In Japan, viral ‘baito tero’ workplace pranks plague businesses

This year, nearly one in four Japanese companies are expected to fall victim to baito tero, a term describing part-time employees performing pranks or stunts at work to post on social media, according to a new report. The study by Tokyo-based human resources provider Mynavi, conducted in December and released in late January, revealed that most of the incidents came to light because the perpetrators shared their antics on social media. Karaoke bars, hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets and factories are most at risk of baito tero – a phrase that combines arubaito, a loanword derived from the German for “work”, with an abbreviation of “terrorism”. In November, ramen chain Kairikiya sued two part-time employees who were caught on camera playing catch with eggs in the kitchen of a branch in Sakai City, Osaka prefecture. The company said in a statement that the incident occurred after hours and no food was served to customers. Still, both workers were fired and a damages complaint was filed with local police. Kairikiya said it had since tightened employee guidelines and would be seeking damages. Around the same time, footage from inside a KFC kitchen also went viral, showing a male employee flinging an ingredient as if it were a frisbee. “This type of behaviour is never acceptable and we will thoroughly instruct and educate our employees to prevent it from happening again,” the company said. Baito tero first became an issue around a decade ago, observers say, with cases including an employee of a 24-hour convenience store being filmed climbing inside a freezer, a restaurant worker squirting whipped cream into a colleague’s mouth and a cook picking his nose and wiping his finger on some dough in a pizza outlet. Attention seeking “Almost all these incidents involve young, part-time workers, and I believe the primary factors are mischief, pranks and a desire for attention,” said Takayuki Harada, a psychology professor at the University of Tsukuba’s Institute of Human Sciences. “There appears to be a perception that engaging in behaviour generally regarded as unacceptable will generate greater attention and amusement from others,” he told This Week in Asia. “From a psychological perspective, young people are in a developmental stage in which they are working to establish their identity. During this period, they seek recognition from others and attempt to build self-confidence by distinguishing themselves.” While most youngsters achieve this through academics or sports, Harada said in some cases “the desire for recognition is being expressed through inappropriate and ultimately meaningless pranks instead”. Such behaviour was “not unique to the present generation”, he added. “Similar conduct existed when I was young and likely for many decades before that,” Harada said. “However, the reason it has become so visible today is, above all, the impact of social media. This behaviour is now easily shared and rapidly spread online, which amplifies their visibility and social impact far beyond what was possible in the past.” But for employers, the phenomenon is becoming a serious risk to brand reputation and bottom lines. The Mynavi study found that almost 43 per cent of companies operating gaming facilities, karaoke venues and internet cafes had experienced employee misbehaviour in the past year. The figure was 40 per cent for manufacturers and nearly 36 per cent for hotels and other accommodation facilities. Around 33 per cent of restaurants reported similar problems, as well as more than 27 per cent of 24-hour stores and supermarkets. The vast majority of issues were identified as “thoughtless social media and online posts”, along with pranks and mishandling of company information. Nearly 40 per cent of respondents said they already had measures in place to prevent baito tero, while another 38 per cent agreed that such measures were necessary but had not yet implemented them. About 27 per cent said no action was required. Among existing countermeasures, the most common was a ban on mobile phones in the workplace, which 49 per cent of companies said they had imposed. Others said they used written pledges not to post on social media, workplace conduct training or contracts with damage clauses. Harada said that while training and internet literacy training were important, the most effective approach was a “clear policy prohibiting the use of mobile phones in the workplace and to enforce this rule rigorously”. Companies typically respond with quick apologies and disciplinary action, including the potential for legal action. But Harada suggested another tactic might be more effective in dealing with the backlash. “One possible approach is to avoid unnecessary escalation, refrain from actions that may further inflame the situation and allow the controversy to subside over time rather than inadvertently adding fuel to the fire,” he said.

In Japan, viral ‘baito tero’ workplace pranks plague businesses

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Psychologists say the quest for online clout is driving the rise in ‘meaningless’ workplace pranks, also known as part-time job terrorism

Psychologists say the quest for online clout is driving the rise in ‘meaningless’ workplace pranks, also known as part-time job terrorism