Workforce Management Newsletter

December 2012  Vol.8

• Written indication of the “standards for contract renewal” will become a legal requirement
• Trend in law revision relating to application of the value of salary paid in kind
• A proposal to revise the Industrial Safety and Health Act has been repealed

October 2012  Vol.7

• Revision of the Old Age Employment Stabilization Law
• Revision of the Employment Quota for Persons with Disabilities
• Comprehensive reforms for social security and tax

August 2012  Vol.6

• Increase in the Welfare Pension Insurance Premium Rate
• Partial Revision to the Labor Contract Law including the Conversion of Fixed-Term Labor Contract to a Termless Labor Contract
• Matters to Note with Regards to Company Establishment and Hiring of Employees

June 2012  Vol.5

• A Points-based preferential immigration treatment for highly skilled foreign professionals, (e.g. period of stay for 5 years will be granted, etc,) has been effectuated.
• Effective method for managing overtime

May 2012  Special Edition

• The values of allowance in kind have been revised
• The contribution rate to child care benefits has been increased to 0.15%

April 2012  Vol.4

• Amended Child Care and Family Care Leave Act will be made effective across the board
• The long-term care insurance premium rate of the Japan Health Insurance Association has been increased to 1.55%
• Foreigners whose period of stay in Japan exceeds 3 months will be considered to be insured members of long-term care insurance
• Specific minimum wage rates in Tokyo (by industry) have been increased
• Application of Labor and Social Insurance to Foreign Employees

February 2012  Vol.3

• The Insurance Premium Rate of the Japan Health Insurance Association will be increased to a national average of 10%
• The Employment Insurance Premium Rate will go down to 1.35% for General Industries
• The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Premium Rate will go down by 0.6/1000 on average
• Social Security Agreement between Brazil and Japan and the same between Switzerland and Japan will come into force
• Introduction to major revisions to the law which will take place in the future
• Mistakes related to Overtime Management and Payment of Allowance

December 2011  Vol.2

• A number of reforms had been passed including ones permitting employees to make contributions to the Defined Contribution Pension Plan.
• Reforms had been passed with respect to minimum wage by prefecture.
• The difficulty of dismissing employees in Japan

October 2011  Vol.1

• In Issuing the Online Magazine
• Taxation to promote hire/employment (Koyo-sokushin Zeisei) has begun
• The Advantages of Preparing Work rule
• Introduction to HR / Labor-related Services