On September 4, 2024, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) reported on the “Status of Abuse of Persons with Disabilities by Employers in FY2023.”

Article 28 of the Act on the Prevention of Abuse of Persons with Disabilities and Support for Caregivers states that, “The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare for each fiscal year is to make a report on the status of abuse of persons with disabilities by employers, as well as the measures taken in such cases and any other information specified by the order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.” Therefore, every fiscal year, the MHLW compiles information on this abuse of persons with disabilities by employers that has been reported/notified to each Prefectural Labor Bureau.

This report covers cases that were reported/notified between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024.

The cases are those reported to the Labor Bureau by prefectures in accordance with Article 24 of the Act on the Prevention of Abuse of Persons with Disabilities and Support for Caregivers, cases in which the Labor Bureau, Labor Standards Inspection Offices, or Public Employment Security Offices received information or consultation directly from the abused persons, their families, or colleagues that the abuse may have been committed by the employer. The cases also include those that were identified as such during on-site inspections by the Labor Standards Inspection Offices or visits to workplaces by the Public Employment Security Office.

The main points of the report are as follows:

1. Number of business establishments and persons with disabilities that were reported/notified: Number of business establishments: 1,512 (increased by 22.9% from the previous year) Number of persons with disabilities: 1,854 increased by 29.4% from the previous year) 2. Number of establishments and persons with disabilities where abuse was identified: Number of establishments where abuse was identified: 447 (increased by 4.0% from the previous year) Number of persons with disabilities who were identified as receiving abuse: 761 (increased by 16.0% from the previous year) 3. Types of abuse reported Among the types of abuse identified, economic abuse was the most common, at 659 (80.6%).

For more information, please visit the website below.https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/0000172598_00010.html

Edited and published by the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities.

Published on September 20th, 2024.