Disclosure of Working Conditions at Hiring

Plain-language explanation

Article 15 of the Labor Standards Act requires employers to clearly disclose working conditions to employees at the time of hiring. This includes items such as the contract period, workplace location, job duties, start and end times of work, holidays, wage calculation and payment methods, and rules regarding resignation or termination. In practice, this is usually done through a written "Notice of Working Conditions" or an equivalent document, and its purpose is to make sure employees know exactly what they are agreeing to before they start work, reducing the risk of disputes later.

If the actual working conditions turn out to differ from what was disclosed at hiring, the employee has the right to immediately terminate the employment contract without penalty. In other words, if a new hire discovers that the job doesn't match what was promised (e.g., different pay, different hours, different job duties), they can walk away right away rather than being locked into the contract. For business owners, this makes it critical to ensure that job offers, employment contracts, and onboarding documents are accurate and consistent — vague or misleading conditions at hiring can create legal exposure and employee turnover.

Labor Standards Inspectors (労働基準監督官), who have the authority to enter workplaces, inspect documents, and question employers or employees under related provisions, can check whether a company has properly complied with this disclosure requirement. Failure to comply can lead to corrective guidance or administrative action from the labor bureau, making proper documentation at the hiring stage a basic compliance necessity for any employer in Japan.

日本語での解説

Common scenarios

• ▸正社員やアルバイトを新規採用する際に労働条件通知書を交付する場面
• ▸求人票と実際の労働条件が異なっていたために従業員が即日退職を申し出るケース
• ▸転勤や配属先が採用時の説明と異なっていたことによる労使トラブル
• ▸社宅・寮付きの雇用契約が解除された際の帰郷旅費負担の問題
• ▸労働基準監督署の立入調査で労働条件通知書の不備を指摘されるケース