Labor News

Here are the news and topics related to labor and social insurance issues in Japan.                                                     

2024.1.31 

Outline of a draft law to partially amend the Child Care and Family Care Leave Law, etc.: Labor Policy Council reports that it is appropriate to draft a bill （MHLW)

The Labor Policy Council of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported on January 30, 2024, that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Labor Policy Council generally approved the "Outline of the Law Concerning the Welfare of Workers Who Take Care of Children or Other Family Members Including Child Care and Family Care Leave and the Law to Amend the Next Generation Nurturing Support Measures Promotion Law," which was submitted for consultation on the same day.

In response, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has prepared a draft law and plans to submit it to the current ordinary Diet session.
As for the so-called Child Care and Family Care Leave Act, the draft law includes the following proposed amendments to a wide variety of items, which are scheduled to come into effect in April 2025 or later.

・Amendments to child nursing care leave
・Amendments to nursing care leave
・Amendments to restrictions on overtime work for childcare
・Establishment of measures, etc. when a request for nursing care is made
・Amendments to measures concerning the development of the employment environment and employment management, etc.
・Amendments to public disclosure of the status of childcare leave taken
・ Amendment of measures to shorten the prescribed working hours for childcare
・ New establishment of measures for workers raising children from 3 years old to the beginning of elementary school
・ Amendment of measures for workers raising children up to the beginning of elementary school and for workers caring for their families, etc.

For more information, please click the URL underneath.

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/ houdou/0000073981_00012.html

2024.1.30 

Prefectural Insurance Premium Rates for FY2024: 46 Prefectures, Excluding Kanagawa Prefecture, to Change (Association Kenpo)

The Japan Health Insurance Association (JHIA) has released materials from the 128th meeting of the Management Committee of the Japan Health Insurance Association, held on January 29, 2024. At this Steering Committee meeting, the following items were presented:

"Determination of Prefectural Insurance Premium Rates for FY2024 (Draft) [Ref. 2-2]" and "Insurance Premium Rates for Long-Term Care Insurance for FY 2024 [Ref. 2-4]".

The main points are as follows;

The prefectural insurance premium rates were changed in 46 prefectures (22 prefectures lowered, 24 prefectures raised), excluding Kanagawa Prefecture. ) The national average of 10% is maintained.
The uniform national long-term care insurance premium rate was reduced from 1.82% to 1.60%.
Effective from March 2024 (April payment).
(Supplemental information: For those insured on a voluntary basis, the rate will be applied from April (for payment in the same month).

For example, the prefectural insurance premium rate in Tokyo for fiscal 2024 is proposed to be reduced from 10.00% to 9.98%. Since the nationwide uniform long-term care insurance premium rate is proposed to be reduced from 1.82% to 1.60%, if the premium rate is revised as planned, the premium rate in Tokyo will be reduced by 0.02% for those who are not Category 2 insured by long-term care insurance and by 0.24% for those who are Category 2 insured by long-term care insurance.

For more information, please click the URL underneath. Check with your local branch (prefecture) for proposed changes.

<128th National Health Insurance Association of Japan Steering Committee/Materials (Japanese site)
https://www.kyoukaikenpo.or.jp/g7/cat720/r05/006/240129/

2023.10.13 　

MHLW released new pamphlets and circulars regarding "Rules clarifying working conditions" which will be revised from April 2024. 

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has recently updated the web page which introduces a set of materials and information related to the "indefinite-term conversion rules, clarification of working conditions on labor contract, etc.'' 

Particularly, the materials on the dedicated page "rules clarifying working conditions will be revised from April 2024" have been added and updated (published on October 12, 2023).

Here is the page;

<Rules for clarifying working conditions will change from April 2024>
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_32105.html <the pamphlet itself is in Japanese>

The following materials are to be reviewed as well:

<Pamphlet Are you prepared for changes to the rules clarifying working conditions from April 2024? ＞
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11200000/001156048.pdf <Japanese page>

<Regarding the enforcement of ministerial ordinances, etc. that partially amend the Labor Standards Act Enforcement Regulations and the Special Measures Act Enforcement Regulations regarding improvement of the settings of working hours, etc.>
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11200000/001156120 .pdf <Japanese page>

On top of these, as stated in the above notice, "Model Notice of Employment" (applicable from April 1, 2024) that corresponds to this amendment is also introduced. Check the URL underneath.. 

<Model Notice of Employment (for regular workers: indefinite-term and fixed-term workers)>
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11200000/001156118.pdf <Japanese page>

2023.9.30 

On September 27th 2023, the headquarters for building social security for all generations held a rotating meeting, and they announced the "annual income barrier and support enhancement package'' on the same day.

<Summary of “Annual Income Barrier/Support Enhancement Package”>

As an immediate response, the government will take the following measures.

(1) Responding to 1.06M yen barrier

Establishment of new career-up subsidy course [course for improving treatment when applying for social insurance]

Exclusion of social insurance application promotion allowance from standard remuneration calculation 

⑵ Responding to 1.3M yen barrier

Facilitation of dependent certification based on employer's certification

The government will loosen the dependent certification in the case of dependents' temporal income increase by extended working hours, allowing them to submit their employer's certificate.

(3) Responding to spousal allowance

Promoting reviews of corporate spousal allowances

The government announced that it will promote these initiatives and support the creation of an environment where people can work without worrying about annual income barriers.

< Addressing the so-called “annual income barrier”>

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/taiou_001_00002.html

2022.12.24  

Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Application Guidance for Foreign Workers

＜See Detais  Here>

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/new-info/kobetu/roudou/gyousei/rousai/gaikoku-pamphlet.html

2021.10.29 

Employment rererrals as of September 2021

MHLW announced the Employment referrals as of September 2021.

＜See Detais  Here>

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-l/g_workers_sep2021.html

2021.7.27 Provisional Report of Monthly Labour Survey

MHLW announced the Provisional Report of Monthly Labour Survey on May 2021.

＜See Detais Here＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-l/r03/2105re/2105re.html2021.６.８ Provisional Report of Monthly Labour Survey

MHLW announced the Provisional Report of Monthly Labour Survey.

＜See Detais Here＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-l/r03/2104pe/2104pe.html2021.5.21 Pamphlet for foreign workers by Aichi Prefectural Government

Aichi Prefectural government has released pamphlets for  foreign workers, introducing labor rules in Japan  in an understable way in each language.

https://www.pref.aichi.jp/soshiki/rodofukushi/0000060502.html

2021.5.20 Provisional Report of Monthly Labour Survey

MHLW announced the Provisional Report of Monthly Labour Survey.

＜See Detais Here＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-l/r03/2103pe/2103pe.html

2021.5.1 Employment rererrals as of March 2021

MHLW announced the Employment referrals as of March 2021.

＜See Detais Here＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-l/g_workers_mar2021.html2021.4.30 The support fund and allowance for the leave forced to be taken                          under the COVID-19 outbreak

MHLW Prefectual Labour Bureaus have announced the leaflet regarding the support fund's eligibility and its application.

＜See Detais Here＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11600000/000648770.pdf

2021.4.15 MHLW has released textbooks and audiovisual materials (videos) for                    safety and hygiene education by indutsry.

<See Deails Here>

https://anzenvideo.mhlw.go.jp/foreign-worker/kyozai.html#common

2020.8.1  ”To those who have left their jobs” by Aichi Labour Bureau

Aichi Labor Bureau has released the revised brochure in accordance with the revision of the employment insurance act regarding the job applicant benefit covered under the employment insurance.

＜See Detais Here＞

https://jsite.mhlw.go.jp/aichi-roudoukyoku/content/contents/000692720.pdf

2020.4  ”The Industrial accident compensataion                                                                    insurance application guidance” for foreign workers” by MHLW

MHLW has revised the industrial accident compensation insurance application guidance for foreign workers. 

＜See Detais Here＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/new-info/kobetu/roudou/gyousei/kantoku/dl/161108-02.pdf

2020.3  MHLW has released Manga version of educational materials by industry             entitled  "Learn Through Manga- Health,Safety, and Injury Prevention                 for Workers"           

＜General＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11300000/01_kyoutu_01English.pdf

＜Nursing Care Industry＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11300000/02_nursing_01English.pdf

＜Building Cleaning Industry＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11300000/03_building_cleaning_01English.pdf

＜Three fields of Manufacturing Industry＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11300000/04_METI_01English.pdf

＜Automobile Maintenance Industry＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11300000/05_Car_01English.pdf

＜Airplane Industry＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11300000/06_airplanes_01English.pdf

＜Lodging Industry＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11300000/08_hotels_01English.pdf

＜Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11300000/09_foods_01English.pdf

＜Food Service Industry＞

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11300000/10_restaurant_01English.pdf

Outline of the “Act on the Arrangement of Related Acts to Promote Work Style Reform” (Act No. 71 of 2018) 

<See Details Here>

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/employ-labour/labour-standards/dl/201904kizyun.pdf

Brief Job Stress Qestionaire in English (57 Items)

This survey form is recommended by MHLW in implementing stress-check test mandated for companies over 50 employees. 

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/roudoukijun/anzeneisei12/dl/stress-check_e.pdf