A banishment room (Japanese: 追い出し部屋, , also called a chasing-out-room or boredom room in English) is a modern
employee exit management strategy whereby employees are transferred to another department where they are assigned meaningless work until they become disheartened and resign.
Since the resignation is voluntary, the employee would not be eligible for certain benefits. The legality and ethics of the practice are debated, and it may be construed as
constructive dismissal
In employment law, constructive dismissal occurs when an employee resigns due to the employer creating a hostile work environment. This often serves as a tactic for employers to avoid payment of statutory severance pay and benefits. In essence, ...
in some regions.
Examples
In
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, the practice is used to push employees to resign due to the country's strict labor laws, layoffs being taboo, and a tradition of
permanent employment.
In
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, the practice, called "", is illegal and is considered a form of moral harassment.
In his book, ''
Parkinson's Law'', economist
C. Northcote Parkinson discusses the phenomenon.
See also
*
Boreout
*
Reassignment center – External facilities formerly used by the New York City Department of Education where teachers were sent pending disciplinary processes
*
Social isolation
Social isolation is a state of complete or near-complete lack of contact between an individual and society. It differs from loneliness, which reflects temporary and involuntary lack of contact with other humans in the world. Social isolation c ...
*
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement (also shortened to solitary) is a form of imprisonment in which an incarcerated person lives in a single Prison cell, cell with little or no contact with other people. It is a punitive tool used within the prison system to ...
References
Termination of employment
Labour law
Ethically disputed working conditions
Rooms
{{business-stub