Japan starts applying overtime caps to construction, driving work and doctors (April 2024)
Source material is a Japanese government announcement (in Japanese); this page is a summary.
From April 2024 Japan began applying the overtime caps under the Labour Standards Act to construction, driving work and doctors, for which they had been deferred.
Key facts
| In force from | April 2024 (Reiwa 6, April) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Labour Standards Act (労働基準法) |
| Responsible body | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) |
| Sectors covered | Construction work on structures, driving work, and doctors working in medical care |
| Deferral period | 5 years' deferral compared with workers in general (2019, and 2020 for small and medium-sized firms) |
| Construction cap | The caps apply in full, except for disaster recovery and reconstruction projects |
| Driving work cap | Where an Article 36 agreement with a special clause is in place, an annual overtime cap of 960 hours (some rules, such as the under-100-hours-a-month limit, do not apply) |
| Doctors' cap | Where an Article 36 agreement with a special clause is in place, an annual cap on overtime and holiday work of up to 1,860 hours |
Last checked:
Japan brought in the caps on overtime set out in the Labour Standards Act in April 2019 (April 2020 for small and medium-sized firms), but three sectors — construction, driving work and doctors — had the rules deferred for 5 years. That deferral has ended, and the caps apply to the three sectors from April 2024. There are sector-specific special rules: in construction the caps apply in full as a rule, except for disaster recovery and reconstruction projects; for driving work, where an Article 36 agreement with a special clause is in place, the annual cap on overtime is 960 hours; and for doctors the cap on overtime and holiday work is up to 1,860 hours.
Background — why this change
Unlike workers in general (in force in 2019, and 2020 for small and medium-sized firms), these three sectors had the overtime caps deferred for 5 years. With that deferral period over, the caps started to apply in April 2024.
Summaries below are factual notes based on government announcements and primary sources — not evaluations or opinions.
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FAQ
When does this apply from?
It applies to construction, driving work and doctors from April 2024 (Reiwa 6, April). Workers in general have been covered since April 2019 (April 2020 for small and medium-sized firms).
Are the caps different for the three sectors?
Yes. In construction the caps apply in full as a rule, except for disaster recovery and reconstruction projects; for driving work, where an Article 36 agreement with a special clause is in place, the cap is 960 hours a year; and for doctors the cap is up to 1,860 hours.