6-2 After starting work
Employment contracts, work regulations and company rules
An employment contract is an arrangement between a company and an individual. There is a separate set of work regulations that lays out the rules for the company and all employees (in companies of ten or more people).
If there are conflicts between your employment contract and the work regulations, the work regulations take precedence. In some cases, a company, office or section may have its own unwritten rules that are not in employment contracts or work regulations.
Switching jobs, quitting companies
When leaving a company because you are resigning and/or switching jobs, you must either inform the company of your resignation or submit a resignation notice in accordance with work regulations. Within fourteen days of resigning, you must submit a notification regarding the contracting organization to the Immigration Services Agency. You can continue to look for a new job after you resign, but if you haven’t found a job after three months you will be considered to be not engaged in activities that correspond to your visa status, and your visa may be revoked.
Switching jobs in Japan: Advantage or disadvantage?
In Japan, simultaneous hiring and lifetime employment were the norm for a long time, and many people still tend to have a bad impression about changing jobs.
Switching jobs may not necessarily lead to career advancement. However, more and more companies are emphasizing experience and focusing on mid-career hiring.
When a foreign resident who has a work visa switches jobs, the procedures after switching jobs differ depending visa status.
Unemployment insurance
If you have paid unemployment insurance for at least twelve months since you started working for an employer, you are eligible to receive unemployment benefits after you leave. The amount of unemployment benefits depends on the length of time you worked.
Useful links
◆Employment consultation for foreign residents◆
- ●Consultation and Support Office for Foreigners(Tokyo Labor Bureau) [English, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.]
- ●Working Condition Consultation Hot Line(MHLW): Telephone consultation in various languages
- ●Legal Counseling Center for Foreigners (Tokyo Bar Association) [English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish] Fee required