“We’d like you to resign”: Worker in Japan fired 4 days after revealing autism

From The Mainichi

March 31 2026

TOKYO – An individual in their 40s living in Yokohama was dismissed from their job four days after disclosing that they have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They later took the case to court, which ruled the dismissal discriminatory, but remain discontented.

“We’d like you to resign.” Hearing those words, Yamakawa (a pseudonym) was shocked. They never expected such a drastic change in their employer’s attitude. The incident that came to mind had happened just four days earlier. Yamakawa had revealed to the head of the company, where they had been working for three years, that they had ASD.

A ‘disability’ section on the application form

In June 2018, Yamakawa began working as a part-time caregiver at a firm providing support services for people with disabilities to become independent.

ASD is generally associated with difficulties in communication, strong preferences and challenges in forming interpersonal relationships, and is often said to make daily life more challenging. However, these characteristics vary from person to person.

Yamakawa had previously worked at a printing company without disclosing the disability and encountered no issues. Therefore, they chose not to disclose their disability during the hiring process at the new firm. However, due to the nature of their disability, long working hours can easily lead to fatigue, sometimes making it difficult to function physically, so Yamakawa requested to work about three days a week, which the company accepted.

During the interview, there was something that caught Yamakawa’s attention. The company had asked them to fill out a survey about potential working days and skills, which included a section for disclosing any chronic illnesses or disabilities.

According to guidelines for understanding and confirming disabilities while maintaining privacy, published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in November 2005, employers can only inquire about disabilities during interviews if there is a special occupational need. Despite feeling that the survey might be problematic, Yamakawa submitted it without disclosing their ASD.

A sudden change in attitude

For three years, Yamakawa worked with two clients without any major issues. Yamakawa was never strongly reprimanded or given directives regarding their work attitude during regular employee training sessions.

In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Yamakawa noticed a gradual reduction in working hours, a situation shared by colleagues. Being paid hourly, Yamakawa realized that further reductions would impact their livelihood, and in the summer of that year, requested a meeting with the company head.

When Yamakawa said, “I want to be more involved with this company. Could I become a full-time employee?” the company chief expressed concerns about their physical stamina. It was at this point that Yamakawa disclosed their disability, explaining, “My inability to work long hours is related to the fact that I have a disability.”

The company head suddenly became displeased, stating, “We hired you based on the assumption that all relevant information had been disclosed in the interview questionnaire, and not mentioning it affects trust.” The meeting ended without a resolution, and four days later, Yamakawa was asked to resign. After refusing to do so, Yamakawa was handed a dismissal notice.

Company disclosed Yamakawa’s disability to colleagues

Yamakawa later sought advice from a labor union in Tokyo. After repeated rounds of collective bargaining, the company withdrew the dismissal notice. During these negotiations, it was revealed that the company head had disclosed Yamakawa’s disability to other employees without their consent. Despite ongoing negotiations, they failed to reach an agreement on conditions, and Yamakawa has not yet been reinstated.

In November 2022, Yamakawa filed a lawsuit with the Yokohama District Court against the company, claiming that the dismissal and personal information leak constituted disability discrimination and seeking damages, including unpaid wages. After more than three years in court, the judge ruled in January this year that the dismissal was “discriminatory and illegally infringed on the plaintiff’s personal rights,” ordering the firm to pay 800,000 yen (about $5,000).

However, since the ruling did not specify relevant disability-related laws and did not acknowledge wage payments, Yamakawa appealed. The company has also appealed the decision.

Why had Yamakawa chosen not to disclose their disability during the hiring process? They said they felt there was a risk, saying that “sometimes you are turned away immediately or judged with bias from the start if you reveal it.” Despite this, they decided to disclose their disability because, they said, “I had confidence in the achievements I had built over my three-year career.” Unfortunately, the outcome was far from favorable.

Yamakawa raised their voice, saying, “I hope for a workplace and society where people are not prejudged or stereotyped solely based on being disabled, and where discriminatory acts are never committed.”