Act on Promoting the Resolution of Individual Labor-Related Disputes

個別労働関係紛争の解決の促進に関する法律（こべつろうどうふんそうのかいけつのそくしんにかんするほうりつ）

How the state helps settle a dispute between an individual worker and an employer — or between a job seeker and an employer over recruitment and hiring — promptly and properly, in line with its actual circumstances: information and consultation, advice and guidance from the Director of the Prefectural Labour Bureau, and, except for recruitment and hiring, mediation (あっせん) by a Dispute Coordinating Committee.

Text in force since
Promulgated
Articles: 22
Amendments on the way: 0

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What this law does

An individual labor-related dispute (個別労働関係紛争) is a dispute between an individual worker and an employer (事業主) over working conditions or other matters of the labor relationship. It includes a dispute between an individual job seeker and an employer over recruitment and hiring.(Art. 1(1)) (the provisions it rests on)

Read the full overview

When such a dispute arises, both parties must try to settle it themselves, early and in good faith.(Art. 2(1)) (the provisions it rests on)
The Director of the Prefectural Labour Bureau () gives workers, job seekers and employers information, consultation and other help on labor relations and on recruitment and hiring, to prevent disputes and help the parties settle them themselves.(Art. 3(1)) (the provisions it rests on)
If one or both parties ask the Director for help in resolving a dispute, the Director may give them the advice or guidance needed. This does not cover a labor dispute (労働争議) as defined in Article 6 of the Labor Relations Adjustment Act — a disagreement between the parties to labor relations that has led, or may lead, to industrial action — nor a dispute under Article 26(1) of the Act on Labor Relations of Agency Engaged in Administrative Execution, which a separate Act governs.(Art. 4(1), Labor Relations Adjustment Act Art. 6(1)) (the provisions it rests on)
If one or both parties apply for mediation (あっせん) and the Director finds it necessary to resolve the dispute, the Director has the Dispute Coordinating Committee (紛争調整委員会) mediate. Mediation covers the same disputes as advice and guidance, except disputes over recruitment and hiring, for which it is not available.(Art. 5(1), Art. 6(2)) (the provisions it rests on)
An employer must not dismiss a worker, or treat the worker unfavorably in any other way, because the worker asked the Director for help with a dispute or applied for mediation.(Art. 4(3), Art. 5(2)) (the provisions it rests on)

Article 1 states the law's own purpose

Individual labor-related disputesInformation and consultationAdvice and guidanceMediationDispute Coordinating CommitteeLimitation periods after mediationSeafarersPublic servants

Amendments

A Japanese law is changed by another law or order that rewrites it — an . No amendment to this law is waiting to come into force. Its amendment history is below. The amendments this site has read the changes of are on this law's amendments page, provision by provision, in Japanese and English.

5 amendments already in force

1 June 2025
The text on this site
Act on the Arrangement of Related Acts upon the Enforcement of the Act Partially Amending the Penal Code, etc.
刑法等の一部を改正する法律の施行に伴う関係法律の整理等に関する法律
The text after this amendment, on e-Gov
17 June 2022
Act on the Arrangement of Related Acts upon the Enforcement of the Act Partially Amending the Penal Code, etc.
刑法等の一部を改正する法律の施行に伴う関係法律の整理等に関する法律
The text after this amendment, on e-Gov
1 April 2020
Act on the Arrangement of Related Acts upon the Enforcement of the Act Partially Amending the Civil Code
民法の一部を改正する法律の施行に伴う関係法律の整備等に関する法律
The text after this amendment, on e-Gov
2 June 2017
Act on the Arrangement of Related Acts upon the Enforcement of the Act Partially Amending the Civil Code
民法の一部を改正する法律の施行に伴う関係法律の整備等に関する法律
The text after this amendment, on e-Gov
1 April 2015
e-Gov gives no title for this amendment
The text after this amendment, on e-Gov

Who it applies to

It applies to

Individual workers and employers (事業主) in a dispute over working conditions or other matters of the labor relationship: they must try to settle it themselves, early and in good faith, and the employer must not dismiss or otherwise treat a worker unfavorably because the worker asked for the Director's help or applied for mediation.(Art. 1(1), Art. 2(1), Art. 4(3), Art. 5(2)) (the provisions it rests on)
Individual job seekers (求職者) and employers in a dispute over recruitment and hiring: they too must try to settle it themselves, and can get the Director's advice and guidance, but not mediation.(Art. 1(1), Art. 2(1), Art. 3(1), Art. 4(1), Art. 5(1)) (the provisions it rests on)

2 more

Local governments, which are to try to promote information, consultation, mediation and other measures for workers, job seekers and employers suited to local conditions, with the national government supporting them.(Art. 20(1), Art. 20(2)) (the provisions it rests on)
Where a prefectural labor relations commission () carries out such measures on delegation from the prefectural governor under Article 180-2 of the Local Autonomy Act, the Central Labour Relations Commission may give it advice or guidance.(Art. 20(3)) (the provisions it rests on)

It does not apply to

National and local public servants, except that the Act applies to disputes over the working conditions of the employees named in the exception to Article 22.(Art. 22(1)) (the provisions it rests on)

Special rules and exceptions (3)

The Act does apply to disputes over the working conditions (勤務条件) of these public employees: employees of agencies engaged in administrative execution (行政執行法人) under Article 2, item 2 of the Act on Labor Relations of Agency Engaged in Administrative Execution; enterprise employees under Article 15(1) of the Local Public Enterprise Act (地方公営企業法); employees under Article 47 of the Local Incorporated Administrative Agency Act (地方独立行政法人法); and local public servants in the regular service (一般職) hired for simple manual work under Article 57 of the Local Public Service Act (地方公務員法), other than employees under Article 3, item 4 of the Act on the Labor Relations of Local Public Enterprises (地方公営企業等の労働関係に関する法律). Advice and guidance and mediation do not, though, cover a dispute under Article 26(1) of the Act on Labor Relations of Agency Engaged in Administrative Execution, which a separate Act governs.(Art. 22(1), Art. 4(1), Art. 5(1)) (the provisions it rests on)
For seafarers, and people seeking to become seafarers, as defined in Article 6(1) of the Mariners' Employment Security Act (船員職業安定法), the Director of the District Transport Bureau (, including the Director of a Transport Supervision Department) takes the place of the Director of the Prefectural Labour Bureau: the Director gives information, consultation, advice and guidance, and has designated mediators carry out mediation. An Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism may delegate these powers to the head of a Transport Branch Office (運輸支局) or of an office of a District Transport Bureau, Transport Supervision Department or Transport Branch Office.(Art. 21(1), Art. 21(5)) (the provisions it rests on)
Their mediation is not by a Dispute Coordinating Committee but by three mediators (あっせん員) the Director of the District Transport Bureau designates from a list of at least three candidates of learning and experience, drawn up every two years. The rules on how mediation runs and ends, including the 30-day rule on limitation periods, apply to it, with an Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in place of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's.(Art. 21(1), Art. 21(2), Art. 21(3), Art. 21(4)) (the provisions it rests on)

How it is enforced (8)

The Act sets no penalties. It works through information, advice and guidance, and mediation; when giving advice or guidance, the Director hears experts with broad knowledge of industry and of labor issues where needed.(Art. 3(1), Art. 4(1), Art. 4(2), Art. 5(1)) (the provisions it rests on)
A Dispute Coordinating Committee sits in each Prefectural Labour Bureau. Its members, at least three and no more than a Cabinet Order allows, are appointed by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare from people of learning and experience, serve part-time for two-year terms, and elect a chairperson.(Art. 6(1), Art. 7(1), Art. 7(2), Art. 7(3), Art. 8(1), Art. 8(4)) (the provisions it rests on)
Each case is mediated by three mediation members (あっせん委員) whom the chairperson designates from the Committee. They mediate between the parties, confirm the main points of each side's claims, and try to resolve the case in line with its actual circumstances.(Art. 12(1), Art. 12(2)) (the provisions it rests on)
The mediation members may hear the parties and, where needed, people heard for reference (参考人), and ask any of them for a written opinion. They may draw up a mediation plan (あっせん案) and present it to the parties, but only with the agreement of all three.(Art. 12(1), Art. 13(1), Art. 13(2)) (the provisions it rests on)
If a party asks and the mediation members find it necessary, they hear a representative of workers or of employers named by a major workers' or employers' organization in the Bureau's area.(Art. 14(1)) (the provisions it rests on)
The mediation members may end the mediation if they find there is no prospect of resolving the dispute by it. If it is ended that way and the person who applied sues on the claim it was about within 30 days of being notified, the suit counts as filed on the day of the application for mediation, for the purpose of postponing the end of the limitation period (時効の完成猶予).(Art. 15(1), Art. 16(1)) (the provisions it rests on)
Where needed to resolve a case before it, the Committee may ask the relevant administrative agencies for materials and other cooperation.(Art. 17(1)) (the provisions it rests on)
An Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare sets the further details of the Committee and of the mediation procedure.(Art. 19(1)) (the provisions it rests on)

How it connects to other laws

Cites this lawLawThis law cites it

It also names 7 laws not yet held here.

Where the translation comes from

The Ministry of Justice's translation is shown only where the Japanese it translates matches the law in force today. Everywhere else the English is a machine translation, marked on the paragraph itself.

Only the Japanese is the law, and no lawyer has reviewed the machine translation.

Sources

Everything this page rests on

e-Gov (Digital Agency)個別労働関係紛争の解決の促進に関する法律 — the text in force from 2025-06-01Original
e-Gov (Digital Agency)個別労働関係紛争の解決の促進に関する法律 — revision historyOriginal
Japanese Law Translation, Ministry of JusticeAct on Promoting the Resolution of Individual Labor-Related Disputes — Ministry of Justice translationOriginal
Machine translation, not official
Written for this site with AIEnglish titles of amending laws, written for this site
Written for this site with AIDescriptions of each law, written for this site
Written for this site with AICorrections to the Ministry of Justice's English of paragraphs
Worked out by this site from e-Gov's text

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