quitting a job in Japan

[onyourmark2021]

Hello. I have a contract with a university. It is a year by year contract. I signed it at the begining of the term (in February approximately). I now want to end the contract. They need me to submit a letter of resignation. I don't want to ruffle any feathers. The school has been kind to me for nearly 20 years and I am not happy about having to resign in the middle because it causes problems for them and I don't want to do that. (I am looking for a replacement actually). Nevertheless,I have to submit a letter and state a reason. Any suggestions on how to handle this would be appreciated. I think I am legally able to quit but not 100 percent sure about this and so any knowledge about this would also be appreciated.

[Tkydon]

What does it state in the contract termination clause?
That is the place to look.
If your reason is honest and unavoidable, then it may be an inconvenience to them, but the termination clause is the overriding authority.

[TBS]

Nevertheless,I have to submit a letter and state a reason.

In Japan "一身上の都合により" is the standard phrase used on resignation letters when an employee quits. It means leaving for personal reasons, & you can just use that.

[captainspoke]

In Japan "一身上の都合により" is the standard phrase used on resignation letters when an employee quits. It means leaving for personal reasons, & you can just use that.

Yes, this.

BUT I have to remark--if you've been signing contracts for 20 yrs then I think, given all that's been written about it, you are a de facto permanent employee (seishain/正社員)--and if that's the case, there may be other options open to you besides just resigning.

I don't want to be nosy, but if your reason for thinking you need to resign is something that can be taken care of over a few months or so (eg, illness of someone back in your home country), you may be able to take some kind of leave.

If it is you that is sick, and you're anticipating an extended hospital stay (thinking you will be unable to work), you may simply be able to present your medical diagnosis (shindansho/診断書) to the school, and you should be able to be absent from work for the duration of treatment (and your doctor's authority would likely not be questioned).

Further, if you happen to be a member of the uni mutual aid association, after something like two months(?) off your school will stop paying you and the mutual aid assn will take over, probably with approx 2/3 of your salary.


Edit: If you are indeed full time/seishain, your reason for leaving the job can have an impact on the severance that you might receive (退職金). This is often calculated as a multiple of the years of employment, and the lowest multiple is used when the employee quits--resigns on their own. Tho I don't know what's in your school rulebook (規則書), there could easily be a chart in there that specifies the amount of severance (given a certain number of years worked), based on the reason for separation.

Reaching retirement age is often the highest multiple, and simply resigning is the lowest. If you are leaving for medical reasons, there may be a category for that which is between those two.

Even if you do end up simply resigning, if your actual employment status has been seishain, you may be entitled to even the lower level of severance payment associated with that (vs. thinking you're on contract, and there will be no severance).

[TokyoBoglehead]

In Japan "一身上の都合により" is the standard phrase used on resignation letters when an employee quits. It means leaving for personal reasons, & you can just use that.

Yes, this.

BUT I have to remark--if you've been signing contracts for 20 yrs then I think, given all that's been written about it, you are a de facto permanent employee (seishain/正社員)--and if that's the case, there may be other options open to you besides just resigning.

I don't want to be nosy, but if your reason for thinking you need to resign is something that can be taken care of over a few months or so (eg, illness of someone back in your home country), you may be able to take some kind of leave.

If it is you that is sick, and you're anticipating an extended hospital stay (thinking you will be unable to work), you may simply be able to present your medical diagnosis (shindansho/診断書) to the school, and you should be able to be absent from work for the duration of treatment (and your doctor's authority would likely not be questioned).

Further, if you happen to be a member of the uni mutual aid association, after something like two months(?) off your school will stop paying you and the mutual aid assn will take over, probably with approx 2/3 of your salary.

20 years of year-to-year contracts?

He doesn't owe them any loyalty. They offered him none.

[TBS]

Yes, this.

BUT I have to remark--if you've been signing contracts for 20 yrs then I think, given all that's been written about it, you are a de facto permanent employee (seishain/正社員)--and if that's the case, there may be other options open to you besides just resigning.
...

Well said. Check what your contract says, then check what you are legally entitled to (Google search / seek advice / ask on here/reddit...). It is possible the two are quite different.

[captainspoke]

...
20 years of year-to-year contracts?

He doesn't owe them any loyalty. They offered him none.

My point is that his school owes him (or may owe him).

[TokyoBoglehead]

...
20 years of year-to-year contracts?

He doesn't owe them any loyalty. They offered him none.

My point is that his school owes him (or may owe him).

Forgive me then, we are on the same page.

[onyourmark2021]

Actually I am OLD. That is why I have to leave. I did have a permanent contract and tenure at the university but at 65 that disappears. Now I am going back to the US to take a job there. I would prefer to stay in Japan but it isn't an option financially.

[adamu]

if you've been signing contracts for 20 yrs then I think, given all that's been written about it, you are a de facto permanent employee (seishain/正社員)

This is not my area of expertise, but I believe this is known as the 5 year rule. Rather than being de facto, you have to apply for it, but you have the right to apply after 5 years of continuous contracts.

Here is some info in Japanese.

https://jp.indeed.com/%E6%B1%82%E4%BA%B ... ontractors

Edit: wrote before seeing the above post. Never mind! Curious how this applies to post-seishains who are kept on as contractors though.