Japan to Apply Overtime Regulations to Doctors and Truckers from April

Concerns Raised Over Emergency Medical System and Logistics Shortages Reduction

Japan will apply working hour regulations to fields such as doctors, truck drivers, and construction workers, who have been exempt from legal overtime regulations.

An ambulance parked in front of a medical institution in Japan
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 31st, the Japanese government implemented punishment regulations in April 2019 for violations of overtime limits beyond the statutory 40-hour workweek (45 hours per month and 360 hours per year for large company employees) as karoshi (death from overwork) became a social issue. However, fields such as doctors, truck drivers, and construction workers, which were judged difficult to enforce immediately, were granted a five-year grace period.

However, the overtime limits vary by field, with doctors and truck drivers allowed up to 960 hours per year, and construction workers up to 720 hours per year, reflecting their characteristics. In particular, doctors can be permitted up to 1,860 hours of overtime annually if labor-management consultations are held at medical institutions and designated procedures by local governments are followed.

Some concerns have been raised that the enforcement of these regulations could have a significant impact on society amid worsening low birthrates and aging populations. Side effects discussed ahead of the end of the grace period include logistics difficulties, construction delays, and reductions in emergency medical systems.

In response, the Japanese government is exploring alternatives, such as adding transportation to the fields where foreign workers are allowed to stay and work for up to five years. Some companies have shifted part of transportation demand from trucks to trains and expanded automation. Hospitals have also increased staff to assist with tasks such as entering medical records.