Below is the English translation of the article:
“【内部告発】HiproTechに騙されて、炎上プロジェクトに陥れられたフリーランスの話 -「はらたいて笑おう」の裏に見えた、「働かせて、逃げていく」仲介業者の闇”
originally published on April 5, 2025 by Inclusive Solutions LLC.
This English version is intended for overseas readers, including international investors, members of the PERSOL Group, and individuals involved in HR and compliance.
This was the very first whistleblowing report that marked the beginning of what is now known as the “HiPro Scandal.”
We are publishing this English edition not only for readers interested in the HiPro issue or PERSOL CAREER,
but also as an important historical record in the context of Japan’s HR industry and corporate governance.
If you find any mistranslations or inaccuracies, please contact us.
The Japanese original is below:
This article is based on the actual experiences of Kousuke Abe, the representative partner of Inclusive Solutions LLC.
The contents have been carefully organized using official records, email exchanges between the parties, meeting minutes, and communication logs as reference materials.
It has been written to prepare for future legal proceedings and public disclosure.
Introduction
In December 2024, I applied for a project mediated by the HiproTech Division of PERSOL CAREER CO., LTD. The project was described as a Data Infrastructure Construction Project for a chemical manufacturing company located in the Kansai region, which served as the end client.
According to the explanation provided by PERSOL CAREER, the contract was supposed to be a “contract for work” (ukeoi keiyaku).
However, the actual operation was significantly different — it functioned more like a quasi-delegation contract (jun-inin keiyaku), where I was required to perform tasks in a continuous and flexible manner rather than to deliver a single finished product.
As a result, serious disputes eventually arose concerning the contractual terms and payment obligations.
More seriously, through this project, it strongly suggested serious governance failures and pervasive compliance issues within PERSOL CAREER.
PERSOL is widely known in Japan for its slogan “Hataraité, Waraou” (“Work, and Laugh Together”) and is one of the largest human resources companies in the country.
However, through this experience, However, through this experience, I was repeatedly astonished to discover that such a major company could operate in such a shockingly disorganized and irresponsible manner.
At that time, I was managing a small IT company called Inclusive Solutions LLC, but I participated in this project in practice as a freelance engineer, using PERSOL CAREER’s service as a freelance platform user.
Through this record, I intend to share my experience as a freelance professional in an objective and calm manner.
Summary of the Incident (in brief)
- The explanation provided by PERSOL CAREER before the project started was inconsistent with the actual working conditions.
- The project began before the formal contract was signed, and PERSOL later attempted to retroactively justify the situation as if the contract had already been in effect.
- The PERSOL agent reversed a prior oral agreement regarding payment and unilaterally forced a large discount.
- When we contacted the end client directly, our position was immediately accepted, revealing that the PERSOL agent had distorted the facts and misrepresented the intentions of the parties involved.
- After our inquiry, PERSOL suddenly withdrew from all intermediary responsibilities, claiming that it “no longer intervenes after contract formation.”
- As a result, all mediation duties that PERSOL was originally responsible for were abandoned, leaving both our company and the end client to handle the remaining administrative burden.
Currently, legal actions are under consideration.
The full scope of this incident may be revealed during court proceedings in the future.
At the Beginning of the Project, I Did Not Realize That I Was Being Exploited by PERSOL
When the project began, I was presented with a schedule for deliverables and deadlines through HiproTech, and I agreed to participate based on that information.
However, soon after the work started, it became clear that there were serious defects in the data provided, and it was impossible to produce the planned deliverables as originally described.
Within only a few days after the project started, I reported this situation and consulted Mr. Ryusei Azuma, the agent from PERSOL CAREER (Assistant Manager, Account Sales Kansai, Talent Sharing Business Division, Hipro Tech Department).
I explained that the contract needed to be revised and that an additional exemption clause should be included.
At that time, Mr. Azuma fully accepted my explanation, agreed that my opinion was reasonable, and expressed strong willingness to persuade the client and revise the contract scheme to restart the project properly.
I also told him that “if revising the contract is too difficult, it may be more realistic for me to withdraw from the project.”
In response, Mr. Azuma said, “This project is extremely important for the client.
They have already rejected all other candidates and wish to request your company in particular.
Therefore, leaving the project halfway would cause a serious problem.
Please continue under the assumption that we will revise the contract and complete the project.”
However, while he repeatedly insisted that I should not quit, he continued to avoid giving any clear answer about the payment for the work that had already been done.
During that period, Mr. Azuma and his subordinate called me almost every day—sometimes multiple times a day, even on weekends—claiming that “the client has new technical questions about the revised schedule.”
These were technical inquiries related to IT engineering, and I often provided explanations or submitted materials.
Although all of this was unpaid work, I believed that the young staff members at PERSOL were doing their best to keep the project moving, and I wanted to cooperate in good faith.
In addition, I also felt sympathy for the end client, who was trying hard to make the project succeed, and I did not want to be the one who would stop the project by showing frustration.
Therefore, I reluctantly continued to respond without compensation.
Looking back now, I realize that I was simply being taken advantage of by PERSOL because I was too trusting and cooperative.
Later, previously concealed facts came to light.
The Moment I Declared the End of Unpaid Support, Mr. Azuma’s Attitude Changed Completely
While the project was on hold and coordination between PERSOL and the end client was ongoing, a meeting was held to discuss restarting the project.
By that time, I was already worried because the payment for my past work had not yet been settled, and I thought that continuing any further without a confirmed amount would be risky.
During the meeting, the end client asked a technical question.
I replied clearly:
“I will not answer that question.
Since the payment for my previous work has not been determined, I have no obligation to continue providing responses.”
At that moment, Mr. Ryusei Azuma, the PERSOL agent in charge, suddenly showed visible displeasure.
His previously calm attitude changed completely.
From that point onward, PERSOL’s behavior toward me became clearly different.
Until then, Mr. Azuma had been active in discussing contract revision, client adjustment, and project restart.
However, once I asked for a specific payment amount, his tone became vague, and he even retracted the oral agreement that had been reached earlier.
He then proposed a large reduction in payment, which came completely out of nowhere.
It was at this moment that I finally realized something important:
PERSOL had never once said, “Please continue under conditions that you find reasonable.”
Instead, they had only said things like “Please don’t quit.”
In other words, rather than engaging in good-faith negotiation, they were trying to force me to continue under one-sided, unfair conditions, simply because it was convenient for them.
Feeling distrust and a sense of crisis, I decided to contact the end client directly by phone for the first time.
To my surprise, the client immediately agreed with my proposal and accepted the payment amount I requested without any resistance.
This proved that the amount presented by Mr. Azuma was not based on the client’s will at all—it was a price arbitrarily set by the intermediary.
What had taken more than a week to “negotiate” through PERSOL was resolved in less than an hour once I spoke directly with the client.
At that point, I became certain that PERSOL had been controlling and blocking the flow of information between the parties involved.
From then on, their behavior changed as if they had given up responsibility entirely:
- They altered previous explanations to fit their convenience.
- They ignored the negotiation history, claiming that “nothing had been decided.”
- Ultimately, once their position became disadvantageous, they shifted to saying,
“After the contract has been formed, any adjustments should be handled directly between the contracting parties.
We will not be involved.”
Then, they effectively abandoned the work and disappeared.
Amid growing anger and distrust, I began to interview people involved in the project—including the end client and other company members.
Through these interviews, I discovered that different people possessed different versions of information, and that there had been clear concealment of inconvenient facts.
It also became apparent that certain staff members had been giving inconsistent explanations to different people, manipulating others by switching between public statements and private intentions.
Furthermore, I found that information disadvantageous to me had been hidden, and that PERSOL had even been involved in fabricating certain documents.
These facts became known only after I conducted my own investigation.
If I had simply trusted PERSOL, I would have remained deceived and exploited without ever realizing it.
At this stage, my suspicion turned into conviction:
this was not a simple miscommunication or operational mistake, but rather a large-scale corporate misconduct systematically carried out within PERSOL.
Evidence Suggesting “Governance Failure” Within PERSOL CAREER’s HiproTech Division
The following points became clear through my communication with PERSOL CAREER:
- Even when I requested replies, their responses were consistently delayed, and the content of each reply kept changing.
- Until I persistently asked for it, the names of departments and supervisors of the staff in charge were not disclosed at all.
- Unless I repeatedly filed complaints, the company would not respond in any organized manner.
- Only after the situation had become serious enough to lead to potential litigation, and after persistent requests, did the company finally allow the service director to appear.
- However, even that director’s replies avoided the main points, repeating the same vague statements again and again.
The extremely poor client-response attitude of PERSOL has already been partially made public on our company website, with excerpts from their emails.
Even after this information was disclosed online, the company has still failed to take any organizational action.
I believe these records clearly show how difficult it was for me, as a freelance contractor, to have a sincere dialogue with them.
Through our online statements and criticisms, Inclusive Solutions LLC continues to call attention to this issue.
We believe that PERSOL Group’s behavior reflects an arrogant assumption that:
“If a large organization uses its media and legal power to suppress the issue,
individuals and small companies will not be able to fight back.”
In short, this is a company that refuses to respond sincerely unless external pressure is applied—even after such exposure on the Internet.
Therefore, I have come to a firm conclusion that this was not merely a “miscommunication” but a dispute intentionally created by PERSOL CAREER as an intermediary.
What Will Happen Next?
Regarding this matter, the responsible person at PERSOL CAREER CO., LTD. — Mr. Teppei Nomura, Executive Manager of the Hipro Tech Division — has already given an official statement to our company, stating that PERSOL CAREER will not provide any financial compensation.
The content of his written statement, sent by email on February 26, 2025, at 19:40, was as follows (quoted verbatim in translation):
“Regarding the series of events involving the transaction between Inclusive Solutions LLC and the end client, which was mediated by PERSOL CAREER CO., LTD.,
Mr. Teppei Nomura, Executive Manager of Hipro Tech, confirmed as of 19:00 on February 25, 2025, that there is no information within the company that could reasonably suggest any serious governance failure such as intentional deception, delay tactics, or concealment of information.
Based on this conclusion, PERSOL CAREER has determined that further internal investigation into governance issues is unnecessary and will be discontinued.
Consequently, because no governance failure has been identified, the company has decided not to offer any financial compensation.”
I believe that this point will become an extremely important issue if this case proceeds to court.
In simple terms, the major point of dispute will be whether Mr. Teppei Nomura, the responsible executive, was involved in any form of organized corporate misconduct.
We have already begun consulting with multiple attorneys, and we intend to involve journalists and industry professionals as well, in order to invite broader public discussion and examination of this matter.
Why I Am Writing This Article?
In recent years, the number of freelancers participating in corporate projects has been steadily increasing.
I myself have worked as a freelancer for more than five years, using major intermediary services such as Levtech and Lancers for many of my past projects.
Until this incident, I had never experienced any serious trouble of this kind, and I never imagined that I would one day encounter such a situation.
However, based on this experience, I have come to believe that many intermediary companies still operate without sufficient legal compliance, especially in areas such as contract structure, project management, information transparency, and governance.
By documenting what actually happened and why the dispute occurred, I aim to:
Help prevent other freelancers from falling into similar trouble in future projects, and Encourage companies to improve the transparency and fairness of their operations.
I sincerely hope that, through these efforts, both independent freelancers and corporate employees working within organizations will someday be able to work together beyond their different roles, building a more cooperative and fair working environment.
Follow-Up and Related Articles
This page is intended to serve as a digest version summarizing the overall background and the key points of my claims.
Below, I will continue to publish additional articles that explore each theme in more detail:
- [Differences Between the Pre-Contract Explanation and the Actual Situation (in preparation)]
- [Concerns and Doubts About PERSOL’s Handling of the Case (in preparation)]
- [Complete Record of the Project Suspension and the Escalation of the Conflict (in preparation)]
- [The Role of PERSOL as an Intermediary and the Question of Responsibility (in preparation)]
All follow-up information will be released on our company’s official website, under the News section:
I assume that PERSOL monitors this site every day, perhaps with desperate eyes.
Someday, they might even attempt to force the deletion of these articles, claiming that they contain personal information, trade secrets, or that they constitute “business interference.”
However, in questioning the corporate governance and compliance awareness of PERSOL, their future response to this issue is itself a matter of public interest.
Rather than continuing endless internal blame-shifting, the company should promptly acknowledge its own responsibility and sincerely apologize to all of the parties who have been affected.
In Closing
I hope that as many people as possible will learn about this issue and discuss it openly.
I will continue to use my technical skills to keep publishing information on the web.
Although this activity does not directly bring revenue or profit to our company, I regard it as an important effort to promote integrity and transparency within the industry.
Using the power of data and words to move people, organizations, and society itself — this is precisely the area of expertise and the purpose of existence for Inclusive Solutions LLC.
Our work includes:
- Copywriting that leaves a lasting impression,
- SEO optimization,
- Brand and concept design to establish a unique position, and
- Marketing strategies to grow a message into a large media presence.
From our perspective, this case is not merely a private dispute but a social issue that must be solved with the power of marketing and communication.
Inclusive Solutions LLC, as a company specializing in marketing and data utilization, aims to resolve this matter by applying its know-how in public-interest communication.
Receiving support and being followed by readers means a great deal to me personally.
It gives me the motivation to continue.
For the future of the IT industry — and for everyone involved in the world of human resources —
I will keep publishing information on the “HiPro Scandal”,hoping that these experiences can serve as a lesson for others.
Translator’s Notes / Cultural Context
Apology culture and responsibility
→ The repeated emphasis on “acknowledging responsibility” and “apologizing” reflects Japanese corporate ethics,
where apology (謝罪) often serves both symbolic and practical purposes in restoring trust, even before legal resolution.
“Work, and Laugh Together” (はたらいて、笑おう。)
→ This is PERSOL Group’s long-running Japanese corporate slogan.
In Japan, such slogans often carry emotional and moral undertones, implying harmony, optimism, and collective spirit rather than literal “laughter.”
The author uses it ironically, to contrast the company’s public image with its internal misconduct.
“Freelance engineer” and “agency mediation” in Japan
→ In Japan, freelance engineers often work through large staffing or intermediary companies, rather than contracting directly with clients.
These intermediaries hold significant power, sometimes blurring legal distinctions between “contract for work” (請負契約) and “quasi-delegation contract” (準委任契約) — a nuance unique to Japanese labor law.
“ガバナンス不全” (governance failure)
→ A Japanese term widely used in corporate compliance discussions after the Olympus and Toshiba scandals.
It implies systemic corporate dysfunction or lack of internal control, not just managerial error.
“無償対応” (unpaid support)
→ A culturally charged phrase in Japan.
Providing “unpaid help” is often socially expected as goodwill or “協力姿勢 (spirit of cooperation),”
but it can easily lead to exploitation in hierarchical or opaque corporate environments.
“炎上プロジェクト” (literally “burning project”)
→ A popular slang term meaning “a failed or chaotic project that attracts controversy.”
In English, this was translated as “a failed project” or “collapsed project,” avoiding the literal “burning,” which would sound too dramatic.