Court ruling on parental leave recalls release of Randy Bass by Hanshin Tigers

TOKYO — In late June a Japanese high court rejected an appeal by a former brokerage manager alleging “on-the-job paternity harassment” and unlawful dismissal after he took parental leave while employed at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley.

Canadian Glen Wood alleged that he had been harassed and forced from his job after taking parental leave for the birth of his son, born prematurely, in 2015, even though his superiors had ordered him to continue working. He returned to work in 2016 but was stripped of his duties, excluded from business meetings, and his salary was reduced by half, according to court testimony

Wood, a single father, filed suit in 2017 seeking damages.

The Tokyo District Court ruled against Wood in 2020, saying it did not find “reasonable grounds” for believing there was harassment. It also criticized Wood for taking his case public instead of quietly resolving the dispute with the company, which had made some changes to its parental leave policies since Wood’s dismissal.