Employers are required to provide at least 30 days' notice or pay in lieu of it, irrespective of the duration of the employee's service.
The notice period requirement does not apply to employees on probationary period who have worked for less than 14 days.
There are 4 categories of work visas in Japan:
Effective March 9, 2026, employers who hire foreign nationals through a dispatch or Employer of Record (EOR) arrangement and submit applications under the Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, or International Services category must submit a signed pledge document to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA).
In Japan, employees are entitled to at least 10 consecutive or nonconsecutive days of paid annual leave, if they meet the following conditions:
Persons employed for at least 1.5 years receive one additional day for each year of continuous service, up to a maximum of 20 days.
Unused annual paid leave may be carried over and taken the next year only. Payment in lieu of unused leave is subject to the agreement between the employee and the employer.
In Japan, the maximum working hours are 40 hours a week and 8 hours a day. These hours may be extended to 10 hours a day under special circumstances, such as prescribed businesses in which there is substantial fluctuation in daily hours, when agreed with relevant labor unions, a disaster, and other unavoidable events.
Minor employees who are 15-17 years of age are not allowed to work more than 7 hours a day (or 40 hours a week), including school hours. This is unless the working hours are reduced to 4 hours a day, which can be increased to 10 hours on any other day.
Japan has introduced new guidelines for remote work. It allows working from home or any other location. The duration of working hours and other terms of work are discussed between employers and employees. Employers must introduce tools to facilitate remote work and track hours of work.
Maternity leave in Japan is set at 14 weeks, including 6 weeks of prenatal and 8 weeks of postnatal leave. If the employee is enrolled in the Employees' Health Insurance Scheme, it is paid at the rate of 67% of her daily wage until 6 months when the benefit is reduced to 50%.
Employers are prohibited from dismissing employees due to marriage, pregnancy, or childbirth. Dismissal of pregnant workers or employees in the first year after delivery is void unless the employer can prove just reasons for dismissal.
In Japan, each prefecture sets its minimum hourly wage rate, bringing the national weighted average to JPY 1,121 (Japanese yen).
The Labor Standards Act of Japan requires employees to pay wages at least once a month on a fixed date. It does not apply to wages paid on an ad hoc basis, bonuses, and any other wages prescribed by the Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
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