies depends on the person's position:
- Visitors and applicants may fall under the new measures from October 1, 2026, as "job seekers etc."
- People who sign an employment contract for a trial shift (or who in practice count as workers) are workers on that day, so they are also covered by the existing measures for workers against sexual harassment and power harassment. You should also check how wages and workers' accident compensation insurance apply.
Either way, three practical steps form the basis of your preparation.
- Decide who is in charge of hosting. For each visit or interview day, decide in advance who will show the person around and who will sit in.
- Tell visitors and applicants about the point of contact too. Put a contact for problems in your information emails and on-the-day materials.
- Make sure interviewers and guides know the policy. Careless remarks in small talk can lead not only to sexual harassment but also to inappropriate questions.
06For reference: where care workplaces stand
In the Care Work Foundation's（介護労働安定センター）FY2025 (Reiwa 7) Survey on Long-Term Care Work (establishment survey), 40.8% of establishments said they had initiatives to "protect staff from customer harassment by service users and their families." This suggests that many establishments have yet to put systems in place ahead of the October deadline.
For nursing workplaces, the Japanese Nursing Association has compiled information on harassment countermeasures. In medical and care settings, it is also worth reviewing your measures against violence and verbal abuse from patients, service users and their families at the same time.
Check your readiness for the October deadline in six items
Use the "October 2026 mandatory measures" section of the pre-hiring checklist to spot any gaps in your preparation.
Sources
- 令和8年10月1日からハラスメント対策が強化されます！カスタマーハラスメント対策の義務化Harassment measures are being strengthened from October 1, 2026! Customer harassment measures become mandatory
- 企業において募集・採用に携わるすべての方へ 男女均等な採用選考ルールFor everyone involved in recruitment and hiring: rules for gender-equal selection
- 中小企業の事業主の皆さまへ「パワーハラスメント防止措置」が中小企業の事業主にも義務化されますTo small and medium-sized employers: power harassment prevention measures become mandatory for you too
- 看護現場におけるハラスメント対策Harassment countermeasures in nursing workplaces
- 令和7年度「介護労働実態調査」結果の概要についてSummary of results of the FY2025 Survey on Long-Term Care Work
This article is based on Japanese laws and public sources as of Sept 25, 2026. For individual cases, ask the Prefectural Labor Bureau (労働局), Labor Standards Inspection Office (労働基準監督署), Hello Work, or a licensed labor and social security attorney (社会保険労務士). Sources are mostly in Japanese.