Across Asia, governments are tightening laws to tackle workplace bullying, yet Hong Kong continues to lag far behind, with no dedicated legislation and a culture of silence that allows abuse to persist. From hospitals to fast-food chains, recent incidents have exposed entrenched hierarchies and intimidation inside Hong Kong workplaces, while labour groups’ calls for legal reform have been repeatedly ignored.
Japan: From social norm to statutory safeguards
Workplace harassment was once considered the norm in the Japanese workplace. A Ministry of Health survey found that around one-third of workers had experienced power harassment. In response, Japan amended its Comprehensive Labour Policy Promotion Act in 2019, requiring companies to establish prevention and response mechanisms. The law defines six forms of power harassment, including verbal humiliation, physical attacks, shouting and isolation. Although it carries no criminal penalty, offending companies may face administrative action or public naming. In 2025, measures will expand to cover “customer harassment”, with Tokyo’s new ordinance, which became effective April this year, obliging firms to protect frontline staff from verbal abuse and threats.
Malaysia: Criminal penalties for perpetrators
Malaysia took a firmer stance, passing amendments to its Penal Code last year to criminalise workplace and online bullying, with the law coming into effect this July. Malicious insults or intimidation can result in up to three years’ imprisonment, even where harm was not intended. Where bullying leads to suicide or threats to life, sentences may reach ten years, signalling a zero-tolerance approach.
Taiwan: Reform born from tragedy
A high-profile case in Taiwan last year, in which a civil servant died by suicide after prolonged workplace bullying, spurred urgent reform. Amendments to the Civil Service Protection Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act followed. The former now recognises abuse, humiliation and isolation as acts of bullying, and penalises supervisors who fail to intervene with fines from NT$30,000 to NT$1.5 million. The latter requires private employers to establish complaint mechanisms, launch investigations and offer psychological support, with similar penalties for breaches. Crucially, if the perpetrator is senior management, workers may file complaints directly with authorities to prevent internal cover-ups.
Hong Kong: Inaction fuels abuse
Hong Kong, by contrast, has made no legislative moves. As early as 2019, the now-disbanded Hospital Authority Employees Alliance exposed widespread bullying within public hospitals, reporting arbitrary rostering, punitive assessments and psychological distress among frontline staff. A survey found that eight in ten nurses felt bullied within six months. Despite repeated appeals from unions, the government has not responded.
Abuse extends beyond healthcare. In April, footage circulated online showing a male McDonald’s worker spitting on a female colleague — a stark reminder that bullying remains pervasive in low-wage sectors. These cases are not isolated, critics say, but symptoms of policy inertia and a system that privileges silence over accountability.
With the city yet to introduce formal protections, campaigners warn that the cost of inaction is borne by an entire generation of workers — intimidated, exhausted, and left without recourse.