Companies sometimes receive questions from their employees whether they may get a second job. There are also cases where companies receive application for a part-time work from people who already have a regular job with other firms. Companies must be careful about a few points when they employ such workers.
For instance, job applicants may wish to work only on Saturday and Sunday because they work from Monday to Friday elsewhere. Howeover, taking a part-time job on weekend after working full time on weekdays could lead to overwork or other problems.
To avoid trouble, it is crucial to check applicants’ current working conditions before hiring. It is not uncommon for a company to find that a part-time worker had a regular job after hiring.
Companies should also be careful about overwork and extra wages when setting working conditions. If a person has a full-time job from Monday to Friday and gets a part-time job on Saturday and Sunday, that means the person will work a whole week without a holiday. Companies must be sure such part-timers can take at least one rest day a week.
As for overtime pay, even if a person works for more than one company, extra wages must be paid for work exceeding eight hours a day, forty hours a week. In the case a part-timer works for another company for 40 hours a week, the work performed during the weekend will be considered overtime for which extra wages must be paid. For such part-timers, companies are required to check how many hours they worked during the week and determine if overtime payment is necessary. This matter should be included in the checklist for job interviews.
When hiring part-time staff, it is common that a relevant department makes the decision and determines work hours and other labor conditions before reporting to the head office. Oftentimes, companies find problems after an employment contract is signed. Please make sure that managers of the departments where the part-timers will be assigned are familiar with the rules.
Key tips
When hiring part-timers, companies should also check whether social and employment insurance procedures are required. Even if workers satisfy requirements to be enrolled in the employment insurance at multiple companies, they can only register through one company (except for multi-job holders aged 65 or over.) As for social insurance, workers need to register with all the companies where they satisfy requirements (as “workers employed at two or more places of business.”) In such case, workers decide which company will be their main “place of business” and file the application through that company.
[Reference]
The Labor Ministry, “Side business”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000192188.html
“Q&A for business proprietors”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000140565.html
Japan Pension Service, “For workers employed at two or more places of business”
https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/kounen/tekiyo/hihokensha1/20131022.files/2kashoijyokinmu.pdf
The information is based on laws and regulations as of the date of the original article.
