What are representation resignations? The new trend in Japan

Young professionals in Japan seek help from specialized agencies to quit their jobs. Momuri, a Tokyo-based agency, has reported a sharp increase in demand since it began offering representation resignation services more than two years ago.

Shinji Tanimoto, the boss of Albatross, the company Momuri runs, told The Guardian that they submit resignations on behalf of people because they are unable to do so for whatever reason.

In Japanese, Momuri means “already enough.”

“Sometimes it is just a natural reluctance, but some may have experienced harassment or even violence from their employers. They are at their wits end when they come to us,” the official said.

Currently, Momuri is among an estimated 100 companies offering similar services across Japan. A total of 350,000 online consultations were carried out and 20,000 terminations were carried out.

How does it work?

For this service, people usually contact these agencies through popular messaging apps. In Momuri’s case, customers must first fill out a questionnaire and then sign a contract. They will also have to pay a fee of 22,000 yen (approximately ₹12,344) for full-time employees and 12,300 yen (approximately ₹6,900) for part-time employees and those working on fixed-term contracts.

One of Momuri’s employees calls the employer on behalf of the customer. The entire process, from the initial consultation to termination, usually takes 20-30 minutes.

Why do people leave their jobs?

Surprisingly, 60% of Momuri users are people in their 20s. According to Japan’s Ministry of Labor, over 30% of recent college graduates in the country leave their jobs within three years.

If experts are to be believed, this growing trend is due to a generational shift in people’s attitudes towards work, accelerated by the disruption to jobs and lifestyles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Japan’s labor shortage – a symptom of its low birth rate – has made employers even more determined to retain their employees, even if it takes intimidating them to make them stay. There were also cases where they allegedly forced workers to search for replacements themselves before accepting their resignations.

Mynavi, an employment information provider in Japan, said one in six workers in the country sought help from layoff agencies to move to another company in the 12 months to June this year.