Employment

You can take paid leave after working continuously for 6 months and attending work for at least 80% of scheduled workdays.

You can take childcare leave in Japan until your child turns 1 year old, and up to 1 year and 2 months under certain conditions.

Employers in Japan must take necessary measures to prevent maternity harassment, including establishing consultation systems and responding promptly to complaints.

No, an employer generally cannot dismiss an employee during maternity leave in Japan. The law prohibits dismissal from 6 weeks before childbirth (14 weeks for multiple births) until 8 weeks after childbirth.

In Japan, employers must give at least 30 days’ written notice before dismissal—or pay 30 days’ average wages instead.

Yes, firing someone because of pregnancy is illegal in Japan under the Equal Employment Opportunity Law and the Labor Standards Act.

No, employees dismissed during probation generally have fewer protections than regular employees in Japan, but employers must still act reasonably and avoid abuse of rights.

Economic dismissal in Japan requires (1) genuine business necessity, (2) efforts to avoid dismissal, (3) reasonable selection of employees, and (4) proper procedural fairness.

In Japan, in an unfair dismissal case, you can request reinstatement, unpaid wages from dismissal to reinstatement, and/or payment in lieu of reinstatement.

In Japan, employers must pay at least 25% more than the regular hourly wage for overtime work exceeding 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week.

In Japan, the legal maximum working hours per day is 8 hours, unless overtime is agreed upon under strict limits and conditions.

In Japan, the monthly overtime limit is generally 45 hours, but under special agreements, it can rise to 100 hours per month — with strict conditions.

Employers in Japan must pay at least 25% more than the regular hourly wage for work performed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Yes, employers in Japan must provide key employment conditions in writing to employees at the time of hiring.

Under Japanese law, employers must take necessary measures to prevent sexual harassment, including establishing consultation systems, investigating complaints promptly, and implementing appropriate responses such as disciplinary action or workplace adjustments.

Yes, under Japan’s Equal Employment Opportunity Law and Part-Time Workers Act, part-time workers performing the same duties as full-time workers must receive equal pay and treatment.

Yes, it is illegal in Japan to treat a worker unfairly for joining or organizing a union. The Labor Union Act explicitly prohibits such discrimination.

Yes, it is illegal in Japan to set different hiring criteria by gender, as this violates the Equal Employment Opportunity Law and the Constitution.

No, an employer generally cannot unilaterally change employment conditions without the employee’s consent, unless the change is reasonable and meets strict legal requirements under the Labor Contract Act.

No, you do not have to comply if the salary reduction violates the Labor Contract Act or lacks reasonable grounds and proper procedure.

No, a fixed-term contract in Japan cannot be freely non-renewed if renewal has become reasonably expected — employers must have objectively reasonable grounds and act in good faith.

Yes, you can quit even if your company refuses to accept your resignation. Under Japanese law, resignation takes effect automatically after the required notice period — no employer approval is needed.

Under Japanese law, employers must not refuse collective bargaining without justifiable reasons; doing so constitutes an unfair labor practice.

Yes, you generally have a right to retirement allowance if your company has a retirement allowance system and you meet its conditions — especially if it’s stipulated in your employment contract or work rules.