CUSTOMER HARASSMENTBasic policy on customer harassment

Itera puts clients first in everything we do.

At the same time, demands and conduct from clients that go beyond what is reasonable sometimes include words that deny an employee’s dignity as a person, or violence and similar acts that injure that dignity. Such conduct makes the workplace worse for everyone.

To protect the human rights of our employees, we respond to such demands and conduct in good faith towards the client, but firmly — and in doing so we work towards a sound relationship for both sides.

How we judge customer harassment

We treat conduct meeting the following as customer harassment.

• Where the substance of the client’s demand lacks reasonable grounds
• Whether the means and manner used to pursue the client’s demand fall within a reasonable range by ordinary social standards

Conduct covered

We prohibit the conduct set out in the corporate manual on countering customer harassment (reference: Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, preventing harassment in the workplace), without being limited to it.

• Physical attack (assault, injury)
• Psychological attack (threats, defamation, slander, insult, abusive language)
• Intimidating conduct
• Demanding that someone kneel in apology
• Persistent or repeated conduct
• Restraining conduct (refusing to leave, occupying premises, confinement)
• Discriminatory conduct
• Sexual conduct
• Attacks on, or demands directed at, an individual employee of ours (including posts on social media)
• Demanding replacement of a product
• Demanding monetary compensation
• Demanding an apology (other than kneeling)

How we respond

We respond firmly to improper demands and to customer harassment, and depending on what is involved we may decline to respond at all.

For conduct we cannot accept, such as violence or threats, we work with our legal function, the police and legal counsel, and respond appropriately.

Itera, Inc.