Q. Is it possible to adopt a deemed working hour system when introducing a remote-work or work from home? ?

A. I think that many workplaces are carrying out remote-work in order to prevent the risk of infection during commuting and the crowding of offices due to the declaration of a state of emergency in relation to the novel coronavirus disease. Even when performing remote-work, the employer is obliged to properly assess the working hours … Continue reading “Q. Is it possible to adopt a deemed working hour system when introducing a remote-work or work from home? ?”

Q. Do work-related phone calls during lunchtime fall under work hours?

Q. I am required to pick up work-related phone calls in the office during lunch break. Do these phone calls fall under work hours? A. The working hours stipulated in Article 32 of the Labor Standards Act are the hours that can be evaluated objectively as the time when the actions of the worker are … Continue reading “Q. Do work-related phone calls during lunchtime fall under work hours?”

Q. Isn’t travel time for business trips equivalent to working time?

A. Travel time for business trips is not treated as working time unless the employee is under the supervision or work instruction of a company. unless the employee is instructed to be available to carry out commands or do whatever work may be necessary for the company during the trips or has pre-arranged work to … Continue reading “Q. Isn’t travel time for business trips equivalent to working time?”

Rising Importance of Industrial Physicians (Company-Designated Medical Doctors)

The Work Style Reform and revisions to the Industry Safety and Health Act (ISHA) has become effective since this April, enhancing functions, duties, and responsibilities of industrial physicians (company-designated medical doctors) in maintaining the health of employees and the labour management. The employer must designate at least one doctor at the working place with 50 … Continue reading “Rising Importance of Industrial Physicians (Company-Designated Medical Doctors)”

How to Avoid Inefficiently Flexible Working Hours?

The Work Style Reform Law and associated revisions to labour law have come into effect since this April 1st. The comprehensive package of reform and revision in the law consists of 3 main pillars. The first is a legal cap on overtime working hours. The second is the implementation of “equal pay for equal work” … Continue reading “How to Avoid Inefficiently Flexible Working Hours?”

Employer’s “obligation to ascertain and calculate working hours”

The Labor Standards Act contains provisions on working hours, holidays, nighttime overtime work, and other working conditions. Employers are therefore under the obligation to properly ascertain and control working hours. According to the revision of law which came into effect on 1-April-2019, a company is required to manage the work hours of the all employee … Continue reading “Employer’s “obligation to ascertain and calculate working hours””

A Regulatory Limit on Overtime Work

As a part of 2019 Workstyle reform bills, this regislation literally promotes the contents of the present Ministerial Notice to a mandatory law and adds legal biding power to them. It will set a regulatory limit that cannot be exceeded even in cases with consensus between labor and management on temporary and special situations. In … Continue reading “A Regulatory Limit on Overtime Work”