For many citizens of Japan, 12-hour work days are the norm. In addition, there may be hours of drunken socializing with your boss and co-workers. Instead of working 9:00 to 5:00, you may have a 9:00 to 9:00 schedule, plus additional hours as needed.

Increasingly, Japanese workers are pushing back against this traditional, life-sucking schedule. But they’re not at the point of openly rebelling against the system. Some Japanese rely on paid intermediaries to notify their bosses they’re leaving because they don’t want to do it themselves. In a society where respect is paramount, a boss may see quitting as disrespectful. Quitting may also make it more difficult for a worker to get the next job.

You Can (Probably) Quit Your US Job

Unless a contract binds you, you can quit your job with or without notice. Unless their motivation breaks a contract or law, your employer can also fire you, with or without reason or notice. In this country, a decades- or life-long job is a relic of the past. Many American workers have embraced “job hopping.” Long-term, hopping jobs may be the better strategy for earning more money during one’s lifetime.

Work in Japan Can Be Fatally Stressful

In Japan, asking to leave work early or taking time off can be dicey for employees, according to CNN. Tendering a resignation can be seen as a slap in the face to a supervisor. They may tear up resignation letters and harass workers to try to force them to stay (including coming to their homes).

Some Japanese employers take this to the extreme. Japan is famous for its overwork culture, where employees work punishing hours under high pressure from supervisors. The worst employers are known as sweatshops. It’s gotten to the point where the Japanese government publishes a list of unethical employers to warn job seekers of what they may be getting into.

Working conditions may be so stressful that workers feel no psychological safety and may feel threatened. Working for some Japanese companies may lead to “karoshi” or “death by overwork.”

The nation’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare states that 54 employees died of work-induced brain and heart conditions and received compensation in 2022 (down from 160 twenty years ago). Claims for compensation for work-related stress are up to 2,683 from 341 in the same time frame.

Upset employers are not unknown in the US, and your boss may claim not to accept your resignation. But unless you change your mind, it’s like your employer won’t accept the sun will rise tomorrow. Slavery is illegal in the US (except for prisoners), so (barring contractual obligations or prison) you can’t be forced to work. Or if you do break a contract, you have to pay for the breach.

Japanese Company Facilitates Employees’ Resignations

CNN found Momuri, an agency that helps employees quit working for intimidating bosses. This type of service started before the COVID-19 pandemic, but demand grew afterward. Even some of the most die-hard “salarymen” reflected on their careers at the time and wanted change. After the pandemic ended, demand for agencies that eased workers’ departures surged.

Momuri (“I can’t do this anymore” in Japanese) started in 2022. Shiori Kawamata, their operations manager, told CNN they got about 11,000 inquiries from potential clients in the past year. They charge about $150 to someone working full-time to help them submit resignations, negotiate with their employers, and recommend attorneys if legal disputes come up.

More Older Workers + Fewer Younger Workers = More Leverage for Employees

Young people’s approach to work in Japan and the US is changing, and demographics are turning against employers in both countries. The workforce is aging and birthrates are declining, so fewer people will be available to replace them.

The US workforce aged 55 and older numbered about 21 million in 2003 and 38 million by 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Due to retirements and disability, Japan’s workforce is expected to drop from 65.3 million people in 2017 to 52.4 million by 2040, reports the World Economic Forum.

Barring an economic downturn and reduced demand for workers, employees will be increasingly picky about what work they’re willing to do and at what pay rate because the supply of workers will shrink. Employers who stress out their employees will have a harder time because people will not want to work for them.

Japanese Workers Are Increasingly Quitting Their Jobs But Not Making a Spectacle of It

Japanese workers are increasingly willing to quit if their expectations don’t meet their job’s reality, but they haven’t reached the point of some Americans who enjoy their “blaze of glory” announcing to co-workers and supervisors they’re leaving. Japanese workers are less confrontational and increasingly prefer outside help when they quit, in part not to “burn bridges” that may help them get another job.

Kawamanta told CNN, “We think it’s best if people can tell their bosses themselves, but hearing the horror stories of our clients, I don’t think that our business will disappear anytime soon.”

Contact Kingston Law Group

Kingston Law Group handles a wide range of employment matters. If you have questions about leaving your job and possible legal consequences, please contact our Central Jersey law office at 609-683-7400 toll-free to arrange a consultation. We accept credit cards and offer general appointments from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, or pre-arranged evening appointment times.