労働基準法第37条
Overtime, Holiday, and Late-Night Premium Wages
時間外、休日及び深夜の割増賃金
Plain-language explanation
Article 37 of the Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay extra "premium" wages on top of the normal hourly rate whenever an employee works beyond the statutory limits: more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week (overtime), on a legally mandated day off (holiday work), or during late-night hours (typically 10pm–5am). The minimum premium rates are generally 25% for overtime (rising to 50% for overtime exceeding 60 hours in a month), 35% for holiday work, and 25% for late-night work — and these rates stack when categories overlap, such as late-night overtime.
The purpose of this rule is twofold: to financially compensate employees for the burden of extended or irregular working hours, and to discourage employers from routinely relying on excessive overtime by making it more costly. Businesses need to correctly calculate the "base wage" used for the premium calculation (which allowances count and which are excluded), and clearly document these rules in employment regulations or wage rules.
In practice, failing to pay these premiums is one of the most common sources of labor disputes in Japan — it can trigger corrective orders from the Labor Standards Inspection Office and lawsuits from employees seeking back pay plus additional statutory penalties. While Article 37 itself establishes the civil obligation to pay, enforcement is backed by the investigative powers of Labor Standards Inspectors under Articles 97, 101, and 105, including on-site inspections and confidentiality obligations for inspectors.
日本語での解説
労働基準法第37条は、使用者が労働者に法定労働時間（1日8時間・週40時間）を超えて働かせた場合や、法定休日に働かせた場合、さらに深夜（原則22時〜翌5時）に働かせた場合に、通常の賃金に一定の割増率を上乗せして支払わなければならないと定めています。時間外労働は通常25%以上、月60時間を超える部分は50%以上、休日労働は35%以上、深夜労働は25%以上の割増が必要で、これらが重なる場合（例：深夜の時間外労働）は割増率を合算して計算します。
この条文は、長時間労働や不規則な時間帯の労働に対して労働者に経済的な補償を与えるとともに、使用者に対して過度な残業を抑制するインセンティブを持たせる目的があります。企業側は、割増賃金の計算基礎となる賃金（基本給に含めるべき手当・除外できる手当の区分）を正しく把握し、就業規則や賃金規程に明記しておく必要があります。
実務上、残業代の未払いは労働基準監督署の是正勧告や労働者からの訴訟（未払い賃金請求、付加金請求）につながりやすく、企業にとって大きなリスクとなります。第37条自体は民事的な支払義務を定めるものであり、監督・調査・罰則の実施は第97条・第101条・第105条に基づく労働基準監督官の権限と連動しています。
Common scenarios
- ▸従業員に月45時間を超える残業をさせた際の割増賃金計算
- ▸休日出勤（法定休日）に対する35%割増賃金の支払い
- ▸深夜シフト勤務者への深夜割増(25%)の適用
- ▸月60時間超の残業に対する50%割増の適用漏れによる未払い賃金トラブル
- ▸固定残業代（みなし残業）制度導入時の割増賃金充足性の確認
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