Japanese Boss Stops Giving Work

A handful of Italians could bring the Japanese system to its knees. My Japanese boss stopped giving me work suddenly, what does this mean? Does it mean he doesn't like me? This is the old, classic way to get someone in Japan to quit. Sometimes called “window sitters,” they come to work and are given no tasks, no assignments, attend no meetings, and so on. They are shunned by their co-workers. Eventually, they can't stand being useless, and quit. Thus, the company can continue to claim that they have never fired anyone - nice, eh? If you continue getting no assignments and you're no longer asked to meetings and such??? Hmmmm.

A screenshot shows a social-media post explaining that Japanese companies may pressure unwanted employees to quit by giving them no work. The joke is the added headline about “a handful of Italians” bringing the Japanese system to its knees, followed by the poster realizing that being ignored at work may mean he is being quietly pushed out.

• @rzeczyzabawne / 21009 2025-07-05