Service 01 · Employment
Employment contracts and work rules reviewed so you know what they actually say
Many employment documents work well enough until something goes wrong. A review before that point — when there is still time to make changes — is considerably less complicated than addressing the same provisions under pressure.
← Return to Home§ 01
What This Service Provides
A written record of what your documents say, and what they leave open
At the end of this engagement you will have a marked-up version of your employment documentation — contracts, work rules, internal policies — showing each provision that required attention, why it was flagged, and what the issue is. Not a summary. The actual documents, annotated.
You will also have a separate note covering provisions that are unlikely to hold if they are ever tested: fixed overtime arrangements drafted too loosely, transfer clauses that exceed what the standard allows, probationary terms that do not comply with current requirements. These are the areas most often left unaddressed until a disagreement surfaces.
The review is conducted in English and delivered in writing. The result is something you can share with your HR team, keep on file, or return to as your headcount changes.
§ 02
The Situation
Employment documentation tends to be drafted once and not revisited
Situation A
Documents written for a smaller company
Work rules that were appropriate when the company had twelve employees may not meet the requirements that apply at fifty. The thresholds change, and the documentation often does not.
Situation B
Provisions copied from a template
A fixed overtime clause taken from a standard document without adjustment to the actual circumstances may not reflect what was agreed, and may not hold under examination. The same applies to non-compete and confidentiality terms.
Situation C
The consultation requirement overlooked
Revisions to work rules require employee consultation before they take effect. This is a procedural requirement, and missing it can affect whether the revised rules are valid.
Situation D
Different versions in circulation
In companies that have grown through different phases, it is not unusual to find that different employees were issued with different versions of the employment contract. The review identifies which version was issued when and what the effect of those differences might be.
§ 03
The Approach
Review of what is written, not a general opinion on employment law
The review begins with the documents you provide. Contracts, work rules, policies — whatever is in use. Each provision is read against the requirements that apply to your company's size and structure, and against the terms that most often create difficulty when they have not been drafted with sufficient precision.
This is not a lecture on Japanese labour law. The output is specific to your documents: what they say, where they differ from what current requirements call for, and what you would need to do to address the gaps.
Where the consultation steps required before adopting revised rules are relevant, those are included in the written output. The process is the same as the substantive provisions — it gets noted if it matters.
Term Key
Work Rules (就業規則)
The internal regulations governing employment conditions. Mandatory for companies with ten or more employees. Must be filed with the Labour Standards Inspection Office when first adopted or revised.
Fixed Overtime Allowance (固定残業代)
A pre-agreed payment intended to cover a set number of overtime hours. Only enforceable if the amount, the number of hours it covers, and the arrangement for hours that exceed the fixed amount are all stated clearly in the contract.
Transfer Provision (転勤条項)
A clause permitting the employer to transfer an employee to a different location or role. Courts have found some such clauses to be unenforceable where they lack reasonable limits or were not clearly explained at the time of hiring.
§ 04
The Process
How the engagement proceeds
Initial contact
Use the contact form to provide a brief description of the company and the documentation you want reviewed. A reply will confirm what to send and whether the matter falls within the scope of this service.
Documents submitted
You send the employment contracts, work rules, and any other relevant policies. No particular format is required — whatever you have is the starting point.
Review conducted (weeks one to four)
The documents are reviewed systematically. The timeline is three to four weeks depending on the volume and complexity of the documentation provided.
Written output delivered
You receive the marked-up documentation and a separate written note. Questions on the written content can be raised once you have had time to read it.
§ 05
Fee Structure
Employment Documentation Review
Fixed Fee Engagement
Marked-up version of all submitted employment documentation with comments on each flagged provision
Separate written note identifying provisions unlikely to hold if tested, with an explanation of why
Guidance on the consultation steps required before any revised work rules can take effect
Follow-on questions on the written output included
Circumstances
This fixed fee applies to standard employment documentation for a company of up to approximately one hundred employees. For larger organisations or where the documentation is unusually complex, the scope is confirmed before the engagement begins.
Timeline
Three to four weeks from receipt of documents
§ 06
Approach and Scope
What the review covers and what it does not
The review addresses the written documentation — what is there, what is missing, and what differs from what the applicable requirements call for. It does not cover disputes that have already arisen, nor does it extend to advice on restructuring or dismissal procedures. Those are separate matters and would need to be considered separately.
The review is conducted against requirements current as of the date the documents are submitted. Employment law in Japan changes periodically, and the review reflects the position at the time of the engagement.
The output is a written assessment, not a set of model documents. If you need new contracts or revised work rules drafted, that is a further step and would be discussed after the review is complete.
§ 07
Commitment
What you can expect from this engagement
The scope is confirmed before the work begins, not after. If the documentation you provide falls outside what this service covers, that is identified at the outset rather than part way through.
The written output will address the documents as they actually are, including where they are satisfactory. A review that finds nothing worth noting is a possible outcome, and one worth knowing.
The initial exchange — before you commit to the engagement — is a straightforward way to establish whether what you need is within the scope of what is offered here. There is no obligation in that exchange.
§ 08
Next Steps
How to proceed
Step 1
Use the contact form to describe the documentation you want reviewed and the company's approximate size. A brief description is enough to start.
Step 2
A member of the team will reply to confirm what to send and set out the timeline. The scope of the engagement is agreed in writing before anything begins.
Step 3
The review is carried out and the written output delivered within the agreed timeframe. Questions on the output are addressed once you have had the opportunity to read it.
§ 09
Start with the contact form
If your employment documentation has not been reviewed since it was first written, or if your company has grown and the documents have not kept pace, this is a straightforward way to establish where things stand. The form takes a few minutes. There is no commitment required to make contact.
Send an Enquiry§ 10
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