1.
sidelined employees; employees given no meaningful work
employees who are assigned to desk positions near the window with little or no work, often as a way to push them toward resignation without firing them directly
窓際族になった。
I became a sidelined employee.
Japanese corporate culture
窓際族 reflects the difficulty of firing employees in Japan's traditional employment system. Instead of being fired, unwanted employees are given meaningless tasks.
Etymology
The term comes from the practice of moving such employees to desks by the window (窓際), away from the center of activity.
Characteristics
- Given no important work
- Excluded from meetings
- Often older employees
- Psychologically pressured to resign
Related words
- 追い出し部屋 - "banishment room" (similar concept)
- 左遷 - demotion
- 閑職 - sinecure position
- 肩たたき - being pushed to resign
Modern usage
The practice has become less common but the term remains widely known.