Survey result from Deloitte Tohmatsu indicates 33% of surveyed Japanese women have experienced microaggressions at work in the past year

■More women reporting microaggressions to organizations, while reasons for not reporting changed

In terms of non-inclusive behavior experienced at work in the past year, 31% of women globally and 33% of women in Japan said they have experienced microaggressions^*, which is about six times the rate of sexual harassment (Global: 4% Japan: 5%) (Figure 1).

* Microaggressions: Everyday behaviors that unconsciously hurt others through unconscious bias.

Also, the percentage of women working in Japan who reported microaggressions to their organizations has been rising for two consecutive years (2022: 21%, 2023: 36%, 2024: 72%).
 

Figure 1: Those who have experienced at least one non-inclusive behavior in the past year

Reasons for not reporting non-inclusive behavior have also changed. The most common response in the 2023 survey, "I didn’t feel that the behavior was serious enough to report" (36%), has dropped to 14% in 2024, indicating a shift in women's awareness and behavior (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Top three reasons for not reporting non-inclusive behaviors in Japan

(Base: Women working in Japan who have experienced microaggressions, sexual harassment, or other forms of harassment at work in the past year but did not report it to their organization/Single answer)

On the other hand, the percentage of women working in Japan who answered "If I were to report non-inclusive behaviors at work, including microaggressions, I feel confident that action will be taken" was 4%, which was lower than the global percentage of 9% (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Impact of reporting non-inclusive behavior to your organization

■Need for concrete measures to create an inclusive work environment for women, including taking leave for menstruation and menopause

34% of women in Japan responded that they "experience high levels of pain and work through this pain/discomfort/other symptoms related to" menstruation, menopause, and/or fertility, which has been over 30% since 2023 survey (2023: menstruation 44%, menopause 35%) (Figure 4).
 

Figure 4: Women in Japan who have experienced health challenges related to menstruation, menopause and/or fertility

In order to ensure gender diversity, and in particular, women's empowerment, organizations need to consider women’s health challenges that affect women's productivity and working environment as part of their management agendas and take necessary measures. In this survey, 11% of women both in Japan and globally responded that "My organization is taking concrete steps to fulfill its commitment to gender diversity", indicating that the measures taken by the organizations are still not enough (Figure 5).
 

Figure 5: How my organization is empowering gender diversity and women

■Concerns about inflexibility in hybrid work environments and negative feelings towards returning to office full-time

Regarding hybrid working environment (a combination of working remotely and working in the office), the percentage of women in Japan who have concerns were higher than that of 2022 and 2023 surveys - “I feel like my working pattern is unpredictable” (31%), “I don’t have enough flexibility in my working pattern” (25%), and "Expected to go into my workplace despite flexibility messaging and it being my choice” (24%) being the highest in order (Figure 6).
 

Figure 6: Experiences and concerns about working in a hybrid environment

(Women in Japan who has worked in a hybrid environment in the past year)

In addition, regarding the impact of organization's return to office policy in the past year, 30% of women, who are “mandated to be on-site full-time”, answered that "I think less of my employer", which was the highest percentage, exceeding by 24 percentage points the percentage of women who were “mandated to be on-site on certain days” (6%) (Figure 7).
 

Figure 7: Impact of the organization's return to office policy

(Women in Japan who work in organizations with return to office policy in the past year/Multiple answers allowed)

■There is an increasing need for measures that better reflect changes in the social environment and  working women

The research found that women’s awareness of microaggressions and other non-inclusive behaviors has been on the rise. It also found that the organization's efforts on women's empowerment were severely evaluated. Even if an organization is making efforts, the level and speed of such efforts may not be sufficient for women working in the organization. For an organization to strategically thrive through human capital management, it is necessary to promote measures that leverage and enhance dialogue with diverse working members more than ever before.

The survey has also revealed that the organization's return to office policy has led to negative feelings towards the organization itself. Flexible working style that has taken root during COVID-19 pandemic has leveraged diverse members to be in the workforce. It is expected that many organizations will continue to adopt return to office policy, but the finding suggests the need for organizations to explore and improve ways to create an inclusive and comfortable work environment, such as providing flexible options on where/when to work.

For details, please see report from the following link:
The Full Report for Japan version
The Global Report

<Archives of “Women @ Work: A global outlook, Japan version”>
2021 Edition（Research conducted November 2020-March 2021）
2022 Edition（Research conducted November 2021-February 2022）
2023 Edition（Research conducted October 2022-January 2023）