Cross-Border Catch-Up: The Trend Away From Lifetime Employment in Japan

Ogletree Deakins Podcasts

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Komlavi Atsou (Cleveland) and Eric Lee (New York), both of whom are members of Ogletree Deakins’ Cross-Border Practice Group, discuss the trend away from the traditional concept of lifetime employment in Japan. Eric explains the traditional model that has been highly protective of employee rights with respect to termination, including requiring progressive discipline. The speakers also delve into some of the reasons Japan is moving away from lifetime employment, such as the declining population, the need to retain foreign talent, and employee and union demands for greater compensation.