In December 2005, the Japan Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare (MHLW) reminded all labor bureaus in Japan that workers can receive compensation for any mental illness relating to sexual harassment in the workplace.  The MHLW´s reminder comes amid complaints from several women who were sexually harassed in the workplace and then denied medical coverage for mental illness treatment. 

In 1999, the former Labor Ministry issued a regulation that stated that all work-related stress illnesses would be covered by workers accident insurance.  This included illness relating to sexual harassment.  However, since 1999, many labor bureaus have denied women compensation claiming that sexual harassment is a result of "individual supervisor qualities" and not a result of stress in the workplace. 

Because of these discrepancies, the MHLW plans to unify sexual harassment compensation policies among all labor bureaus so victims will no longer be denied compensation for any sexual harassment-related mental illness.