Japan: criticism and debate surrounds reform to labour norms

The Japanese government is set to table a bill bringing about changes to its Labour Standards Law, with reform applying to two areas. Firstly, the reform covers exemptions for high-level professionals, whereby working hours for specialised staff (senmonshoku), whose pay is above a certain threshold, are deregulated. Secondly, the government is looking to cap overtime hours, which is the pillar of its reform to employment practices.
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Draft bill representing a turning point for workers. The draft bill, which the government has presented as a “turning point” for employees, looks to establish the principle of equal pay between permanent and temporary staff. In addition, to avoid excessive working hours, it will also set an upper limit on overtime hours – at 45 hours per month and 360 hours per year. Companies will also be granted exemptions during business peaks, when overtime hours will be capped at 100 per month and 720 per

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