--- title: "Labour Policy Act: Employment Stability and Harassment" description: "Explains Japan's labour policy statute on employment information, foreign workers, treatment-work support, and harassment measures." date: 2026-05-31 category: Law Commentary tags: [Employment, Labour Policy] draft: false --- The [Act on Comprehensive Promotion of Labour Policies, Stability of Employment of Workers and Enhancement of Occupational Life](https://elaws.jp/view/341AC0000000132) sets a broad framework for national labor policy, employment stability, career support, foreign-worker employment management, treatment-work support, and workplace harassment measures. Employers, HR teams, foreign-worker support staff, and researchers consult it when checking statutory policy duties, foreign employment notifications, and the workplace power-harassment framework. This article covers selected core provisions of the Act and does not cover unemployment insurance, worker dispatch, public employment office operations in detail, or individual harassment findings. ## Purpose, Basic Ideas, and Employer Duties The opening provisions explain that the Act is a policy framework statute, not only a workplace harassment statute. Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 set the purpose, definitions, policy areas, and employer duties. Article 1 states that the Act aims to promote employment stability, enhancement of occupational life, improved labor productivity, worker ability development, occupational stability, improved economic and social status of Workers, economic and social development, and achievement of full employment through comprehensive national measures responding to changes in economic and social conditions. Article 1(2) requires the Act to be operated while respecting workers' freedom of occupational choice and employers' autonomy in employment management. Article 2 defines Employment Placement Agencies to include Public Employment Security Offices, Local Governments conducting free employment placement under the Employment Security Act, and persons licensed or notified to conduct employment placement services. Article 3 states basic ideas concerning career design, ability development, fair evaluation, and appropriate treatment. Article 4 lists national policy areas, including working-time reduction, balanced treatment across employment forms, employment placement, vocational training, youth, older persons, persons receiving medical treatment, persons with disabilities, foreign nationals, regional employment, and workplace-environment problems caused by words or actions. Article 5 requires Local Governments to endeavor to take necessary labor measures according to local circumstances, in coordination with national measures. Article 6 requires Employers to endeavor to improve working conditions and workplace environments so that Workers can work according to motivation and ability while maintaining harmony with life, and to support job-search activities and reemployment for Workers forced to leave because of business downsizing or similar reasons. Article 7 requires Employers to endeavor to improve employment management for foreign nationals and to support reemployment where specified foreign Workers leave and wish to be reemployed. Article 8 requires the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare to establish guidelines for Article 7 matters, and Article 9 requires equal opportunity regardless of age in recruitment and hiring where Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Order so prescribes. ## Basic Policy, Employment Information, and Training The Act then moves from general duties to public labor-market infrastructure. Articles 10, 10-2, 10-3, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are the main provisions for policy planning, employment information, guidance, and vocational training. Article 10 requires the national government to establish a Basic Policy for comprehensive promotion of labor measures necessary for Workers to exercise their abilities effectively. The Basic Policy must state the significance of enabling Workers to exercise their abilities, basic matters concerning measures listed in Article 4(1), and other important matters. The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare prepares the policy draft, seeks Cabinet decision, hears the Labour Policy Council, seeks prefectural governors' opinions, and publishes the policy after Cabinet decision. Article 10-2 authorizes the Minister to request necessary action from heads of relevant administrative organs for implementation of measures in the Basic Policy that fall within those organs' jurisdiction. Article 10-3 requires the national government to endeavor to take measures necessary to establish coordination systems among Local Governments, small and medium enterprise organizations, employer organizations, worker organizations, and other related persons so that measures under the Basic Policy progress smoothly at small and medium enterprises. Article 11 requires the Minister to collect and organize employment information and provide it so that job seekers, employers, Employment Placement Agencies, recruitment-information providers, vocational training institutions, educational institutions, and other related organizations can use it. Article 12 requires research on occupational conditions, trends, aptitude testing, adaptability, job analysis, and other basic occupational matters. Article 13 requires Employment Placement Agencies to guide job seekers using employment information and research results so that job seekers can choose occupations suited to their aptitudes, abilities, experience, and skills. Article 14 requires Employment Placement Agencies to guide employers concerning job-offer content, timing, number of persons, region, and other job-offer methods where necessary. Articles 15, 16, and 17 address employment assistance and promotion of vocational training and skill evaluation. ## Treatment-Work Support and Foreign Workers The Act contains specific chapters for balancing medical treatment and work and for foreign-worker employment management. Articles 27-3, 28, 29, and 30 are the main statutory anchors for these topics. Article 27-3 requires Employers to endeavor to establish consultation systems and take other necessary measures to support Workers receiving treatment because of illness, injury, or other reasons so that worsening of symptoms through work is prevented and treatment and work can be balanced. The same article requires the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare to establish and publish guidelines for treatment-work support, and it requires those guidelines to be harmonized with guidelines under Article 70-2(1) of the Industrial Safety and Health Act. Article 28 requires an Employer, when newly employing a foreign national or when a foreign national employed by the Employer leaves employment, to confirm and notify the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of the person's name, status of residence, period of stay, and other matters prescribed by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Order. Article 28(2) states that when such notification is made, the national government endeavors to promote employment-management improvement or reemployment for the foreign national through guidance and advice to Employers, employment information provision, job development, employment placement, and necessary vocational training. Article 29 requires the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare to provide information from Article 28 notifications when requested by the Minister of Justice or the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency for confirmation of matters concerning foreign nationals' residence in connection with immigration administration. Article 30 allows the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare to request necessary contact or cooperation from the Minister of Justice or the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency concerning entry and departure of foreign nationals residing for the purpose of work. ## Workplace Harassment Measures Chapter X creates the statutory framework for workplace problems caused by words or actions based on a superior relationship. Articles 30-2, 30-3, 30-4, 30-5, 30-6, 30-7, and 30-8 are the main provisions. Article 30-2 requires Employers to take necessary employment-management measures, including consultation systems and appropriate responses, so that the working environment of employed Workers is not harmed by words or actions in the workplace that are based on a superior relationship and exceed the necessary and reasonable scope of business. Article 30-2(2) prohibits dismissal or other disadvantageous treatment because a Worker sought consultation or cooperated with the Employer's response by stating facts. Article 30-2(3) requires the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare to establish guidelines for appropriate and effective implementation of those employer measures. Article 30-3 assigns awareness and cooperation duties to the national government, Employers, officers, and Workers concerning problems caused by superior-relationship words or actions. Employers must endeavor to deepen Workers' interest and understanding and to have Workers pay necessary attention to their words and actions toward other Workers, including through training and other necessary consideration. Workers must also endeavor to deepen their understanding, pay necessary attention to words and actions toward other Workers, and cooperate with measures taken by the Employer under Article 30-2(1). Article 30-4 creates a special dispute-resolution route for disputes between Workers and Employers concerning Article 30-2(1) and (2). Article 30-5 authorizes the Prefectural Labour Bureau Director to give advice, guidance, or recommendations when one or both parties request assistance, and applies the anti-retaliation rule to that request. Article 30-6 allows referral to mediation by the Dispute Coordinating Committee, Article 30-7 applies mediation procedures from the equal-employment statute with modifications, and Article 30-8 delegates necessary mediation procedure matters to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Order. ## Coordination, Guidance, Reports, and Delegation The later provisions support national-local coordination and administrative enforcement. Articles 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, and 38 show how the Act is administered. Article 31 requires national and Local Governments to coordinate and cooperate so that national job guidance and placement projects and Local Government employment measures are implemented smoothly and effectively, including through agreements on mutual cooperation and integrated implementation in the same facility. Article 32 allows a Local Government head to request the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare to implement necessary measures for worker occupational stability when many separations occur or may occur in the local area. Article 33 authorizes the Minister to give Employers advice, guidance, or recommendations when necessary to enforce the Act. Article 33(2) allows publication when an Employer violating Article 30-2(1) or (2), including those provisions as applied in dispute-assistance contexts, does not comply with a recommendation. Article 34 authorizes reports and on-site inspections for enforcement of Article 27(1) and Article 28(1), and states that the inspection authority must not be interpreted as criminal-investigation authority. Article 35 allows the Minister to request necessary materials and explanations from Employers for enforcing the Act except for specified provisions. Article 36 allows the Minister to request reports from Employers concerning matters necessary to enforce Article 30-2(1) and (2). Article 37 allows delegation of the Minister's authority to Prefectural Labour Bureau Directors and then to Public Employment Security Office Chiefs as prescribed by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Order. Article 38 contains special rules for mariners, including replacement of certain authorities with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism or local transport bureau heads.