Japan has businesses specifically for helping employees to leave their jobs, according to an Economic Times report, which added that companies like Exit and Albatross offer such a service as a solution to the stress many employees face in Japan while trying to quit.
These companies make a call to the client’s employer, announce the resignation, and handle all the other formalities, for a fee of around 20,000 yen (about ₹11,600).
Exit, launched in 2017, helps about 10,000 people each year with their resignations.
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Why do employees find it difficult to resign in Japan?
Many employees face a significant amount of pressure from their employers, with resignation letters torn up or workers harassed to stay in more extreme cases.
This arises out of poor workplace conditions, which includes difficult bosses, unpaid overtime, and an inability to use paid time off, according to the report, which added that employers sometimes even demand legal negotiations before letting off an employee.
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“Japanese are not educated to debate and express opinions,” the report quoted Exit co-founder Toshiyuki Niino as saying. This makes the resignation particularly stressful for some.
Some workers who are unable to afford the cost of such a quitting agency, have even resorted to pretend to be from such agencies to resign.
This has led to some Japanese companies even reaching out to these quitting agencies for referrals when it comes to newly unemployed individuals, according to the report.
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