"Work, Work, Work, and Work... I'm Throwing Away Work-Life Balance" - Japan to Lift the 45-Hour Monthly Overtime Cap

Japanese Government to End Uniform Guidance Next Month
Up to 100 Hours Overtime Per Month Possible with Labor-Management Agreement
"Once the Rules Loosen, They Will Collapse Widely"

The Japanese government has decided to eliminate administrative guidance that has capped overtime work at "no more than 45 hours a month," starting next month.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to the Asahi Shimbun and other sources on August 20, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced the previous day that it would change the way labor standards inspection offices provide guidance on overtime work starting next month. Instead of making uniform demands to reduce overtime, the government will shift its focus to checking whether companies are properly implementing measures to ensure workers’ health.

Under Japan’s Labor Standards Act, working hours are set at eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. If labor and management sign what is known as a "36 (Sanroku) Agreement," overtime work of up to 45 hours per month and 360 hours per year is permitted. With a special clause, the upper limit can be raised to just under 100 hours per month, including work on holidays. However, until now, supervisory authorities have still required companies with special clauses not to exceed 45 hours of overtime per month. Starting next month, this administrative guidance will be eliminated.

Instead, the government will now check whether each company is actually implementing health and welfare measures specified in the "36 Agreement," and will guide them accordingly. The statutory upper limit remains unchanged, but there is now greater leeway to increase overtime beyond 45 hours per month. However, the government has added the caveat that it will continue to provide necessary guidance for workplaces where overwork is likely to pose health risks.

"Abandoning Work-Life Balance" — Japanese Prime Minister Pushes Deregulation

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has actively pushed for deregulation of working hour restrictions, citing the need to enhance corporate competitiveness. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party also recommended in April that the government review how overtime guidance is given.

Prime Minister Takaichi, shortly after being elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party in October last year, told party members, "I will ask everyone to work. I want you to work like a horse pulling a carriage," adding, "I myself will abandon the idea of work-life balance. I will work and work and work and work and work." On July 20, she posted on her social networking service (SNS) that "Since becoming Prime Minister, sleeping 0–3 hours has become the norm," raising concerns about overwork and her health. She added that on weekdays she works late into the night on official duties, and at home, she cleans the bathroom, does the dishes, and the laundry. The opposition raised concerns about potential impairment in her judgment, and international outlets such as The New York Times criticized the working environment of Japan’s top government official.

"If Once Relaxed, Restrictions Could Be Widely Loosened" — Labor Unions Push Back

In response to the new directive, Yoshino Tomoko, president of RENGO (Japanese Trade Union Confederation), said, "It could encourage overtime work," calling the policy "very regrettable." She emphasized, "Labor time restrictions tend to become broadly loosened once they become lax. To protect the lives and health of workers, the authorities should actually strengthen their guidance." However, she found it "commendable" that the government would focus on verifying health measures, and added that labor and management should strive together to create an even better workplace environment.

Japan’s current standards on working hours originated in the wake of a past karoshi (death from overwork) tragedy. In 2015, a new employee in their 20s at the advertising agency Dentsu died by suicide after logging 105 hours of overtime work per month, provoking widespread public outrage. Three years later, laws associated with "work style reform" were enacted, resulting in the current overtime regulations.

However, in fiscal year 2024, the number of officially recognized cases of industrial accidents due to overwork and work-related stress—known as "karoshi and similar"—reached 1,304, up 196 from the previous year and marking a record high. The Asahi Shimbun reported that "some labor organizations and others are concerned that the latest policy could lead to longer working hours."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.