Chapter I General Provisions
第一章 総則
第一条（目的）
The purpose of this Act is, with regard to the employees of small and medium-sized enterprises, to establish a retirement allowance mutual aid system funded by contributions from small and medium-sized enterprises, based on the spirit of mutual aid among them, and thereby to contribute to the enhancement of the welfare of those employees and the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, etc.
この法律は、中小企業の従業員について、中小企業者の相互扶助の精神に基づき、その拠出による退職金共済制度を確立し、もつてこれらの従業員の福祉の増進と中小企業の振興に寄与すること等を目的とする。
第二条（定義）
In this Act, "small and medium-sized enterprise" means an employer that falls under any of the following items (excluding the State, local governments, and other persons specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as equivalent to them):
この法律で「中小企業者」とは、次の各号のいずれかに該当する事業主（国、地方公共団体その他厚生労働省令で定めるこれらに準ずる者を除く。）をいう。
an employer that regularly employs 300 employees or less, and an employer that is a corporation with stated capital or total contributions of 300 million yen or less (excluding an employer principally engaged in a business belonging to an industry listed in the following item through item (iv));
常時雇用する従業員の数が三百人以下の事業主及び資本金の額又は出資の総額が三億円以下の法人である事業主（次号から第四号までに掲げる業種に属する事業を主たる事業として営む事業主を除く。）
an employer principally engaged in a business belonging to the wholesale industry that regularly employs 100 employees or less, and one that is a corporation with stated capital or total contributions of 100 million yen or less;
卸売業に属する事業を主たる事業として営む事業主であつて、常時雇用する従業員の数が百人以下のもの及び資本金の額又は出資の総額が一億円以下の法人であるもの
an employer principally engaged in a business belonging to the service industry that regularly employs 100 employees or less, and one that is a corporation with stated capital or total contributions of 50 million yen or less;
サービス業に属する事業を主たる事業として営む事業主であつて、常時雇用する従業員の数が百人以下のもの及び資本金の額又は出資の総額が五千万円以下の法人であるもの
an employer principally engaged in a business belonging to the retail industry that regularly employs 50 employees or less, and one that is a corporation with stated capital or total contributions of 50 million yen or less.
小売業に属する事業を主たる事業として営む事業主であつて、常時雇用する従業員の数が五十人以下のもの及び資本金の額又は出資の総額が五千万円以下の法人であるもの
In this Act, "retirement" means the termination of the employment relationship between an employee and an employer.
この法律で「退職」とは、従業員について、事業主との雇用関係が終了することをいう。
In this Act, "retirement allowance mutual aid contract" means a contract, other than a specified-industry retirement allowance mutual aid contract, under which an employer promises to pay premiums to the Organization for Workers' Retirement Allowance Mutual Aid (hereinafter referred to as the "Organization", except in Articles 56 and 57) and the Organization promises to pay retirement allowances, as provided for in this Act, upon the retirement of the employees employed by that employer.
この法律で「退職金共済契約」とは、事業主が独立行政法人勤労者退職金共済機構（第五十六条及び第五十七条を除き、以下「機構」という。）に掛金を納付することを約し、機構がその事業主の雇用する従業員の退職について、この法律の定めるところにより、退職金を支給することを約する契約であつて、特定業種退職金共済契約以外のものをいう。
In this Act, "specified industry" means an industry, such as the construction industry, in which a considerable number of employees ordinarily move between many businesses belonging to that industry and are employed by the employers of those businesses, and which is designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
この法律で「特定業種」とは、建設業その他従業員の相当数が、通常、当該業種に属する多数の事業の間を移動してこれらの事業の事業主に雇用される業種であつて、厚生労働大臣が指定するものをいう。
In this Act, "specified-industry retirement allowance mutual aid contract" means a contract under which an employer of a business belonging to a specified industry promises to pay premiums to the Organization and the Organization promises to pay retirement allowances, as provided for in this Act, upon the retirement of a person who is employed by that employer as a person employed for a fixed period and who habitually engages in a business belonging to that specified industry.
In this Act, "mutual aid policyholder" means an employer that is a party to a retirement allowance mutual aid contract or a specified-industry retirement allowance mutual aid contract.
この法律で「共済契約者」とは、退職金共済契約又は特定業種退職金共済契約の当事者である事業主をいう。
In this Act, "covered employee" means a person upon whose retirement the Organization is to pay a retirement allowance under a retirement allowance mutual aid contract or a specified-industry retirement allowance mutual aid contract.
この法律で「被共済者」とは、退職金共済契約又は特定業種退職金共済契約により機構がその者の退職について退職金を支給すべき者をいう。
small and medium-sized enterprisemachine translation
「中小企業者」
An employer (事業主) — other than the State, a local government or a similar body an Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省令) names — that regularly employs no more than 300 employees, or is a corporation with stated capital or total contributions of no more than 300 million yen; where its main business is wholesale, the limits are 100 employees or 100 million yen, in services 100 employees or 50 million yen, and in retail 50 employees or 50 million yen.
Defined inArticle 2, paragraph (1)· applies throughout the law
retirementmachine translation
「退職」
The ending of an employee's employment relationship with their employer (事業主).
Defined inArticle 2, paragraph (2)· applies throughout the law
the Organizationmachine translation
「機構」
The Organization for Workers' Retirement Allowance Mutual Aid (独立行政法人勤労者退職金共済機構), an incorporated administrative agency, throughout this Act except Articles 56 and 57.
Short name set inArticle 2, paragraph (3)· applies from here on, except in Articles 56 and 57
retirement allowance mutual aid contractmachine translation
「退職金共済契約」
A contract under which an employer (事業主) promises to pay premiums (掛金) to the Organization for Workers' Retirement Allowance Mutual Aid (独立行政法人勤労者退職金共済機構) and the Organization promises to pay a retirement allowance (退職金), as this Act provides, when the employer's employees leave; a specified-industry retirement allowance mutual aid contract (特定業種退職金共済契約) is not one.
Defined inArticle 2, paragraph (3)· applies throughout the law
specified industrymachine translation
「特定業種」
Construction or another industry, designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働大臣), in which many employees normally move between the many businesses of that industry and are employed by their employers in turn.
Defined inArticle 2, paragraph (4)· applies throughout the law
specified-industry retirement allowance mutual aid contractmachine translation
「特定業種退職金共済契約」
A contract under which an employer (事業主) in a specified industry (特定業種) promises to pay premiums (掛金) to the Organization (機構), and the Organization promises to pay a retirement allowance (退職金), as this Act provides, when a person leaves who is employed by that employer for a fixed term and normally works in that industry.
Defined inArticle 2, paragraph (5)· applies throughout the law
mutual aid policyholdermachine translation
「共済契約者」
An employer (事業主) that is a party to a retirement allowance mutual aid contract (退職金共済契約) or a specified-industry retirement allowance mutual aid contract (特定業種退職金共済契約).
Defined inArticle 2, paragraph (6)· applies throughout the law
covered employeemachine translation
「被共済者」
A person to whom the Organization (機構) must pay a retirement allowance (退職金) when they leave their employment, under a retirement allowance mutual aid contract (退職金共済契約) or a specified-industry retirement allowance mutual aid contract (特定業種退職金共済契約).
Defined inArticle 2, paragraph (7)· applies throughout the law
Organization for Workers' Retirement Allowance Mutual Aid
独立行政法人勤労者退職金共済機構
A public body the State sets up by law, as an incorporated administrative agency (独立行政法人), under the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Retirement Allowance Cooperative Act (中小企業退職金共済法) and the Act on General Rules for Incorporated Administrative Agencies (独立行政法人通則法) (Article 57 of the Retirement Allowance Cooperative Act). Its purpose is to run the retirement allowance mutual aid scheme for the employees of small and medium-sized enterprises and to promote workers' planned asset formation (Article 58 of that Act). It carries on the business of retirement allowance mutual aid contracts (退職金共済契約) and of specified-industry retirement allowance mutual aid contracts (特定業種退職金共済契約), which cover industries the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare designates, such as construction, where many workers move between employers in the same industry (Article 2, paragraph (4) and Article 70, paragraph (1) of that Act). Under a retirement allowance mutual aid contract, an employer promises to pay premiums to the Organization, and the Organization promises to pay retirement allowances, as that Act provides, when the employer's employees leave (Article 2, paragraph (3) of that Act).
Written by AI using Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Retirement Allowance Cooperative Act, Arts. 2, 57, 58, 70 as a reference.