Olympus’s job-based employment fraud is a grave offense—one that fully warrants “one punished to warn a hundred” and corporate expulsion.

 

Read the original article (in Japanese):

ジョブ型雇用の暗部：「まずは降格ありき」だったオリンパス子会社のジョブ型雇用――職務記述書は作成せず、評価基準は不明確 | 週刊エコノミスト Online　オリンパスの医療機器販売子会社「オリンパスマーケティング」がジョブ型雇用の導入を契機に200人に及ぶ降格人事を実施し、降weekly-economist.mainichi.jp


1. A New Breed of Corporate Violence Disguised as Reform

The introduction of a “job-based employment system” at Olympus Marketing was nothing more than a fraudulent scheme posing as reform. The company failed to provide job descriptions for non-managerial employees, demoted 200 staff members without justification, and even reassigned some to entry-level pay scales equivalent to new graduates.

Worse still, when confronted, the management responded with blatant indifference—“File a lawsuit if you don’t like it.” This wasn’t a misstep in implementation. It was a calculated act of institutional violence, one that disregarded not just workers’ rights but human dignity itself. The reported suicide attempt of one employee reveals how deeply toxic the environment had become.

2. Olympus and the Rise of the “Invincible Company”

The core issue here is the company's arrogant belief:
“If someone quits, we’ll just replace them.”

But the truth is this: it’s always the most capable, most conscientious people who leave first. What remains is a hollow shell of a workforce—uninspired placeholders who follow orders but contribute little beyond minimum expectations.

This leads to what can only be described as a “quiet death.” On the surface, business may seem to be operating. But internally, the company is decaying. Institutional knowledge is lost, passion disappears, and trust evaporates.

3. The Myth of Replaceability

There is no substitute for the salesperson who spent ten years building trust with clients, or for the field staff whose judgment keeps operations smooth. These assets don’t show up in résumés. They can’t be filled by numbers alone.

Job-based systems were meant to value “the work itself”—its scope, complexity, and value. But Olympus turned this principle into a cover for cost-cutting disguised as reform, thereby destroying the system’s credibility and damaging the concept for all of Japan.

4. Companies Must Be Rejected by Society

A company is not the one doing the choosing—it is the one being chosen. Therefore, when workers say “I won’t work for this company,” or when consumers say “I won’t buy from them,” that becomes the ultimate form of punishment.

What workers can do:

  • Refuse to apply or accept offers

  • Share internal realities on review platforms

  • Spread awareness on social media

What consumers can do:

  • Boycott unethical products

  • Make values-based purchasing decisions

What society can do:

  • Exclude such companies from ESG portfolios

  • Pressure governments and investors to reassess corporate alliances

A company that loses its ethics will eventually lose its people, its capital, and its legitimacy. Market expulsion becomes the most appropriate outcome.

5. Global Comparisons and Japan’s Delay

Examples of society rejecting unethical companies can be seen around the world:

  • Wells Fargo (USA): Massive fake account scandal led to fines and customer loss

  • Activision Blizzard (USA): Widespread harassment triggered strikes, boycotts, and stock collapse

  • BP (UK): Oil spill disaster damaged environment and shareholder trust

  • Fox News (USA): Sexual harassment led to advertiser exodus and leadership changes

In all cases, society stepped in—even when the law did not. Consumers, employees, and investors applied pressure that forced consequences.

Japan, by contrast, has lagged behind in creating similar accountability. But with the rise of social media and shifting job market dynamics, that is changing. The Olympus case may mark a pivotal moment—a test of whether Japanese society can now reject companies that betray their people.

6. Conclusion: It’s Time for “One Punishment to Warn a Hundred”

If Olympus is allowed to continue as if nothing happened, others will follow. Companies will realize they can weaponize reform and destroy lives without consequence.

That’s why society must act.
A company that breaks with ethics must be rejected—by workers, by consumers, and by capital.
Only then will genuine reform, grounded in fairness and trust, take root.

One punished to warn a hundred—this is the age where society must be the one to bring down the companies that betray it.


Read in Japanese↓

オリンパスのジョブ型偽装は、『一罰百戒』企業淘汰に値する重罪だ（2025.6.11）

Read more articles (in Japanese)↓

上司とは誰よりも学び続ける役職である（2025.6.9）

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