Workers in Japan are entitled to 10 days of paid annual leave after completing six months of continuous employment, provided they meet a minimum attendance requirement. The provision is part of the country’s Labour Standards Act and applies to eligible employees across different sectors.
Japan has published details of its statutory paid leave entitlement, outlining how many days workers can take off after completing their first six months on the job.
Under Article 39(1) of Japan’s Labour Standards Act, employees who have worked continuously for the same employer for at least six months qualify for 10 days of paid annual leave.
However, completing six months of employment is not the only requirement. Workers must also have attended at least 80% of their scheduled working days during the qualifying period.
The provision gives eligible employees a legal entitlement to time off without losing their regular wages.
How workers can use the 10 days of paid leave
Japan’s Labour Standards Act allows qualifying employees to take their 10 days of annual leave either consecutively or separately.
This means workers do not have to use all their leave days at once. They can spread them throughout the year to accommodate personal commitments, family responsibilities or other needs.
The flexibility also allows employees to arrange their leave around their work schedules, subject to applicable workplace procedures.
According to the law, employers must grant the full 10 days once employees satisfy the required conditions.
What employers must do under Japan’s labour law
The responsibility to provide paid annual leave rests with employers.
Article 39(1) makes the entitlement a legal obligation rather than a discretionary workplace benefit.
Therefore, employers cannot simply refuse to grant the leave because they consider it inconvenient for their businesses once workers have met the eligibility requirements.
The 80% attendance requirement is calculated against the total number of scheduled working days during the six-month qualifying period.
This means the actual number of days an employee must attend will depend on their work schedule rather than a fixed number of calendar days.
The 10-day entitlement is also the statutory minimum. Some Japanese employers provide additional annual leave beyond what the law requires.
Does the paid leave rule apply to foreign workers?
The provision is not exclusively for Japanese citizens.
Foreign nationals who work in Japan and meet the employment and attendance requirements are also covered by the country’s labour protections.
This means eligible foreign employees can benefit from the same statutory annual leave entitlement as other qualifying workers.
The provision is particularly relevant to Nigerians and other foreign nationals considering employment opportunities in Japan, as it outlines one of the workplace benefits they may receive after starting a job.
However, the entitlement does not automatically come with a work visa. Employees must satisfy the conditions set out in the Labour Standards Act.