Zangyo – Is working overtime in Japan mandatory?

It's common to see people talking, in Japan people work too much, they work more than 12 hours a day, they do a lot of overtime. So this raises a question, are people required to work overtime (zangyo)? In this article, we are going to talk a little about overtime in Japan.

The report of most Brazilians who lived in Japan is their long working hours. Most Brazilians who go to Japan tend to work in factories and work overtime, since after 8 hours of work, a person earns 25% or more for overtime, or as they call in Japanese “zagyou” [残業].

My friend ONLY in JAPAN made a video answering this exact question, so before the article we will leave the video so you can watch a more detailed explanation within Japanese labor laws and rights.

How does Zangyo work? Am I required to work overtime?

As the redneck said, according to article 32, it makes it clear that no one is obliged to work overtime, nor can the employee request to work overtime if there is none in the company. It is a mutual consent between employee and company, but the employee is expected to be able to contribute overtime when necessary, but not obligated.

An employee is required to work 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week, if the person is being forced to do more than that, the company may prefer to replace him with someone willing to work overtime, but in this case he will have to bear certain consequences concerning the contract.

Some contractors already specify in their advertisements that the person needs to do zangyo or mandatory overtime, but these types of advertisements are wrong and quite suspicious. We do not recommend these types of companies unless you are willing to work overtime to make more money.

Zangyo - is overtime in japan mandatory?

Can I have a job with a smooth workload?

Many question this factor that in Japan people work too much, but in reality this happens to most foreigners and Japanese who work in factories. There is a big reason I already wrote about Japanese people working too hard.

The fact is that there are people who work very little, and the Japanese workload has already been statistically proven to be lower than that of Brazil. So we shouldn't think that in Japan people work too much because they have to, but because they want to. Result of the strong capitalism and dedication of the Japanese after the World War II.

Zangyo - is overtime in japan mandatory?

The truth is, if you look hard enough, you'll be able to find the perfect job that suits your needs. I've always thought that it's better to work a little and have time to enjoy it, than to work too much and not have the money to spend. Unfortunately the reality for many in Japan is just work, they need to stop!

Japan is no longer the place to save money, so if you want to go to Japan to save money to return to Brazil, or if you are already doing so, think about how you spend your precious time. Many even end up hating Japan for working so hard and not delving into the culture and enjoying life.

I hope you enjoyed this little article. If you liked it, share it with your friends and leave your comments. To the next!

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