Why are employees afraid to resign in the world's fourth-largest economy? They have to take the help of an agency to leave their job
These days, working people in Japan, the world's fourth-largest economy, are very troubled. They are not able to take leave even when they are sick because taking leave or working for less than 12 hours is not considered good in Japan. Japan's work culture is such that those who work more without taking leave are considered better.
Due to long working hours, work pressure and not getting leave, people are under extreme stress, and due to this they have to face many kinds of diseases. But despite this, they cannot leave their job. The biggest reason for this is the strict attitude of their boss. Because companies do not accept resignation easily.
Resigning is a difficult task in Japan
According to reports, bosses in Japanese companies tear up resignations, and employees are forced to work in the same company. This is the reason why people in Japan work in the same company for several decades, sometimes people spend their entire lives working in the same company. Because resigning here is not easy.
In the last few years, people have had to resort to agencies for resignation. These agencies work to remove fear from the minds of these employees, motivate them to resign, and help in negotiations with the company and legal disputes.
Agencies help in resigning
One such agency in Japan is 'Momuri'. Momuri means-'I can't do this anymore'. Momuri's operations manager Shiori Kawamata told the media that last year her company received 11 thousand queries for resignations.
'Momuri' promises to free its customers from their jobs at a very low fee. According to media reports, this company helps its customers resign and recommend lawyers in case of legal disputes for just $150 (about Rs 12,500).
According to a report, such agencies existed in Japan even before the Corona period, but after the Corona period, this resignation-making industry has seen a huge boom. However, their official number is currently unknown.
Deaths due to work pressure!
According to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 54 people died from work-related brain and heart diseases in 2022, which is a huge drop from the 160 deaths recorded two decades ago. However, the number of people complaining of problems caused by mental stress at work is increasing, highlighting the reality of Japan's strict work culture.
According to a CNN report, in 2017, a 31-year-old political reporter for Japan's media broadcast NHK died of a heart attack due to working long hours. It is said that the reporter had worked 159 hours of overtime in a month before his death.
Similarly, in the year 2022, a 26-year-old doctor at a hospital in Kobe committed suicide after working more than 200 hours of overtime in a month.
Will the '4-day work-week' formula be effective?
The Japanese government is very worried due to the falling birth rate in the country, the biggest reason behind the falling birth rate in Japan is considered to be stress related to work.
This is the reason why the Japanese government has started an initiative. The Japanese government has made a big change and started a '4-day work-week', that is, 4 days of work and 3 days off in a week. Although this initiative was started in 2021, currently only 8 percent of the companies are adopting the '4 four day work-week' formula.