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| Employment Counseling Corner for Foreigners |
The Public Employment Security Office provides job seekers advice and assistance
and helps them find jobs that match their qualifications and working conditions.
The offices are usually located within your commuting distance. Please
note that your visa status or foreign registration card will be checked
before receiving job referrals if you have a work permit.
◆ Social Security Offices
| Chiba |
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2-11, Tonya-cho, Chuo-ku, Chiba City
Tel. 043-242-1181 |
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| Ichikawa |
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5-11-21, Minami-Yawata, Ichikawa City
Tel. 047-370-8609 |
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| Funabashi |
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2-10-17, Minato-cho, Funabashi City
Tel. 047-431-8287 |
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| Matsudo |
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1-174, Asahi-cho, Matsudo City
Tel. 047-348-6100
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The above offices provide services only in Japanese. For consultation in English, please contact Chiba Prefectural Telephone Advisory Service.
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Counseling on employment conditions and Workmen’s Accident Compensation Insurance is available at:
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Employment Counseling Corner for Foreigners
Chiba Labor Standards Office
Chiba Daini Chiho Godochosha Bldg., 4-11-1, Chuo, Chuo-ku, Chiba City
Tel. 043-221-2304 (English is available)
Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm |
When people who have been enrolled in employment insurance quit their job,
they should go to the Public Employment Security Office ("Hello Work")
to apply for another job, search and then carry out the procedures for
receiving an unemployment benefit.
In order to receive an unemployment benefit, you must fulfill the following conditions:
| 1. |
You must have paid employment insurance for at least a full six months
and received wages for at least 14 days work per month during a certain
period prior to the day on which you quit your job. |
| 2. |
You must have the will and ability to work (in other words, you must be in a state of "unemployment"). |
| 3. |
You must have applied to look for work at the Public Employment Security Office. |
The documents and items necessary for applying to receive the unemployment
benefits are as follows:
| 1. |
Resignation cards for an employment insurance policy holder (There are two types of form: Form 1 and 2 both issued by the company you worked for prior to resignation.)
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| 2. |
Employment insurance certificate |
| 3. |
Seal |
| 4. |
An official document confirming your address and age (Certificate of Foreign
Registration, driving license and so on) |
| 5. |
One photograph (frontal view, waist up; about 3cm high and 2.5 cm wide) |
| 6. |
Bankbook |
The date at which the payment of unemployment benefits begins differs according to whether you resigned at the convenience of the company or voluntarily. Retirement at the convenience of the company refers to cases in which the company goes bankrupt because of a business slump, etc., you are made to resign because of the company's management difficulties, or you resign upon reaching mandatory retirement age. In such cases, benefits are paid after you have waited seven days from the day on which you became unemployed.
Voluntary resignation refers to cases in which you quit work at your own convenience, not the company's. In such cases, you have to file an application at the Public Employment Security Office in your area and wait 7 days to be qualified as an unemployment insurance recipient. If you are qualified, the benefits will be paid after a 90-day waiting period.
The benefits are paid once every four weeks on the designated date for the number of days the recipient was qualified. The daily unemployment benefits vary according to the recipient’s previous earnings, reason for resignation, enrollment period and age. If you do not appear at the Public Employment Security Office on the designated dates, the benefits will not be paid.
| Work-related accident compensation insurance |
The work-related accident compensation insurance scheme provides benefits to the principal or his or her bereaved family if the principal suffers injury, illness, or death in an accident during work or commuting to work.
If the principal suffers an injury in an accident during work or commuting, a fixed sum is paid to cover the medical expenses for the injury and as partial compensation for the principal's wage during the period when the principal cannot work because of the injury.
If the principal dies in the accident, a lump-sum allowance is paid to the bereaved family, as well as a pension, money to cover funeral expenses, and so on.
To apply for these benefits, the principal who suffered the accident or
bereaved family must submit an insurance benefit claim to the Labor Standards
Inspection Office.
An employment contract is a contract stating the working conditions between
each employee and their employer. The employer must state in writing, working
conditions such as pay and working hours, etc. of the employee and give
this to him/her.
Trouble can occur when only a verbal contract is made since there is no
evidence of pay terms. It is therefore important to obtain a detailed written
contract. If the contract is written in Japanese, have it translated into
your native language and check the contents.
| Details which must be stated in an employment contract |
| 1. |
The term of the working contract |
| 2. |
Place of work and work content |
| 3. |
Work starting time and finishing time, the possibility of work outside the
specified work hours, rest time, holidays, vacations, etc. |
| 4. |
Pay terms, how it is calculated and method of payment, when it is to be
paid, information about pay increases |
| 5. |
Details about retirement |
If a company has fixed working regulations ask to see its ‘Work Regulations’ (shugyo kisoku) and check the contents.
Wages (Pay)
| Method of payment of wages (pay) |
To ensure wages are properly paid, wages must, in principle, be paid (1)
in money, (2) directly to the individual employee, (3) in full, (4) once
or more a month, (5) on a certain day in accordance with the Labor Standards
Law (rodo kijun ho).
The minimum wage is decided by the Minimum Wage Law (saitei chingin ho).
An employer must pay employees more than the minimum wage. If an employer
pays less than the minimum wage, not only will they have to pay the employee
the difference, they may also be fined. The minimum wage differs depending
on the region and is revised every year. The minimum wage also applies
to part-time workers.
If wages are not paid, consult the Labor Standards Inspection Office (rodo
kijun kantoku sho) or labor enquires office immediately.
| What is work dismissal (kaiko) ? |
Work dismissal (kaiko) is the one-sided termination of an employment contract
by the employer. An employer must have a rational reason to dismiss an
employee. If you are dismissed without a justifiable reason, you should
consult a Labor Standards Inspection Office or a labor enquiries office
immediately.
| 1. |
In the case where there is no fixed term of employment |
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An employer must give at least 30 days notice of dismissal to the employee. If the employer dismisses an employee immediately, the employee must be paid an average wage for 30 days or more as ‘notice pay’. |
| 2. |
In the case where there is a fixed term of employment |
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An employer cannot dismiss an employee during the term of the employment contract except under unavoidable circumstances. Even under unavoidable circumstances, the employer needs to give 30 days or more notice or pay ‘notice pay’. |
| 3. |
If you are dissatisfied with your dismissal |
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If you are dissatisfied with your dismissal, you should express your dissatisfaction with your employer and have the employer issue a Proof of Resignation’ (taishoku shomei sho) to clarify the reason for the termination of the contract, whether it was a dismissal or resignation. |
If you are not satisfied with the employer’s reason for dismissal, you
should consult the Labor Center (rodo center), a lawyer or some trustworthy
enquiry office. If you think your dismissal is in breach of the Labor Standards
Law, consulting the Labor Standards Office is also possible.
If the employee makes a request to resign and the employer agrees, the
employment relationship is terminated by a mutually agreed contract.
An employee with no fixed term of employment can leave the company 2 weeks after the date of their notification of resignation even if the employer does not agree with the resignation.
If the employee is working under a fixed term of employment, they cannot ask to terminate the contract during the fixed term except under unavoidable circumstances.
If an employer agrees to an employee’s resignation, the employee, in principle,
cannot withdraw their resignation request. It is important to be careful
when resigning.
In the case of resignation, if the employee demands, unpaid wages can be paid within 7 days. Savings, wages and other money which you have a claim to can also be returned.
The employee must return to the employer any company ID cards, uniforms lent to them, and their health insurance card by the date stated in the ‘working rules’.
Working hours
Working hours according to The Labor Standards Law are, in general, the
hours worked under the supervision and direction of the employer. If preparation
for work, tidying up after work, and training are done under the direction
of the employer, this time is considered to be within working hours.
Working hours are, in principle, 40 hours per week excluding break-time and within 8 hours per day. For small-size businesses (under 10 people), movie and theater businesses, health and hygiene businesses and entertainment/amusement businesses which deal with customers as a special measure, working hours are 44 hours per week.
Employers must give 45 minutes break-time for work over 6 hours and 1 hour
break-time for work over 8 hours. The break-time must be given during working
hours.
This break-time must be given to all employees at the same time. Employees must be free to use this time as they wish. (This excludes certain businesses and industries where a written agreement is made.)
There are also laws concerning pay for overtime work, extra pay, pay for holidays and vacations.
| Quitting job and changing to another company |
1. Please think carefully about the following matters, among others, before
quitting your job and moving to another company. In Japan, the custom is
for people not to suddenly quit their job.
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1) |
Are you satisfied with the conditions at the new company to which you want to move, such as salary and working hours? |
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2) |
Is the new company to which you want to move enrolled in social insurance (employment insurance, health insurance, employee's pension, work-related accident compensation insurance), and will it let you (a long-term resident) enroll in these schemes? |
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3) |
Is there someone in the new company to which you want to move who will give you advice about not only work but also family and daily life matters? |
2. Procedures for quitting job
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1) |
When you have determined, after careful consideration, to quit job, please
convey your intention to the employer as soon as possible (for example,
one month before your resignation). |
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2) |
On the day that you quit, please return your employee identification card and health insurance certificate to the company. |
People who do not immediately find their next employment need to change
their health insurance to the national health insurance scheme and their
social security pension to the national pension scheme.
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Related Website
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