Companies to Obligate Fixed Term Employment to Require Employment Conditions to be Clearly Defined

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has asked companies to make appropriate decisions regarding the "indefinite-term conversion rule," which allows workers to switch to indefinite employment if they have worked at the same company for more than five years due to contract renewal. It was decided to request that future working conditions, etc. be clarified in writing in advance.

The ``indefinite-term conversion rule'' means that if a part-time worker, contract employee, or other person with a limited employment period has worked for more than five years at the same company due to a renewal of the contract, they can switch to unlimited-term employment if they wish. It is a system that obligates

The council of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which is made up of labor and management, has compiled a report aimed at improving the system so that workers can make appropriate decisions.

In this, when the contract is renewed with the right to switch to indefinite employment, such as when the working period is expected to exceed 5 years, companies are obliged to clearly indicate in writing that they have the right to switch to indefinite employment and the working conditions after the switch. It was made.

The conditions to be specified assume working hours, wages, places where there is a possibility of working in the future, etc.

In addition, since there are cases where the employment is terminated immediately before the right is generated and causes trouble, when concluding the first contract, it is necessary to indicate whether there is an upper limit on the number of times the contract can be renewed, or to shorten the upper limit in the middle. If so, we ask that you explain the reasons in advance.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will proceed with procedures such as revising ministerial ordinances in line with this content.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of people working under contracts with an upper limit on the employment period has reached 14.02 million, about 25% of the workforce.