A Japanese company has come under fire after a video showing a supervisor harshly scolding an intern for missing his sales quota went viral.
Published on 7 Feb, the clip has since amassed more than 35 million views online, sparking widespread criticism and debate over what many described as “power harassment”.
The backlash later prompted the intern to respond publicly. His reply also went viral.
In the clip, the intern is seen standing before a screen, facing a room filled with employees.
The first-year university student had reportedly been assigned sales targets but failed to meet them.
Source: @luckysurprising on X
A supervisor can be heard telling him that such performance would result in dismissal. He then looks around the room and asks others if they agree.
Several colleagues nod hesitantly.
The video quickly triggered a heated discussion online. Many condemned the supervisor’s approach as excessive and said the matter should have been handled privately, especially since the intern was reportedly unpaid.
Others, however, offered a more measured view.
One commenter said they understood the supervisor’s frustration, particularly if the intern had achieved only around one-eighth of his target.
Source: X
However, they added that the intern’s status still made the public scolding appear overly harsh.
Two days after the clip went viral, an X account claiming to belong to the intern posted a response.
“I am the person who is being scolded,” he wrote.
He said he was entirely at fault and described the supervisor’s comments as frank criticism.
“It was a very positive stimulus,” he added.
Source: X
Despite defending the company’s actions, he announced that he had resigned from the internship on the same day as the incident.
A self-described “black company” analyst weighed in on the matter, calling the exchange a clear example of power harassment.
He outlined three key concerns.
First, the situation involved a clear power imbalance between a supervisor and an intern.
Second, the intern was publicly reprimanded with remarks that went beyond constructive guidance. The supervisor allegedly told him that speaking to him gave “zero hope” for improvement and that his presence made no difference to the company’s performance.
Finally, the analyst noted that other employees appeared uncomfortable and only responded after being prompted, contributing to what he described as a toxic work environment.
He added that being an unpaid internship does not exempt a company from harassment concerns.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @luckysurprising on X.