• by Steve McClellan , December 5, 2016

Dentsu said Friday it was instituting new measures to improve its workplace environment as it continues to be investigated by the government for labor violations linked to the suicide of a Dentsu employee about a year ago. 

Among other things, the measures are aimed at “optimizing workloads” and “reviewing our organizational management approach.” 

The Tokyo-based ad-holding company stated that as part of the overhaul of its work assignments, about 650 people (or 10% of the Japan-based workforce) will shift to new positions in January. 

In addition, a new personnel plan is being devised, and some 70 human resources managers (a total of around 70) are being appointed to oversee its implementation.   

The holding company reports that “Dentsu in Japan will increase hiring of recent graduates who have work experience and greatly expand our mid-career recruiting program. While we have not imposed an upper limit on numbers, we expect to take on about 60 mid-career individuals through a recruiting initiative that will be rolled out during December.”   

A Japanese labor agency issued a report in October that concluded the excessive overtime was a contributing factor in the young woman’s apparent suicide. Dentsu offices in Japan have been raided several times in recent weeks by government investigators. Recent reports in Japan have surfaced indicating that Dentsu may have encouraged workers to underreport overtime hours they worked to make it look as if the company has been complying with regulatory limits.  

Last month the company canceled its annual five-city holiday party in recognition of “the seriousness of recent issues [including the workplace-related probe and a separate scandal involving the overcharging of clients] and acknowledges the need for deep reflection.”