Changes to annual leave laws?
Our 13 employee company is updating the work rules to follow recent changes to the law, as I understand it. I'm being told that we must use 5 days of annual leave per year, or the company can specify 5 days for any individual employee who doesn't take any. That seems fine, but the nuance is that those 5 days must come from the pool of annual leave received for that year. Which means, you cannot roll over 100% of your annual leave to a second year any more. Many people typically get their 20 new days, and use 20 days throughout the year, and keep rolling over 20 days, always using from the "older" pool of days, but I'm being told this is no longer legal. Has anybody else had similar changes in their company rules recently?
27 comments · 52% upvoted · other discussions
This has been the law for a long time. Full time employees must take at least 5 days of annual leave per year. The company is obligated to enforce it. It is to protect against employees being power harassed into never using annual leave.
https://www.tokhimo.com/post/how-annual-leave-in-japan-work-1
Ark42 [OP] 2 points · Dec 2025 · 関東・東京都
Yeah, you're right, the law is from 2019 it seems. We're just slow to update the official work rules I guess. And I doubt anybody here isn't using 5 or more days all along anyway.
JumpingJ4ck 3 points · Dec 2025 · 関東・東京都
You should absolutely make sure everyone is using at least 5 though and enforce that to not be breaking the law. I’m sure you’re right but don’t just assume.
Ark42 [OP] 3 points · Dec 2025 · 関東・東京都
Of course. They're updating the rules either way. I'm not HR. They just seem confused about if the 5 days you have to use can come from the rolled over pool of annual leave or not...