Forced To Take Nudes And More — Electronics Firm Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Employee Abuse

Neo Corporation, a company based in Osaka that manufactures electronic machinery and energy-saving equipment, is embroiled in a serious scandal after multiple employees accused it of shocking and degrading workplace abuse.

Five current and former workers have filed a lawsuit against Neo Corporation, alleging mistreatment, unlawful wage deductions, and power harassment. The plaintiffs are seeking approximately ¥19 million (about $127,000 USD) in compensation. The employees claim that while the company is known for generous sales commissions, staff who failed to meet sales targets were subjected to humiliating and painful punishments. These reportedly included being forced to take nude photos of themselves and male employees having their testicles grabbed by supervisors.

One worker said managers would share the nude photos with colleagues and send messages such as “It has been shared” to the targeted employees. The same employee described repeated physical abuse by his superior, recounting, “My boss said he wasn’t using much force, but it hurt so badly I could barely speak. This happened all the time.”

When he reported these abuses to a branch manager, he was laughed at and told, “Everyone has gone through this.” The harassment led to his diagnosis of adjustment disorder and depression.

Additional accusations include verbal abuse, forced excessive overtime, withheld commissions, and demands for employees to return part of their salaries. Reports also allege severe fines for infractions like traffic violations, sometimes reaching as high as ¥6 million (about $40,000 USD). In one case, a branch manager was allegedly slapped by a company director for missing a company event.

Neo Corporation has denied all allegations, stating, “Harassment has no place in our corporate culture. There are factual errors based on one-sided perspectives,” according to a report by the South China Morning Post.