The labor ministry on Friday made public the name of a dermatology clinic in Ibaraki Prefecture that it says defied numerous instructions not to dismiss an employee on the grounds of her pregnancy.
Ushiku Hifuka Iin (Ushiku Dermatology Clinic), located in the city of Ushiku, became the nation's first institution to be publicly named as a violator of Article 9 of the Equal Employment Opportunities Law, which bans employers from acts of "maternity harassment," or firing or demoting employees due to pregnancy or childbirth.
The policy of naming and shaming the law's violators has been in place since April 2009, a ministry official said, noting it will continue to urge the clinic to comply with the law.