Meanwhile in Japan

[mahnmut]

Japanese bosses forced female employee to wear bunny ears

A 61-year-old Japanese woman was forced to wear bunny ears as a penalty for missing her sales targets, with photos of her humiliation used in company training programs, reports said.

The woman, who was not named, was employed by cosmetics maker Kanebo in southwestern Oita.

She sued the company claiming mental distress after her bosses instructed her to don costumes if she did not meet her targets, including over-sized rabbit ears on one occasion, several papers reported.

Comments

the issue is shaming for motivation

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

she wants to keep working there, she better lick the floor under his boots, amirite?

of course not. However, some managers have a goofy sense of how to motivate people. This is motivation through shaming. It is done in the military by reduction in rank, or grief from the CO in front of the troops. Remember the dunce cap?
Share a quick story: I was left handed. in 1961, teachers were allowed to do things they can't now. Teacher would wack my hand with a ruler if I used the wrong hand. So I used the 'right' hand, only it slowed me. I became the last person to turn in things. She put me in front of the class and had them jeer and mock me for being a 'grandpa'. Humiliated? Fuck yes. Motivated? From 2nd grade on, it was my mission to turn in tests FIRST. Resulted in some not perfect scores, but I did it all the way through college and adulthood. I sped up and became more productive because I had to learn faster.

Apples to apples? If you look at shame as a motivator, yes. Each situation is unique only in its eventual outcome.

I don't do it, and I don't like it, nor do I condone it. But it is what it is, right or wrong. Thanks for allowing me to be part of the conversation.

Re: the issue is shaming for motivation

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

This is not the military, and by the way what happened in your school was wrong, which is why it's not being done any more in schools. People shouldn't be humiliated in order to keep their job, or as a stimulation to become "more productive". Not in private business, and not in state-owned enterprise, and especially not at an early age where it could have lasting consequences. There's nothing "unique" here. This is universal. She didn't apply for this job in order to be humiliated, and she was in her right to sue him, and penalizing the employer was right. I've had cases like these where I've assisted abused employees to sue their abusive employers, and most of them have won their cases. Because this is the 21st century. I find the notion that "this is just how it is, so shrug, there's little we can do", quite despicable. Even if you include an "I don't like it" disclaimer. That is all.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

It's called bastardisation, and it's illegal here, thank god. We were having a discussion just last night about how "hilarious" it must have been when the apprentice got set on fire for the lulz in the "good old days".