June 4, 2026
A male worker at Google Japan G.K. on June 3 filed with a labor standards inspection office in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward a request for recognition of his mental disorder as caused by an excessive workload and a high level of stress during a performance improvement program (PIP) often criticized for being used as a layoff tactic.
The 45-year-old worker is a member of the Japan Metal, Manufacturing, Information and Telecommunication Workers’ Union (JMITU) Alphabet Union branch which organizes workers at Google Japan LLC and at its parent company Alphabet group firms.
The man in 2016 started working at Google Japan as a software engineer. In August 2025, he was placed on the PIP and given an unachievable quota. Three months later, he took a leave of absence after suffering from emotional distress. He returned to work in March 2026, but again was subjected to the PIP.
Alphabet Union branch chair Kobayashi Saho pointed out that the company uses the PIP as a tool to dismiss workers, which constitutes a breach of corporate safety obligations. Lawyer Obayashi Yoshimasa, who represents the worker, stressed that during the PIP, he experienced mental stress from the impression that he had been subjected to closed door interviews pressing him to take an early retirement.
The 45-year-old worker is a member of the Japan Metal, Manufacturing, Information and Telecommunication Workers’ Union (JMITU) Alphabet Union branch which organizes workers at Google Japan LLC and at its parent company Alphabet group firms.
The man in 2016 started working at Google Japan as a software engineer. In August 2025, he was placed on the PIP and given an unachievable quota. Three months later, he took a leave of absence after suffering from emotional distress. He returned to work in March 2026, but again was subjected to the PIP.
Alphabet Union branch chair Kobayashi Saho pointed out that the company uses the PIP as a tool to dismiss workers, which constitutes a breach of corporate safety obligations. Lawyer Obayashi Yoshimasa, who represents the worker, stressed that during the PIP, he experienced mental stress from the impression that he had been subjected to closed door interviews pressing him to take an early retirement.
