Filipinos to be recognized as work-related injuries

In September 2018, a Filipina who worked at a bread manufacturing plant was recognized as suffering from a work-related injury.

In general, foreigners are less likely to be recognized than Japanese, but the Kasukabe Labor Standards Office in Saitama Prefecture recognized the case as a work-related accident, and the company will now provide workers' compensation benefits, including lost work time.

The Filipino worker suffered a spinal cord injury in his lower back after working for many years at a factory, carrying heavy containers (1 kg to 5 kg) containing ingredients for bread and other products on a daily basis. The bread manufacturer denied that it was a work-related injury, saying that it was a pre-existing condition from before she started working. However, we were able to prove that it was a work-related accident by accompanying the worker to the Labor Standards Bureau for an interview and providing detailed information about the drawings in the factory and the weight of the containers.