Services for Foreign-Affiliated Companies in Japan
When foreign companies enter Japan, Japanese labor regulations and employment practices are often among the most difficult barriers to navigate. Our office provides advisory support, including explanations to overseas headquarters regarding work rules and Japan-specific employment practices.
1. Bridging the Gap Between Headquarters Job Descriptions and Japanese Employment Practice
Many foreign-affiliated companies operate their HR systems based on Job Descriptions (JDs) and performance-based standards.
In Japan, however, there are unique legal and practical considerations regarding employment contracts, work rules, job assignments, probation, performance evaluation, and resignation or dismissal.
We help align JDs, offer letters, evaluation practices, and probation-related procedures with Japanese law and employment practice, while preserving the original intent of the headquarters’ HR system.
2. Translating and adjusting performance evaluation and compensation systems
We conduct legal and cultural checks to determine whether evaluation sheets and incentive systems used by headquarters comply with Japanese labor law and whether they align with the expectations and motivation of employees in Japan.
3. Preventing hiring and probation-related disputes
Foreign companies may assume that employment can simply be terminated during probation if a person is not a cultural fit. In Japan, however, the legal threshold for dismissal during probation is still high, so we provide guidance to help prevent disputes before they arise.
4. Optimizing offer letters
Before formal work rules are prepared, we review employment contracts and offer letter wording to ensure that terms and probation-related clauses are legally sound in both English and Japanese.
5. Advice on onboarding and retention
To help prevent early turnover caused by difficulties adapting to the speed and culture of foreign-affiliated companies, we coach Japanese managers or overseas HR teams on the mindset of Japanese employees and effective approaches to one-on-one communication.
6. Managing Japan-specific labor risks and harassment issues
We explain Japan’s legal approach to leave of absence, return-to-work processes, and related labor issues in English to overseas headquarters, and provide practical guidance to prevent disputes. We also conduct management training in English based on global compliance standards while aligning with Japanese legal requirements.
7. Serving as a bridge with headquarters HR
We explain key Japanese legal concepts — such as restrictions on dismissal and strict working hour management — in logical English that overseas HR teams can understand. When employee issues arise, we can also provide English reports and practical advisory support before legal counsel becomes involved.