Labor and Employment Law
Atsumi & Sakai has extensive experience advising both domestic and foreign clients in the fields of labor and employment law. Termination of employment is an area of particular difficulty for foreign businesses operating in Japan, as Japanese labor and employment laws are far more favorable to employees than their home jurisdiction, and acting without legal advice can give rise to significant liabilities, both reputational and financial.
Our labor and employment team comprises expert Japanese lawyers and foreign lawyers familiar with the nuances of Japanese labor and employment laws. We directly communicate with general counsels or global/APAC HR heads of client companies and advise on or assist with employment matters including:
- Employee issues in starting a business in Japan (including immigration advice and visa applications)
- Preparation of service, employment, secondment and consultancy agreements
- Employee benefits, including foreign and domestic stock options
- Drafting work rules, employee handbooks and other internal regulations
- Termination of employment (rights, process, negotiations and settlements)
- Redundancy schemes
- Harassment/misconduct
- Employment issues arising from M&A transactions and corporate reorganizations
- Disciplinary action
- Working hours management
- Employee data privacy issues
- Labor disputes
- Communications with labor unions and government agencies
- Compliance audits and training
- Overseas employment law assistance for Japanese companies having overseas subsidiaries through our overseas offices and in collaboration with overseas law firms
Related Publications
- Compliance and Guidance on Labor Flows and Checks, SHINNIPPON-HOKI PUBLISHING CO., LTD (2014-2021) [Co-author]
- "Practical Legal Lessons (60) - Parental Leave," ROSEI JIHO No.3994 (2020)
- Guidance on Female Employment Practices, SHINNIPPON-HOKI PUBLISHING CO., LTD (2008-2021) [Co-author]
- "COVID-19: Back to Work – Special Report," Japan Chapter, L&E Global (2020.7)
- "Practical Legal Lessons (60) - Parental Leave," ROSEI JIHO No.3994 (2020)
- "The Legal 500 Comparative Guides - Employee Incentives 2nd Edition," Japan Chapter, Legalease Ltd (2020.2)
- New Practical Advice on Labor Law, New Edition, Third Edition, edited by The Institute of Labour Administration, ROUMUGYOUSEI Co.,Ltd (2020) [Co-author]
Related Seminars
- "Practical Basics of Labor Law," hosted by the Business Research Institute, May 19, 2021
- Speaker at the webinar entitled "Your essential workforce law update in Asia Pacific!," hosted by L&E Global, April 20, 2020