National Mar 31, 2020
For Japan's nonregular workers, a weaker safety net as COVID-19 spreads
by Magdalena Osumi
Different conditions from full-time staff creates worries for foreign-language teachers and others.
National Mar 19, 2020
Tokyo Disneyland workers press for wages to be paid through virus shutdown
A labor union for nonregular workers at Tokyo Disneyland on Thursday asked the operator of the major theme park to keep paying staff while the facility remains closed due to the spread of COVID-19. The union said the workers were told by the operator Oriental ...
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Mar 3, 2020
With the coronavirus canceling classes, what are English teachers to do?
by Patrick St. Michel
ALTs and English-language school employees are reporting confusion over what role their employers should play in a possible pandemic.
National Jan 15, 2020
Families of Kyoto Animation attack victims start receiving workers' comp
The government has started paying out on compensation claims for those killed in the Kyoto Animation Co. studio arson attack after the agency recognized the deaths as work-related.
Business / Corporate Dec 30, 2019
Old habits die hard: Japan still struggling with push toward working style reform
by Masumi Koizumi
Older managers are failing to recognize changing expectations among a younger workforce.
National | Help Wanted? Dec 29, 2019
Student's death reveals dark side of Bhutan-Japan exchange program
by Ryusei Takahashi
A year has passed since the lifeless body of a Bhutanese exchange student was discovered hanging from a tree in a public park in Fukuoka. Sonam Tobgay, 24, was a student in the Learn and Earn Program, an exchange program created by the Bhutanese labor ...
Business / Corporate Dec 10, 2019
Seven-Eleven Japan failed to pay at least ¥490 million in overtime over several decades
A long-running error in the Seven & I Holdings Co. unit’s calculations for such workers led to the shortfall for payments to part-time staff, sources said.
Business / Corporate Dec 5, 2019
Advertising giant Dentsu again found violating rules on overtime hours
Dentsu Inc. said Thursday it had again received a warning from labor authorities over illegal overtime practices. Two years after being convicted over working practices involving long hours, which had led to the suicide of an employee, the advertising giant was found to have violated ...
National Dec 4, 2019
Diet passes bill giving teachers more holiday but longer work hours during busy periods
As part of work style reforms, the Diet enacted a bill Wednesday to introduce a new working-hour system that will enable public school teachers to take extended holidays. The legislation to revise a special law on teacher salaries was adopted at a plenary meeting of ...
Business / Corporate Nov 22, 2019
Suicide of Mitsubishi Electric unit employee caused by overwork, labor office rules
The supervisor’s December 2017 suicide at Mitsubishi Electric unit Melco Semiconductor came after he logged over 100 hours of overtime per month.
National Nov 5, 2019
Filipino worker says Yokohama legal firm won't return her passport after she quit
It is illegal for employers to keep passports of foreign nationals who live in Japan as technical trainees, but there are no penal regulations for other foreign workers.
Business Oct 20, 2019
Against the tide, cocoa growers plan to suspend ethical programs
In a world that is growing increasingly concerned about corporate commitments to environmental and social responsibility, top cocoa producers Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana are planning to make a move that goes against the tide. The West African nations, which produce more than 60 percent of ...