If You Pay 200,000 Won, We'll Handle the Resignation Process for You
In Japan, the number of employees quitting their jobs using a "resignation agency service" is increasing. This is because, despite submitting resignation letters due to excessive work pressure, supervisors often reject them or even harass the employees.
On the 31st (local time), Yuki Watanabe (24), a Japanese office worker, shared his experience at a previous job in an interview with CNN Business. He said he worked more than 12 hours a day and decided to resign due to health issues, but it was not easy.
The "bottom-up work reporting" culture in Japan was a major factor in his resignation. According to CNN, the concept of lifetime employment is strong in Japan, and quitting is considered rude behavior. This leads to concerns about reputation problems and negative impacts on future careers when changing jobs.
Yuki revealed that taking vacations or even leaving work on time was difficult, and submitting a resignation letter was the most challenging. In extreme cases, supervisors have been known to tear up resignation letters and forcibly hold employees back.
In this situation, Yuki used a resignation agency called "Momuri." The cost was 22,000 yen (about 200,000 KRW) for full-time employees, allowing him to submit his resignation letter without stress. The service costs 12,000 yen (about 110,000 KRW) for part-time workers.
The resignation agency industry has grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to remote work, employees' loyalty to companies has weakened, and many workers have reconsidered their careers.
Founded in 2022, Momuri received 11,000 requests last year. The company negotiates resignations on behalf of clients and provides legal advice if necessary. Its main customers are young employees with timid personalities working under authoritarian supervisors.
A Momuri representative said, "There are customers who ask for help while crying," and shared a case where "one customer was rejected three times after submitting a resignation letter and even knelt down but was not allowed to quit, so they asked for help." More extreme cases included supervisors visiting employees' homes to harass them to prevent resignation or taking employees to shrines claiming they were trying to quit due to curses.
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