Banishment room

Banishment room (also known as Borei-ka, Borei-shitsu or Oubliette) is a term used in the Japanese corporate culture to describe a department or room where employees who are not officially fired, but are considered redundant or troublesome, are transferred to do menial or meaningless tasks until they become demoralized and resign.

History

The concept of the banishment room originated in Japan during the late 20th century. It is a byproduct of the lifetime employment system in Japan, where it is traditionally difficult to lay off or fire employees due to social and legal constraints. Instead, companies found a way to encourage employees to leave voluntarily by assigning them to banishment rooms.

Function

The primary function of a banishment room is to pressure employees into resigning voluntarily. This is achieved by assigning them tasks that are either menial, boring, or completely meaningless. The hope is that the employee will become demoralized and choose to resign, thus circumventing the need for a formal dismissal, which can be legally and socially complicated in Japan.

Criticism

The practice of using banishment rooms has been heavily criticized both within and outside of Japan. Critics argue that it is a form of workplace bullying and that it can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. There have been several high-profile lawsuits in Japan where employees have successfully sued their employers for damages related to being assigned to a banishment room.

In popular culture

The concept of the banishment room has been featured in several Japanese manga and anime, often as a form of dark humor or social commentary.

See also

• Japanese employment law
• Karōshi
• Workplace bullying

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