DISCO's Policy on Customer Harassment

Introduction

DISCO CORPORATION and each company belonging to the DISCO Group (hereinafter referred to as “DISCO”) receive various opinions from all of its external stakeholders, including customers. However, some of these opinions have been an affront to the dignity of DISCO's Personnel (including employees, executives, and other related personnel. hereinafter referred to as “DISCO Personnel”) and can be considered to be harassment that damages the relevant members' safe working environment.

Protecting the mental, physical health, and safe working conditions of its employees is an important duty of a corporation. Therefore, in order to protect DISCO Personnel from this type of harassment, DISCO has formulated “DISCO's Policy on Customer Harassment.”

This Policy applies to all harassment behavior by external stakeholders including customers. External stakeholders include suppliers, shareholders, members of the local community, etc. in addition to customers.

Definition of Customer Harassment

Customer Harassment refers to harassment behavior carried out by any external stakeholder(s) (including customers) toward a DISCO Personnel that falls under any of the following (1, 2, 3) and damages the relevant DISCO Personnel's working environment.

1. Illegal or unwarranted behavior such as assault, abusive language, threats, etc.
2. Unreasonable complaints or demands
3. Asking for a socially unaccepted method or manner of responding to a complaint or demand
【Behavior that falls under Customer Harassment】
1. Illegal or unwarranted behavior such as assault, abusive language, threats, etc. Assault, abusive language
  • Physical violence (grabbing their arm, hitting them, kicking them, throwing objects at them, etc.)
  • Shouting threats or abuse
  • Discriminatory behavior
Threats
  • Threatening behavior, antisocial behavior
  • Breaking objects, threatening to “kill” them
  • Threatening by hinting at exposing information about them on social media or to the mass media
Sexual behavior
  • Sexual harassment
  • Stalking a DISCO Personnel
  • Indecent behavior or non-consensual photography of a DISCO Personnel
Infringement of privacy, defamation
  • Posting on social media or on the internet (disclosing the DISCO Personnel's name, etc.)
  • Behavior that harms DISCO's and the DISCO Personnel's trust
Other
  • Trespassing on company property or within the premises
  • Criminal behavior
2. Unreasonable complaints or demands Unreasonable requests without any appropriate reason
  • Asking for services or money based on false allegations
  • Asking for excessive free-of-charge services, asking for excessive price reductions not within the range of common practice
  • Excessive demands for articles that are difficult to source (demands to continue supplying products that are no longer being manufactured, etc.)
  • Excessive demands not within the range of legal requirements or the contract
  • Personal requests (asking to use company recreational facilities, demanding that DISCO change the greenery within their premises, etc.)
3. Asking for a socially unaccepted method or manner of responding to a complaint or demand Forcefully demanding an apology
  • Demanding that they kneel on the ground and apologize
  • Forcefully demanding an apology that the other person does not agree with
Restricting their behavior for a long time
  • Unreasonably restricting their behavior or staying in the same place for a long time, long phone calls, etc.
Repetitive behavior
  • Constantly visiting DISCO without an appropriate reason
  • Repeated complaining through phone calls or emails
  • Placing similar complaints with multiple departments
Using one's authority or position
  • Using one's superior position to carry out unreasonable behavior
  • Asking for special treatment
Finding fault with the person in charge
  • Using one's words against them if your demands are not met
  • Asking the same question multiple times, and blaming them the second they make a mistake
  • Taking advantage of any oversights by the person in charge and making complaints
  • Silently changing the details from what was initially agreed, and incessantly blaming someone
Behavior that violates the rules stipulated by DISCO
  • Purposefully breaking the safety rules within the facility or premises, and putting a DISCO Personnel in harm's way or making them feel unsafe
  • Invading their work space without an appropriate reason
  • Obstructing or making unreasonable complaints about internal rules and policies

Stance on Handling Customer Harassment

DISCO has an internal system in place to handle Customer Harassment, and will resolutely handle all cases as an organization. Malicious Customer Harassment in particular will be discussed with the police force and lawyers, and the necessary legal action will be taken.


Reference: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's “Corporate Manual for Countermeasures against Customer Harassment (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11900000/000915233.pdf


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