Labour Conditions Subcommittee discusses the legal status of work-interval rules and related issuesA council is discussing whether to make rest after work, and contact after hours, into rules
At its 212th meeting on October 14, 2026 (Reiwa 8), the Labour Conditions Subcommittee of the Labour Policy Council at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare took up three concrete issues in working-hours law: the work-interval system (勤務間インターバル制度), the so-called "right to disconnect," and the recording of working hours. The materials pose each point as a question of how to think about it. No conclusion or law amendment has been decided.
Key points
- The work-interval system is currently only a duty to make efforts under the Act on Special Measures for Improvement of Working Hours. The question is what measures to take, including its "legal status," to promote more effective adoption
- On the "right to disconnect," some countries have legislated it for contact outside working hours. The question is how to view each company clarifying its own contact rules to suit its circumstances
- On recording working hours, employers are responsible under a guideline and the Industrial Safety and Health Act, but it has been pointed out that some workplaces do not record them at all. The way of recording is under discussion
- The subcommittee's meeting list also shows that the agenda of the next, 213th meeting (October 23, 2026) is "labour standards-related legislation"
What to do in practice
- Check whether your company has rules on rest time between the end of work and the next start, and on contact outside working hours
- Confirm that you have a way to record working hours objectively (clock-in records and the like)
A "work interval" is a set amount of rest time between finishing work and starting the next shift. The "right to disconnect" is the idea that you need not answer work messages outside working hours. A national council is discussing how to handle both. Nothing has been decided yet.
- September 16, 2026211th meeting. Discussed labour standards-related legislation
- October 14, 2026212th meeting. Discussed work intervals and related points
- October 23, 2026213th meeting. The agenda is labour standards-related legislation
Points
- The national council discussed them on October 14, 2026
- Today, the rule about taking rest time is only a "please try to do it" duty to make efforts
- What will be done has not been decided yet
What the words mean
- Work interval
- A block of rest time kept free between finishing work and starting the next work
- Right to disconnect
- The idea that you need not receive work contact outside working hours
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW): MHLW: Materials for the 212th meeting of the Labour Conditions Subcommittee, Labour Policy Council
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW): MHLW: Labour Policy Council (Labour Conditions Subcommittee) list of meetings
This article previews items that are still under consideration or only requested. Whether they will be adopted, and whether the content or timing will change, is not final. Please check the official source again once a decision is made.
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.