Prudential Japan executives take pay cuts over staff misconduct

Prudential Japan executives have agreed to take a 30% pay cut for three months after a panel of outside experts found widespread employee misconduct involving customer money, the company announced on Thursday. President Hiromitsu Tokumaru and two others will shoulder the responsibility for the issues at Prudential Life, a U.S. insurance group's Japanese unit. The investigative committee attributed the misdeeds to structural problems in the company's governance framework and business model.

The case adds to a string of scandals in Japan's insurance industry, eroding public confidence as households look to invest more savings. Japan's financial regulator is contemplating penalties for Prudential Life, including a temporary suspension of operations. The company disclosed that over 100 current and former sales employees had engaged in misconduct, causing more than ¥3.1 billion ($20 million) in customer losses. These included pitching fake investments and borrowing money from clients.

Prudential Life's evaluation and compensation systems incentivized short-term results, according to the statement. The company plans to revise these to promote long-term customer relationships, compliance, and sound sales practices. In response to the misconduct, Prudential Life has suspended new life insurance sales since February to focus on overhauling governance and sales practices. The initial 90-day suspension was extended until early November to allow time for the reforms.

Established in 1988, Prudential Life has carved out a niche in Japan's insurance market dominated by domestic players like Nippon Life Insurance and Daiichi Life Group. The company relies on a small sales force of "life planners" who cater to affluent customers, including business owners and doctors, offering customized products and financial planning services.

Traditional Japanese insurers, in contrast, employ larger sales forces that traditionally sold standardized products through community-based, face-to-face networks. Prudential's sales representatives had a reputation for aggressive selling, which the company acknowledged had distorted incentives and contributed to the breaches of internal rules.