Bhaskar Khas: Many companies in Japan are working 16-16 hours, employees are forced to resign and seek help from consultancy firms and lawyers.

There is such a shortage of skilled workers in Japan that companies are forced to work 12-hour shifts. Overtime is also done in some companies. Work from 9 am to 9 pm is considered normal. The situation is such that the resignation of the employees who want to quit because of the work load is not accepted. Due to which many people are forced to take the help of consultancy companies, experts or lawyers to write the resignation letter. One such employee, Yuki Watanabe, says that he had to spend 12 hours a day working hard in the office. When he resigned, it was not accepted. This problem is more prevalent in large telecom and e-payment companies. In some cases, the boss tears up the resignation letter itself. A 24-year-old employee said to come in the morning and leave for home (from office) only after 11 pm. This happens every day. However, Watanabe mentions his previous job experience. She was unhappy with the long working hours. But she could not dare to resign. Watanabe said that I did not want my resignation to be rejected. So he took the help of consultancy company Momura to write his resignation. After the corona epidemic, the demand for consultancy agencies has increased in Japan for help on other issues including the resignation of employees. Momuri's operations manager Shiori Kawamata said more than 11,000 people inquired about the resignation last year alone. Momuri was founded in 2022 in Minato, Tokyo. 'Momuri' means 'I can't do this anymore' in Japanese. The company charges a fee of ¥22,000 (roughly Rs. 12,600) for the consultancy. Then this fee is half for part-time workers. The agency also promises to provide the services of lawyers for legal assistance of employees in case of any dispute with the company. Kawamata said that some people come to us after tearing up his resignation letter three times. 370 companies blacklisted for overwork Japan has long had a culture of overwork. Employees work more hours and show respect to the company. Such companies are considered as 'black firms'. Every year since 2017, the government publishes a list of companies where working hours are not fixed. The Labor Bureau has blacklisted 370 such companies.

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