Apply for change of status of residence from "College Student" to "Work" as soon as possible!

 ◆Immigration Service Agency appeals

 For companies planning to hire foreign students from next April, it is recommended to apply for change of status of residence as early as possible. The Immigration Service Agency is calling for applications to be submitted between December 1 and the end of January, as applications by foreign students who plan to join a company in April are concentrated between January and March every year, and there is a possibility that the screening process will not be completed by the desired date if there are insufficient or late documents submitted. Before applying, please refer to the list of documents to be submitted on the Immigration Service  Agency's website and carefully check that all the necessary documents are in order. Insufficient documents may delay the date of the result and affect the procedure for joining the company.

◆New cases where required documents can be omitted

 From December 1, 2025, when applying for permission to change status of residence from "College Student" to "Engineer/Humanities/International Services" or "Research," it will be possible to omit some of the required documents if any of the following apply (temporary employment is not applicable). It is advisable to confirm whether or not you are eligible before submitting the application.

 1) Graduates (or prospective graduates) of Japanese universities (including graduates of graduate and junior colleges)

 2) Graduates of excellent universities abroad: Foreign universities ranked in the top 300 in two or more of the three world university rankings are eligible.

 3) When working at an institution that currently accepts individuals who have received permission to change their status of residence from “Student” to a work-eligible status: This applies when a foreign national holding the desired status of residence (limited to those who have received permission to change from the “Student” status) is currently employed by the institution and has received at least one extension of stay while working at that institution.

The Immigration Service Agency

To those who are planning to apply for a change of status from "College Student" to "Worker" 

https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/10_00240.html

One Year after the Enforcement of the Freelance Law, Current Status of Guidance on Violations

 

◆445 cases of violations

November 1 marked one year since the enforcement of the Freelance Business Transactions Law (hereinafter referred to as the "Freelance Law"), and the Fair Trade Commission, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which are the ministries and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Law, announced the results of a survey (November 2024 to September 2025) conducted among 30,000 ordering businesses regarding their transactions with freelance workers. The results of the survey are now publicly available.

According to the results, the Fair Trade Commission issued 4 "recommendations" and 441 "instructions" for violations of the Freelance Law. The recommendations were made to major publishing companies, music schools, and others for violations of Article 3, Paragraph 1 (obligation to clearly state business terms), Article 4, Paragraph 5 (obligation to pay remuneration on time), and Article 5, Paragraph 2, Item 1 (prohibition of requests to provide unfair economic benefits) of the Act.

In addition, in March of this year, the Committee intensively investigated businesses in the game software industry, animation production work, and relaxation industry, and instructed 45 companies to correct the descriptions in contracts and purchase orders, the method of placing orders, and the method of setting payment due dates.

 ◆Attention should also be paid to anti-harassment measures and recruitment.

According to prefectural labor bureaus, there have been many cases of guidance, etc. concerning violations of the obligation to establish a system for anti-harassment measures (Article 14 of the Freelance Law) and the obligation to accurately display recruitment information (Article 14 of the same law).

The ordering business must take measures such as establishing a system for consultation to prevent harassment from harming the working environment of freelancers.

When recruiting freelancers through advertisements, etc., the information must not be false or misleading, and must be kept accurate and up-to-date.

When outsourcing work to freelancers, it is necessary to reconfirm the items regulated by the Freelance Law.

Record of the regular press conference of the Director-General dated November 5, 2025, Fair Trade Commission of Japan.
https://www.jftc.go.jp/houdou/teirei/2025/251105.html

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "One year has passed since the enforcement of the Act on the Proper Treatment of Transactions between Freelancers and Business Operators!
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/bunya/freelance_00006.html

Support Tools for Explaining HR and Labor Matters to Foreign Workers

Japanese legal systems and employment practices are often unfamiliar to foreign workers. For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has issued support tools to help explain workplace rules, including the reasons and background, to deepen understanding.

 ◆"Key Points and Examples for Labor Management in Workplaces with Foreign Employees"

The book covers nine themes such as recruitment, wages, working hours, etc., and provides for each actual situation that can be assumed in employment management: 

(1) Points that should be read and understood before explaining to non-Japanese employees

(2) Examples of explanations in "easy Japanese" that can actually be spoken and shown to foreign nationals as they are.

 For example, regarding documents to be submitted by workers after being hired, it is explained with rubi annotations that "In Japan, the company will calculate taxes and insurance on your behalf. Please provide the company with the necessary information so that we can do this for you.” 

 ◆Multilingual Glossary for Employment Management

This glossary provides definitions and example sentences for approximately 420 labor- and social insurance-related terms commonly used in hr and labor management situations. In addition to easy Japanese, 9 languages (English, Korean, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Tagalog, Vietnamese, Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish, Indonesian, Cambodian, Thai, Myanmarese, and Mongolian) are supported.

 When explaining employment regulations, etc. to foreign workers, it is expected to search for terms that may be difficult to understand and provide translations, or to be used by the foreign employees themselves as a dictionary and for pre-employment learning of hr and labor-related terms.

 ◆Model Employment Regulations, etc.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Model Employment Regulations are also available in foreign languages. In addition, there is a "Working Conditions Handbook" for foreign nationals working in Japan, as well as educational materials and resources useful for preventing work-related accidents involving foreign workers.

[Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, "Are you having trouble explaining hr and labor issues to foreign nationals?"]

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/koyou/jigyounushi/tagengoyougosyu.html

[Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Safety and Health Management for Foreign Workers"]

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000186714.html

National Tax Agency has released "How to Make Year-End Adjustment”

The National Tax Agency has released a 64-page pamphlet entitled "How to Make Year-End Adjustment for 2025.” There are several changes in this year's year-end adjustment. It is important for companies to check and prepare for the changes as early as possible. The pamphlet lists the following three points as "changes compared to last year.”

 ◆Revised items for year-end adjustment

 1 Revision of basic deduction for income tax, etc.

 (1) Revision of basic deduction: The amount of basic deduction ranges from 580,000 yen to 950,000 yen depending on total income.

 (2) Revision of deduction for employment income: The minimum amount to be guaranteed is 650,000 yen.

 (3) Establishment of special deduction for specified relatives: For relatives between 19 and 23 years of age who share the same livelihood with the income earner and whose total income exceeds 580,000 yen and does not exceed 1,230,000 yen (specified relatives), the deduction ranges from 30,000 yen to 630,000 yen depending on the total income amount.

 (4) Revision of income requirements for dependents: Total income requirement for spouse and dependents earning the same livelihood is 580,000 yen or less.

 2 Special deduction for housing loans based on the method using the year-end balance statement (statement method).

 3 Key points to consider regarding payroll tax withholding procedures for salaries in Fiscal Year 2026 and beyond.

 Employee understanding of the system is essential for error-free year-end adjustments. For this reason, please check the pamphlet published this time and the "Page for Understanding the Year-end Adjustment" (National Tax Agency) scheduled to be released in October, and make sure that your employees are aware of the revised points.

 National Tax Agency, "How to make year-end adjustments for 2025."

 https://www.nta.go.jp/publication/pamph/gensen/nencho2025/pdf/nencho_all.pdf

Myna Insurance Card will be available on smartphones from September

Currently, My number card holders can use the functions of their My number card on their smartphones by downloading an application, but from September, the functions of the Myna Insurance Card will be available at medical institutions and other facilities where the equipment is ready.

 ◆How can I use mynumber insurance card with my smartphone?

In order to use your my number card with a smartphone, you need to download the mynaportal application. And you must prepare the following

 The actual my number card

 PIN number (4-digit number) for entering the card   *only for iPhone

 Password for the digital certificate for signing the My Number Card (6 to 16 alphanumeric digits set at the municipal office)

From the Myna Portal application, hold up your My Number card to your smartphone and scan it to complete the login. After logging in, register your My Number Card for health insurance card use.

Next, the functions of your My Number Card will be installed in your smartphone. For details, please refer to the following website of the Digital Agency.

 Digital Agency "My Number Card on Smartphone

 https://www.digital.go.jp/policies/mynumber/smartphone-certification

 ◆Operation at reception

The reception procedure at medical institutions, etc., uses a card reader with face recognition, in the same way as when accepting a medical application with a mina-number insurance card. Select the appropriate terminal on the reception screen, authenticate yourself at the terminal, and proceed to enter consent information when you hold your smartphone-equipped mina-insurance card over the general-purpose card reader for smartphones.

 ◆How long can I use the conventional health insurance card?

Conventional health insurance cards will expire sequentially (the longest expiration date is December 1 of this year) as a result of the transition to the myna insurance card. Therefore, for those who do not have a Myna insurance card or have not registered to use the Myna insurance card, a "certificate of eligibility" will be issued by the health insurance association or local government (for those who are enrolled in the late-stage medical care system for the elderly or those who are newly enrolled in the system, a certificate of eligibility will be issued as a provisional measure until the end of July 2026 regardless of whether they have a Myna insurance card or not. (This is a provisional measure until the end of July 2026 for those enrolled in the Late-Stage Senior Citizen's Health Care System and new enrollees, etc., regardless of their Myna insurance card status.) If you present this card at the counter of a medical institution, you will be able to receive insured medical treatment as before.

Satisfaction Points of Generation Z and Measures to Prevent Turnover in Small Businesses

Generation Z (roughly defined as the younger generation under the age of 25) young employees are not as satisfied with the current situation at their companies as they thought they were. According to a survey by Leverages Corporation, 51.5% of Gen Z are satisfied with the way they work. On the other hand, 68.0% of HR and managers believe that "employees are satisfied with the way they work now," showing a gap of about 17 points between the two. There seems to be a surprising gap between the real voices of the frontline and the perceptions of management.

 ◆Satisfaction Points of Generation Z

 Generation Z is the generation most likely to feel particularly satisfied with "short overtime hours" and "personal relationships with superiors. Many of them have also experienced "emotional support" and "suggestions for transfer" that made them feel that the company and their bosses cared about them, which stopped them from leaving their jobs.

 ◆Measures that small and medium-sized companies can take

 What kind of measures can small and medium-sized companies take to prevent employee turnover? The key word is "communication.

Create a place where employees feel free to talk about their problems and questions.

 ⇒Catch small daily changes through regular 1-on-1s, daily reports, chats and frequent pulse surveys.

Create a system for young employees to share information and learnings they gain every day at morning meetings, meetings, and chats.

 ⇒Make it a rule to add your own opinion, even if it is just one word, so that changes in thoughts and feelings can be easily seen.

Send out interviews and success stories of young employees.

 ⇒Elevate self-efficacy by recognizing growth and efforts together.

Convey an attitude of "I care about you.

 ⇒Management and managers should also proactively talk to each other and value small conversations.

Paying attention to small daily changes and feelings will lead to reassurance among younger employees.

Mandatory Heat Stroke Prevention in the Workplace

 ◆Summary of Amendment

In response to the recent heat wave and the increasing number of deaths and injuries caused by heat stroke in the workplace, heat stroke countermeasures in the workplace have been strengthened as a legal obligation. Specifically, on June 1, 2025, the revised Occupational Safety and Health Regulations came into effect, making heat stroke countermeasures in the workplace mandatory.

The regulation applies to work that is expected to be "performed in an environment with a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) of 28°C or higher or a temperature of 31°C or higher for more than one hour or more than four hours per day. In order to prevent serious heat stroke, businesses are now obliged to "establish a system," "create procedures," and "inform all concerned parties.

◆Main obligations

Establishment and dissemination of a reporting system: Establishment of a system for "workers who have subjective symptoms of heat stroke" or "workers who find workers who may suffer from heat stroke" to report the fact and dissemination of the system to the workers concerned.

*In addition to receiving reports, efforts should be made to proactively identify workers with serious symptoms of heat stroke by adopting an optimal temperature control buddy system in which employees are assigned in pairs and talk to each other and mutually check each other, utilizing wearable devices, etc. and cooling devices in the work environment.

Preparation and dissemination of measures to prevent serious illness: To enable prompt and accurate decisions when workers who may suffer from heat stroke are identified, 

(1)Emergency contact network at the workplace, contact information and location of the emergency transport center, etc., 

(2)Implementation of measures necessary to prevent serious illness due to heat stroke, such as work release, physical cooling, transport to a medical institution, etc. 

(3)Preparation of procedures and dissemination of these procedures to the workers concerned.

Failure to take these measures may result in imprisonment for up to six months or a fine of up to 500,000 yen. In order to protect the lives of employees and to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, it will become even more important to review the work environment and provide education and training to employees.

Possibly illegal, beware of self-destructive sales!

 

◆What is self-destructive sales?

Self-destructive sales refer to the act of employees purchasing their own products with their own money in order to meet company sales targets or quotas. Typical examples are post office employees purchasing New Year's postcards with their own money or convenience store employees purchasing unsold merchandise. This has become a problem in recent years as it leads to financial loss and emotional distress for employees.

It is not illegal for a company to set sales targets or quotas for its employees. However, depending on how they are achieved and the degree of coercion, various problems may arise under civil law and labor-related laws. 

◆Problematic cases

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has also published a leaflet, "Labor-Related Legal Issues of Forcing Workers to Purchase Goods," calling for attention to such self-destructive sales, etc. 

The leaflet lists the following as problematic cases:

+The company used its position as an employer to force workers to purchase goods they did not need.

+The company asked workers to purchase the company's products, but when they refused, the company took disciplinary action or dismissed them.

Other cases that require attention include:

+The company had set a sales quota for each employee, and had clearly indicated that failure to meet the quota would result in disadvantageous treatment in terms of personnel affairs.

+The company sets quotas that are practically unattainable, and takes adverse personnel actions if quotas are not achieved.

 Self-destructive sales are an act that places a heavy burden on employees. To avoid excessive penalties and forced purchases, it is essential to make efforts to ensure that they are well known and managed.

Check the Dispatch Business Report now

The dispatch business report is a statutory report that dispatching business owners are required to submit once a year under the Worker Dispatching Act. The report includes information on the status of dispatched workers' contracts, health and safety management, and implementation of career advancement measures. The deadline for submission is usually at the end of June each year, but please check in advance to ensure that the contents are accurate and submitted on time.

◆Failure to submit has a negative impact on business continuity

Failure to submit a report will result in a fine, revocation of the dispatch license, or a business suspension order. Loss of credibility when false reports are discovered can lead to a loss of business partners and threaten the livelihood of dispatched workers. Many businesses that have had their licenses revoked have cited inadequate reporting as a factor.

◆Points of the Business Report

1. Compliance with the 2024 Form Change

The old form will not be accepted due to changes in the placement of columns in the new form. Please download the latest form from the website of the Prefectural Labor Bureau and use it.

2. Pay attention to the "Statement of Income and Expenses" and the "Report on the Percentage of the Dispatched Companies Involved" as well.

Note that at the same time as the business report, for companies with a fiscal year ending in March, a statement of income and expenditure for worker dispatching undertakings and a report on the ratio of dispatched workers to related clients will also be due at the same time.

3. Original documents must be preserved, even if they are submitted electronically

Even in the case of electronic applications (e-Gov), the obligation to preserve original documents arises, and a data preservation system must be established. In today's world, where compliance with laws and regulations is a prerequisite for business survival, report management is the cornerstone of business risk management.

After the enforcement of the revised Dispatched Worker Law in 2020, it will be mandatory to attach a labor-management agreement confirming the implementation status of equal pay for equal work (when the labor-management agreement method is selected), and this has strengthened its aspect as a progress management tool for improvement of treatment, but in this regard, there is a common mistake of submitting the “36 Agreement” with the dispatch business report. When one hears the term "labor-management agreement," the first thing that comes to mind is probably the 36 Agreement, but care must be taken.

Management practices can influence the extent and bias of overtime work

 Due to reforms in work styles, the paid leave utilization rate has been steadily increasing. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Comprehensive Survey of Working Conditions, the rate rose from 56.3% in 2020 to 65.3% in 2024, and appears to be on track to reach the government target of 70% or more by 2028.

 On the other hand, while overtime hours are decreasing overall, the number of overwork deaths continues to increase. There is also concern about increased stress among employees due to personnel shortages and delays in filling vacancies. This phenomenon may be attributed to the prevalence of bias among individuals as well as the significant amount of overtime work.

◆Factors on the management side

 The management factors that should be considered when assessing the amount and bias of overtime work may include the following:

・Given the corporate culture, in which working long hours is considered a virtue, it will be challenging to recruit adequately.

・The mismatch between workload and staffing is caused by the inappropriate allocation of work and staffing.

・A thorough evaluation of work processes and efficiencies is essential to identify areas for improvement in inefficient process management

・Poor time management skills may be attributable to a lack of individual skills, but they may also stem from a lack of proper guidance and support by management.

・Workload is another issue that arises from management's failure to allocate work in an effective manner.

 To improve this situation, it is essential to raise awareness on the part of management and establish efficient work processes. Failure to properly manage operations can lead to an increase in overtime hours and an exodus of talented personnel.

◆Improved productivity through increased efficiency and skill development

 In Japan, wages have not risen sufficiently to keep pace with rising prices. If such a situation is prolonged and overtime work increases for the sake of overtime pay, it will be a real disaster. Even in cases where compensation for overtime is available, managerial practices that contradict social norms may result in diminished employee satisfaction.

 Improvement through efficiency and skill development is the primary path to success. It would be prudent to consider an objective approach to analyzing and enhancing work processes and efficiency.

Bankruptcies due to employees "resigning" will reach a record 87 in 2024, a significant increase from the previous record.

 

  The shakeout of small and medium-sized enterprises that cannot "raise wages" is likely to accelerate by 2025.

  Of the 342 cases of labor shortage bankruptcies identified in 2024, 87 cases were found to be "employee retirement-type" bankruptcies, which were caused directly or indirectly by the resignation of employees or senior management. That's an increase of 20 cases, or nearly 30 percent, from the previous year (67 cases), significantly higher than 2019 (71 cases), when labor shortages peaked in many industries, and the highest number since 2013, when the data was compiled.

  By industry, the largest number of "employee retirement-type" bankruptcies in 2024 was in the service industry (31 cases), accounting for 35.6% of the total. It was the first time in five years since 2019 that the service industry accounted for the largest number of bankruptcies among all industries. Software development and other IT industries, as well as temp agencies, beauty salons, and nursing homes, all of which tend to have lower retention rates than other industries and experience labor shortages, are particularly common.

  The next largest number of cases was in the "construction industry" (18 cases), where the retirement of employees with qualifications essential for business operations, such as designers and construction supervisors, made it difficult for companies to operate their businesses. The "Manufacturing" and "Transportation/Telecommunications" sectors had more than 10 cases per year for the first time, with a string of cases in which businesses were unable to operate due to the retirement of factory workers and drivers.

  Recently, employees who are struggling with prolonged price hikes are increasingly calling for wage increases. In response to this trend, consideration of continuous wage increases has spread from large companies to small and midsize firms. On the other hand, there are many small and medium-sized firms that want to raise wages but are unable to do so due to a lack of profitability, and the response to wage hikes is becoming increasingly polarized.

  However, as the mobility of human resources increases against the backdrop of a severe shortage of workers, the "risk of not improving compensation" is increasing, especially among small and medium-sized companies, as executives and employees who are fed up with unsatisfactory wage increases and management that is reluctant to improve compensation are resigning. As the trend of attracting good talent with high salaries through wage increases spreads through the labor market, there is a growing possibility that the number of "wage hardship bankruptcies," in which employees quit due to unsatisfactory wage increases, will increase in 2025.

Improvement of digital literacy, an essential measure to combat labor shortages

Many companies are taking various measures to address the growing labor shortage problem. According to a survey by the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training (JILPT), approximately 60% of companies in the retail and service industries are experiencing a labor shortage of full-time employees and are struggling to cope with the situation.

◆Improvement of operational efficiency through the use of ICT

According to the survey results, the most frequently implemented measure to address labor shortages is "streamlining and automating operations through the use of ICT," with approximately 75% of companies implementing this measure. In other industries, the introduction of RPA and the implementation of AI-based business support systems are progressing. In the future, it will be necessary to utilize AI and other technologies for simple and routine tasks, and have people focus on high-value-added operations.

◆Human resource development and digital literacy

Improving the skills of existing employees is essential to the success of manpower management. With the increasing digitization of business operations, improving employees' ICT literacy, and more broadly, their "digital literacy" will directly lead to strengthening the competitiveness of the company.

Digital literacy refers to a wide range of skills and abilities to understand and effectively use digital technologies in general. It includes ICT skills as well as knowledge and skills in information retrieval and evaluation, and privacy and security management.

The company must first clarify the objective of improving digital literacy and share it with all employees to unify awareness within the company. Then, it is necessary to set up a system to share knowledge and expertise on digital skills and to provide education.

◆Creating an environment in which diverse human resources can play an active role

On the other hand, the survey results also indicate that raising wages and diversifying recruitment methods at the time of job offerings and actively promoting the elderly, women, and foreign human resources are also important measures to address labor shortages. The establishment of these systems will be necessary for companies to survive.

Points to note when posting information regarding recruitment on social networking sites, etc.

◆Recruitment advertisements must indicate the name of the recruiter, etc.

Under the Employment Security Law, when providing information, etc. on recruitment through advertisements, etc., including those on the Internet and SNS such as X, false or misleading representations must not be made (Article 5-4).

Recently, there have been some cases of recruiting workers to commit crimes on the Internet (shady jobs), and some of these advertisements may be misleading as normal recruitment. 

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) encourages employers to be sure to display the following six information when recruiting workers directly through SNS, etc.: (1) the name (or names) of the recruiter, (2) address, (3) contact information (telephone number, etc.), (4) job description, (5) work location, and (6) wages.

Q How far should "Address (Location)" be listed?

A Building name, floor number, and even room number must be listed.

Q What should be listed as "contact information"?

A You must provide either a phone number, email address, or a link to a dedicated contact form provided on your website.

Q Is it acceptable to include a link to the recruitment information on the company's website where the name and other information is listed, without including the name and other information itself?

A Since a link to a company's website may be misleading, including whether or not it is a job offer in the first place, it is necessary to include the above 6 information in the advertisement itself that provides the recruitment information.

Q Is it necessary to provide the same details regarding the nature of work, place of employment and wages as required by Article 5-3 of the Employment Security Law and Article 15 of the Labor Standards Law?

A Although the job descriptions do not necessarily have to be the same, the job description, work location, and wages should be described so that job seekers will not be misled. For example, the job location may be listed as "the place of employment immediately after hiring" without stating the "scope of change in the place of employment," or it may list multiple candidate sites and say "negotiable," or it may list the wages as "1,500 yen per hour or higher," but if these are listed, it is not considered an immediate violation of Article 5-4 of the Employment Security Law.