News Corporate whistleblower claims he was surveilled at work

According to the complaint, in November 2021, it was discovered that non-food grade plastic bags were used for packaging products like powdered Pocari Sweat sports drink at the Shiga factory. Dust and other contaminants were found in these bags, prompting the man to report the issue to Shiga Prefecture's food safety surveillance center. Following an investigation, in August 2022 the center identified possible Food Sanitation Act violations and issued instructions to the factory to prevent a recurrence. The man was transferred to another department in April 2023. He was later diagnosed with depression, and took sick leave for about four months starting that September. The plaintiff claims that his new job at the department mostly consisted of sitting idly in front of a computer "while surrounded by managers, with a surveillance camera pointed at my desk." He alleges that his report to the food safety center led to this treatment, violating the Whistleblower Protection Act prohibiting disadvantageous treatment of whistleblowers. He furthermore claims the company failed in its duty of care for its employees' working environment.

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