# Hiring in Japan

Review edition — pending Theo Smith approval.

## What must the agreement contain?

The ordinary Labour Standards Act limits are eight hours per day and forty hours per week. Exceptions and lawful overtime arrangements require separate review.

Applies to: Japanese Labour Standards Act ordinary working hours

Still to establish: Worker classification, industry exceptions, overtime agreement and premium rates

- Worker classification, industry exceptions, overtime agreement and premium rates

Next step: Confirm Worker classification, industry exceptions, overtime agreement and premium rates.

- [Japan Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare](https://www.check-roudou.mhlw.go.jp/law/roudoukijun.html)

Checked 2026-09-28. Research status: partial.

## What happens at exit?

An employer generally must give at least thirty days’ dismissal notice or pay average wages for the missing notice days. Compliance with notice does not by itself make a dismissal legally valid.

Applies to: Japanese Labour Standards Act notice; statutory exceptions require checking

Still to establish: Valid dismissal grounds, protected periods, exceptions and final settlement

- Valid dismissal grounds, protected periods, exceptions and final settlement

Next step: Confirm Valid dismissal grounds, protected periods, exceptions and final settlement.

- [Japan Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/roudouseisaku/chushoukigyou/keiyakushuryo_rule.html)

Checked 2026-09-28. Research status: partial.

## How do we manage employment after onboarding?

Labour Contract Act article 8 permits agreed changes to employment terms. Articles 9 and 10 separately govern detrimental changes through work rules, including a reasonableness exception.

Applies to: Japanese employment contract changes; employee agreement is not the only statutory analysis for work-rule changes.

Still to establish: Agreement, type of change, work-rule reasonableness, communication and collective terms

- Confirm the specific change or payroll event and applicable statutory/collective rules.
- Identify who can approve and sign, required notice/consent, and employee remedies.
- Validate payroll timing, accrued entitlements and employer documentation for the worker.
- Agreement, type of change, work-rule reasonableness, communication and collective terms



- [www.mhlw.go.jp](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/web/t_doc?dataId=73aa9536)

Checked 2026-09-28. Research status: partial.