Social Insurance and Labor Consultant Examination key terms

The maximum ordinary hours an employer may require in a week and day, set by the Labor Standards Act at 40 hours weekly and 8 hours daily, excluding overtime and permitted flexibilities.

The increased wage rate owed for work beyond statutory limits, on rest days, or at night; Japanese law sets minimums such as 25 percent for statutory overtime and 50 percent for statutory holiday work.

A written labor-management agreement on overtime and holiday work filed with the Labor Standards Inspection Office; without it, employers cannot lawfully order work beyond statutory limits.

Hours treated as worked even without direct measurement, used for employees whose working time is hard to track outside the workplace; the employer must still ensure health and safety.

Leave with pay that accrues to employees meeting attendance thresholds, granted for at least five days yearly after six months of service, with the employer obligated to secure use of part of it.

An employer must give at least 30 days' advance notice, or pay the average wage for that period, before dismissing an employee; dismissal without cause or procedure may be void.

A dismissal lacking objectively reasonable grounds or social acceptability is invalid as an abuse of right; courts weigh the reason, procedure, and alternatives such as reassignment.

A statutory scheme requiring employers to pay separation allowances when employment ends for reasons other than the employee's serious misconduct, calculated by service years and wage.

A management framework that classifies employees by hours and leave usage, tracks overtime and leave balances, and triggers health measures when excessive hours accumulate.

A periodic employer-run mental health screening for workers, with physician review where results indicate high stress, intended to prevent occupational mental illness.

The administrative determination that a worker's injury, illness, or death arose from employment, which is the gateway to insurance benefits and employer liability.

An injury, illness, or death occurring during a reasonable commute to or from work, treated as employment-related under workers' compensation when the route and method are ordinary.

Statutory benefits for work-related injury or illness, including medical treatment, temporary absence pay, disability pensions, and survivors' benefits, financed by employer premiums.

The core unemployment benefit paid to eligible insured persons after job loss, with amount and duration based on insured period, age, and reason for separation.

A short initial period after unemployment begins during which no basic allowance is payable, intended to verify genuine unemployment and encourage early job search.

A worker covered by employment insurance because of qualifying employment, whose insured period and wages determine eligibility for benefits and their amount.

The regional administrative body enforcing labor standards law, receiving required filings such as work rules and 36 agreements, and conducting inspections and investigations.

The employer's duty to draft written work rules on wages, hours, and discipline, consult employee representatives, and submit them to the Labor Standards Inspection Office.

A written accord between employer and employee representatives required before certain actions, such as overtime work or changes to working conditions.

A person covered by public health insurance through employment or residency, entitled to benefits and subject to premium obligations under the applicable scheme.

The process confirming that a family member meets income and household criteria to receive insured benefits without separate premiums, based on documentation submitted to the insurer.

A reimbursement for medical costs exceeding a monthly ceiling that varies with income, limiting the insured person's out-of-pocket burden for expensive treatment.

A worker covered by the earnings-related pension scheme, with contributions shared by employer and employee and benefits tied to insured periods and past wages.

The monthly wage figure used to calculate pension and health insurance premiums, determined from regular and periodic pay and revised annually through a review process.

A periodic payment starting at the statutory pension age, calculated from insured periods and contribution records, with early or deferred claiming options that adjust the amount.

The flat-rate national pension component financed by contributions and subsidies, providing a foundation benefit for insured persons who meet the qualifying period.

A resident aged 20 to 59 enrolled in the national pension scheme, categorized by employment status, with contribution obligations and possible exemptions for low income.

A reduction or waiver of pension contributions granted on application to low-income insured persons, with the exempted period still counted, sometimes at a reduced rate.

The agreement establishing an employment relationship, which must specify wages, hours, and other conditions in writing and cannot set terms below statutory minimums.

The principle that employers must not treat workers unequally in wages or conditions because of employment status when duties and responsibilities are substantially the same.

The employer obligation to establish policies, training, and reporting channels to prevent and respond to workplace harassment, including sexual and power-based harassment.

A pension paid when a work-related or insured-condition disability reaches a statutory grade, with amount and eligibility depending on the degree of impairment and contribution history.

A public subsidy for employers that reduce business activity and retain workers through temporary leave or training, helping stabilize employment during downturns.

A fast, non-litigation dispute resolution route for individual labor disputes, using a panel to mediate and issue a non-binding settlement or decision.