Category: Employment

by Michael Gillan Peckitt March 4, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Podcast Welfare

Kitakyushu to Revoke Designation of Disability Support Facility Over Fraudulent Benefit Claims [Podcast Episode]

Kitakyushu City said it will revoke the designation of a Type B continuous employment support facility for people with disabilities in Yahatanishi Ward after its operator, based in Nakama, Fukuoka Prefecture, was found to have fraudulently claimed public support funds. According to the city, the company falsely reported that a full-time instructor was employed to improve participants’ wages in order to receive additional staffing payments between May and September last year, and also inflated attendance records for a user approved for services by another municipality, billing for more days than were actually attended. The revocation, under the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act, will take effect on March 31.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 20, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Podcast

Japan Top Court Rules Work-Bar Provision Unconstitutional [Podcast Episode]

Japan’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday 18th February that a provision in the now-scrapped security services law that disqualified adult guardianship system users from employment violated the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of occupation and equality under law. The ruling, backed by 10 of the 15 justices, marked the 14th time since the end of World War II that the Supreme Court has declared a law or ordinance unconstitutional, and the first time since the Grand Bench ruling in July 2024 on the now-defunct eugenic protection law. 

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 19, 2026 1
Discrimination Employment Eugenics Japan

Japan Top Court Rules Work-Bar Provision Unconstitutional

Japan’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a provision in the now-scrapped security services law that disqualified adult guardianship system users from employment violated the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of occupation and equality under law. The ruling, backed by 10 of the 15 justices, marked the 14th time since the end of World War II that the Supreme Court has declared a law or ordinance unconstitutional, and the first time since the Grand Bench ruling in July 2024 on the now-defunct eugenic protection law. 

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 15, 2026 1
Barrier Free Disability Employment Japan

Japan’s new guidelines warn employers not to mislabel disability requests as harassment

The guidelines on harassment by customers make clear that employers must take care not to interpret requests for reasonable accommodation from persons with disabilities as customer harassment. They note that discriminatory treatment is prohibited and the provision of reasonable accommodation is mandatory under the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, and state that appropriate responses are required through “constructive dialogue” to build mutual understanding.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 8, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Employment Japan

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Produces Draft Report on Disability Employment Guidelines

A meeting of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “Study Group on the Future of the Employment Promotion System for Persons with Disabilities” (chaired by Ryuichi Yamakawa, professor at Meiji University) was held on January 30, where a draft report was compiled. To improve the quality of employment for persons with disabilities, elements that the government should prioritize will be compiled into guidelines and stipulated in laws and regulations. Guidelines will also be formulated for the rapidly increasing disability employment business sector, and user companies will be required to submit certain reports so that authorities can provide guidance and supervision.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt February 3, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free developmental disabilities Disability Discrimination Employment Japan Podcast

Yokohama Court Rules Disability-Based Dismissal After ‘Outing’ Illegal [Podcast Episode]

While the court ordered the payment of ¥800,000 in consolation money, it did not recognize the claim for wages for the period during which the man was unable to work after his dismissal. The plaintiff’s attorney, Motoya Tsuchida, said, “The ruling does, in a sense, squarely acknowledge disability discrimination,” while indicating that they plan to appeal.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 28, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Discrimination Employment Japan Podcast

52.6% of Companies in Japan Find Disability Employment Targets “Difficult” to Achieve [Podcast Episode]

More than half of Japanese companies say they will struggle to meet the government’s higher disability employment quota, highlighting persistent challenges in workplace readiness and internal awareness. A survey by disability employment support firm Persol Diversity found that 52.6% of companies view achieving the revised statutory quota of 2.7%, which takes effect in July, as difficult, underscoring gaps in organizational understanding and the need for improved accommodations and support systems for workers with disabilities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 27, 2026 Number of comments0
Barrier Free Disability Employment Japan

52.6% of Companies in Japan Find Disability Employment Targets “Difficult” to Achieve

More than half of Japanese companies say they will struggle to meet the government’s higher disability employment quota, highlighting persistent challenges in workplace readiness and internal awareness. A survey by disability employment support firm Persol Diversity found that 52.6% of companies view achieving the revised statutory quota of 2.7%, which takes effect in July, as difficult, underscoring gaps in organizational understanding and the need for improved accommodations and support systems for workers with disabilities.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt January 12, 2026 Number of comments0
Disability Employment Japan Welfare

Procurement From Japan’s Disability Employment Facilities Hit Record High in FY2024

Japan’s public-sector procurement of goods and services from facilities employing people with disabilities reached a record high in fiscal 2024, the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry said, reflecting growing use of the priority procurement system aimed at promoting the economic independence of people with disabilities.