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Workers’ rights · 労働者の権利 · rōdōsha no kenri

Your rights at work in Japan and free help in English

Japanese labor law protects foreign workers exactly as it protects Japanese workers: minimum wage, overtime pay, paid leave, protection from unfair dismissal and harassment. The main rights, what to do when wages are not paid or you are dismissed, what evidence to keep — and the free government help lines in English, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog, Indonesian and other languages.

Free help lines

Your employment contract

Checked against Japanese law and the websites of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Immigration Services Agency and Houterasu on October 7, 2026 · Types of employment · Quitting or being dismissed

A consultation at a Labor Bureau costs¥0

You can claim unpaid wages for3 years

Of unpaid wages the state pays if your employer goes bankrupt80%

To notify immigration after losing a job14 days

In short

Labor law does not depend on your nationality

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) puts it plainly: a foreign national who works at a workplace in Japan is fully covered by the Labor Standards Act (外国人であっても日本の国内の事業場で働く労働者であれば、労基法は全面的に適用されます). That covers regular employees, contract workers, dispatched workers and part-time jobs (アルバイト, arubaito). The only exceptions are work for relatives you live with and domestic workers in a private household.

  • Equal treatment: paying you less or giving you worse conditions because of your nationality is prohibited (Article 3). Lower wages in your home country are no reason for a difference.
  • Complaining is safe: you may not be dismissed for going to the Labor Standards Inspection Office or for asking for help with harassment.
  • Help is free: consultations at Labor Bureaus and inspection offices cost nothing and need no appointment.
  • In your language: MHLW runs telephone lines in 13 foreign languages, among them English, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog, Indonesian, Chinese and Myanmar (see below).

Your rights

What the law guarantees every worker

  • Wages — in money, to you directly, in full, at least once a month, on a fixed day. Never below the minimum wage of the prefecture where you work (Tokyo: ¥1,280 an hour from October 1, 2026).
  • Deductions — only taxes, social insurance and what a written agreement with the workers allows.
  • Overtime — only under an Article 36 Agreement (36協定) and with a premium of at least 25%. Details: working hours and overtime.
  • Annual paid leave — 10 days after 6 months of work; part-timers get leave in proportion. Details: paid leave and sick leave.
  • Work stopped by the employer — at least 60% of your average wage (allowance for absence from work, 休業手当, kyūgyō teate).
  • Injury at work or on the way to work — treatment and benefits from Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance, paid for by your employer. Details: injured at work.
  • No fines or deposits: an employer may not agree a penalty for quitting in advance, set off an advance given on condition that you work for it against your wages, or make you save money with the company (Articles 16–18). Nor should your employer keep your passport or residence card.
  • When you leave — wages and your belongings are returned within 7 days of your request, and on request you get a certificate of your employment and the reason for leaving (certificate on separation from employment, 退職証明書, taishoku shōmeisho).

ハラスメント · harasumento

Harassment and bullying at work

Your employer must prevent harassment: set rules, provide a place to report it, act quickly and never punish the person who reported.

Kind What it is Employer’s duty since
Power harassment (パワハラ, pawahara) Pressure, insults or bullying by a boss or colleagues Large companies June 1, 2020; small and medium companies April 1, 2022
Sexual harassment (セクハラ, sekuhara) Sexual harassment All employers, whatever their size
Maternity harassment (マタハラ, matahara) Pressure because of pregnancy, childbirth, childcare or family-care leave All employers
Customer harassment (カスハラ, kasuhara) Unacceptable behavior by customers, including by phone and on social media October 1, 2026
Sexual harassment of job seekers (就活セクハラ) Sexual harassment of applicants, for example at interviews October 1, 2026

What to do: write down dates, words and witnesses, and keep messages; report to the person in charge at your company; if that does not help, go to the Employment Environment and Equal Employment Department (雇用環境・均等部) of your prefecture’s Labor Bureau or to a General Labor Consultation Corner (below).

未払賃金 · miharai chingin

If your wages or overtime are not paid

You can claim unpaid wages for 3 years from the day they were due, and severance pay for 5 years. For example, wages due on October 25, 2026 can be claimed until October 25, 2029.

  • Ask your employer in writing to pay, and keep a copy.
  • Go to the Labor Standards Inspection Office (労働基準監督署, rōdō kijun kantokusho): unpaid wages and overtime break the law, and the office can inspect the company.
  • For a dispute about the amount, a General Labor Consultation Corner gives advice and free mediation (あっせん, assen).

If the company went bankrupt: the wage advance (未払賃金立替払)

The state pays part of the debt instead of the employer: 80% of unpaid wages and severance pay (bonuses are not included) that fell due between 6 months before you left and the day before you claim. The conditions: the company was in business for at least a year and went bankrupt (small and medium companies also de facto, as certified by the Labor Standards Inspection Office); you left within 2 years counted from 6 months before the bankruptcy petition; the debt is at least ¥20,000; you claim within 2 years after the bankruptcy decision.

Your age on the day you left Debt counted up to Maximum payment
Under 30 ¥1,100,000 ¥880,000
30–44 ¥2,200,000 ¥1,760,000
45 and older ¥3,700,000 ¥2,960,000

Example: you are 35 and owed ¥600,000 → you receive ¥480,000. Owed ¥3,000,000 → you receive ¥1,760,000 (the cap). Start at the Labor Standards Inspection Office: it explains the procedure.

解雇 · kaiko

Unfair dismissal

  • A reason is required: a dismissal without an objectively reasonable ground, or out of proportion to the situation, is void.
  • 30 days’ notice, or 30 days’ average wage instead (or pay for the days of notice that are missing). Dismissal without notice only in special cases, with the approval of the Labor Standards Inspection Office.
  • Dismissal is prohibited: during treatment of a work injury and maternity leave and for 30 days after; because of nationality, sex, marriage, pregnancy or childcare leave; for complaining to the inspection office, asking for help with harassment or joining a labor union.
  • Fixed-term contract: before it ends, only for an unavoidable reason. If the contract was renewed 3 times or more, or you have worked more than a year, you must be told 30 days in advance that it will not be renewed.
  • “We suggest you resign” (encouragement to resign, 退職勧奨, taishoku kanshō) is only a request — you may say no. If you agree, it counts as leaving for company reasons for unemployment benefits.
  • Ask for the reason in writing (解雇理由証明書, kaiko riyū shōmeisho) — you may request it from the day you are given notice.

How to quit yourself and what to get when you leave: quitting or being dismissed in Japan. Benefits after losing a job: unemployment benefits.

Free help

Free government services, in English and other languages

Start with a General Labor Consultation Corner: it works out which office you need and helps settle the dispute.

Where What they help with How it works
General Labor Consultation Corner (総合労働相談コーナー, sōgō rōdō sōdan kōnā) Any work problem: dismissal, non-renewal, pay cuts, bullying. Advice and free mediation 378 desks in Labor Bureaus and inspection offices; free, no appointment; closed weekends, holidays and December 29 – January 3
Labor Standards Inspection Office (労働基準監督署) Breaking the law: unpaid wages or overtime, no written working conditions. Also a desk for people unsure whether they are a freelancer or an employee Weekdays
Employment Environment and Equal Employment Department (雇用環境・均等部) of the Labor Bureau Harassment, discrimination, pregnancy and childcare or family-care leave The Labor Bureau of your prefecture
Telephone Consultation Service for Foreign Workers (外国人労働者向け相談ダイヤル) Work problems, in 13 languages — numbers below 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed noon to 1 p.m.; paid call: ¥9.35 per 180 seconds from a landline, ¥22 per 30 seconds from a mobile
Labour Standards Advice Hotline (労働条件相談ほっとライン) Evening and weekend line commissioned by MHLW — numbers below Free; weekdays 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Foreign Residents Support Center (外国人在留支援センター, FRESC) Labor consultation, job search, legal information and immigration questions under one roof Yotsuya Tower 13F, 1-6-1 Yotsuya, Shinjuku, Tokyo; weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Japan Legal Support Center (Houterasu, 法テラス) — Multilingual Information Service Which law applies and where to go, in a three-way call with an interpreter; a free lawyer consultation if your income is limited 0570-078377 (050-3754-5430 from IP or prepaid phones), Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the service is free, the call is not
Immigration Information Center (外国人在留総合インフォメーションセンター) Your status of residence after losing or changing a job 0570-013904 (03-5796-7112 from IP phones and abroad), weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Languages at Labor Bureaus. According to the MHLW leaflet for foreign nationals, you can consult in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Portuguese, Spanish, Nepali, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Mongolian, Myanmar and Cambodian at a Labor Bureau or a General Labor Consultation Corner. Which language is available on which day differs by office — the MHLW list of foreign-language desks by prefecture is linked in the sources.

Telephone Consultation Service for Foreign Workers

Connects you to a foreign-worker adviser at a Labor Bureau. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed noon to 1 p.m.), closed December 29 to January 3. Paid call.

Language Days Phone
English Monday to Friday 0570-001-701
Chinese Monday to Friday 0570-001-702
Portuguese Monday to Friday 0570-001-703
Spanish Monday to Friday 0570-001-704
Tagalog Monday to Friday 0570-001-705
Vietnamese Monday to Friday 0570-001-706
Myanmar Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 0570-001-707
Nepali Monday to Friday 0570-001-708
Korean Tuesday to Friday 0570-001-709
Thai Tuesday, Thursday 0570-001-712
Indonesian Tuesday, Thursday 0570-001-715
Cambodian (Khmer) Wednesday 0570-001-716
Mongolian Friday 0570-001-718

Labour Standards Advice Hotline

Free, from anywhere in Japan, when Labor Bureaus are closed: weekdays 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed December 29 to January 3.

Language Days Phone
Japanese every day 0120-811-610
English every day 0120-531-401
Chinese every day 0120-531-402
Portuguese Monday to Saturday 0120-531-403
Spanish Thursday, Friday, Saturday 0120-531-404
Tagalog Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 0120-531-405
Vietnamese Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday to Sunday 0120-531-406
Myanmar Wednesday, Sunday 0120-531-407
Nepali Wednesday, Sunday 0120-531-408
Korean Thursday, Sunday 0120-613-801
Thai Thursday, Sunday 0120-613-802
Indonesian Thursday, Sunday 0120-613-803
Cambodian (Khmer) Monday, Saturday 0120-613-804
Mongolian Monday, Saturday 0120-613-805

In Tokyo: FRESC

  • Tokyo Labour Bureau Consultation and Support Office for Foreign Workers, 03-5361-8728: easy Japanese, English, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Myanmar, Nepali, Thai, Indonesian, Mongolian, Cambodian (Khmer).
  • Tokyo Employment Service Center for Foreigners, 03-5361-8722: easy Japanese, English, Chinese.
  • Houterasu desk (easy Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Nepali, Thai, Indonesian) and an immigration consultation desk of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau.

If you need a lawyer. If your income and savings are limited and you have a status of residence, Houterasu offers a free consultation with a lawyer and can advance the lawyer’s fees, which you then repay in monthly installments (civil legal aid, 民事法律扶助). Call the Multilingual Information Service to ask whether you qualify.

Evidence

What to keep, starting today

  • Your notice of working conditions or contract, and the company rules (rules of employment, 就業規則).
  • Payslips and bank statements showing your wages.
  • Records of your working time: timesheets, screenshots, your own notes of when you started and finished.
  • Messages with your boss and HR, letters about dismissal or non-renewal.
  • Notes on harassment: date, what was said, who saw it; medical certificates if you have them.
  • The certificate of the reason for dismissal (解雇理由証明書) and the certificate on separation from employment (退職証明書).

Step by step: if your employer breaks your rights

  1. Collect documentsContract, payslips, working-time records, messages.
  2. Raise it with the company in writingWith your boss, HR or the company’s harassment desk.
  3. Free consultationA General Labor Consultation Corner, the Telephone Consultation Service for Foreign Workers or the evening hotline.
  4. Inspection or mediationA breach of the law → Labor Standards Inspection Office; a dispute → mediation (あっせん).
  5. A lawyerIf the dispute is still not settled — a lawyer or a Labor and Social Security Attorney; with a limited income, through Houterasu.

Deadlines

Time limits, and what happens if you miss them

What When If you miss it
Claiming unpaid wages 3 years from the payday (severance pay: 5 years) the right expires
Claiming the wage advance after a bankruptcy 2 years after the bankruptcy decision no payment
Unused annual paid leave expires after 2 years the days are lost
Notifying immigration after leaving a job 14 days a fine of up to ¥200,000
Not working in your status activity no more than 3 months without a good reason your status of residence may be revoked

Linked to your visa

A dispute with your employer and your status of residence

Linked to your visa.

  • A dispute with your employer does not cancel your status of residence and does not stop you from going to the inspection office.
  • If you quit or are dismissed, notify the Immigration Services Agency within 14 days that the contract has ended (for Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services and other contract-based statuses: Notification of the Contracting Organization, 契約機関に関する届出) — online, in person or by mail. Not filing can mean a fine of up to ¥200,000.
  • Not doing the activity of your status for 3 months without a good reason is a ground for revoking it. Do not put off looking for a job, and keep the papers on the dispute and your job search.
  • A new contract — another notification within 14 days.

Notifications to immigration · Extending your period of stay · Changing jobs

FAQ

Questions about your rights at work

Can’t find your question? Write to us — a real person replies.

Ask us a question

Does Japanese labor law protect foreign workers?

Yes, fully. The Labor Standards Act applies to everyone who works at a workplace in Japan, whatever their nationality or status of residence, including part-time jobs. Paying a worker less or giving worse conditions because of nationality is prohibited.

Call the Telephone Consultation Service for Foreign Workers (English 0570-001-701, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., paid call) or the free Labour Standards Advice Hotline (English 0120-531-401, every day: weekdays 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.). You can also visit a General Labor Consultation Corner without an appointment.

Yes. Both MHLW telephone lines have Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog and Indonesian numbers, each on certain days of the week, as well as Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, Myanmar, Korean, Thai, Cambodian and Mongolian. The days and numbers are in the table on this page.

Ask in writing and keep a copy, then go to the Labor Standards Inspection Office: unpaid wages break the law. You can claim unpaid wages for 3 years. If the company went bankrupt, the state can pay 80% of the unpaid wages and severance pay, up to a cap that depends on your age.

As a rule, no. The employer must give 30 days’ notice or pay 30 days of average wages, and needs an objectively reasonable ground; otherwise the dismissal is void. Dismissal without notice is allowed only in special cases approved by the Labor Standards Inspection Office.

It should not. MHLW guidelines for employers of foreign workers say that the employer should not keep a worker’s passport or residence card. If your employer refuses to return them, ask a General Labor Consultation Corner or the telephone line for foreign workers for help.

No. Going to the Labor Standards Inspection Office does not affect your status of residence, and dismissing you for it is prohibited. What matters for your visa is that you notify immigration within 14 days if your contract ends and do not stay out of work for 3 months without a good reason.

Sources

Where this information comes from

Rates, limits and deadlines on this page were checked against the official websites of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Labor Bureaus, the Immigration Services Agency and Houterasu on October 7, 2026. Amounts are in Japanese yen. When a rule changes we update the page and the date above.

This page is general information, not legal advice. For your own case, use the free services above; a Labor and Social Security Attorney (社会保険労務士, sharōshi) or a lawyer can take on a dispute. Immigration decides on your status of residence.

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