Overview of the workstyle reform bill in Japan

After some last minute changes, on June 29, 2018, the Japanese Diet passed a comprehensive “work-style” reform bill that amends eight different labor related laws including core statutes such as the Labor Standards Act, the Worker Dispatching Act and the Labor Contracts Act. The legislation is meant to modernize Japan’s working systems, create a more fair and equal workplace for employees and provide more freedom and flexibility to workers. Some of the amendments will become effective as early as next April, while others do not become effective until 2023. In the table below, we summarize some of the changes that will be of most