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