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Post-Retirement Re-Hire Employment Contract Template (嘱託社員 労働契約書)

Generate a Japanese continued-employment labor contract for re-hiring a worker after mandatory retirement. Built around the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons, with the Type II plan exemption from Article 18 conversion and the in-service old-age pension disclosure. Preview in Japanese or English, edit inline, then export to PDF.

Last reviewed: · Aligned with the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons, Articles 17 and 18 of the Labor Contract Act, and the Type II plan exemption under the Act on Special Measures for Fixed-Term Workers with Specialized Knowledge etc.

Post-retirement re-hire employment contract generator

2026年5月15日

労働契約書（嘱託社員）

甲（使用者）

株式会社サンプル

〒100-0005 東京都千代田区丸の内1-1-1

代表取締役　山田 花子

乙（労働者）

鈴木 一郎

甲と乙は、下記のとおり労働契約を締結する。

雇用

甲は乙を嘱託社員（高年齢者雇用安定法に基づく継続雇用）として雇用し、乙はこれを承諾した。

契約期間及び更新

  1. 本労働契約は、期間の定めのあるものとする。
  2. 契約期間: 2026年7月1日 から 2027年6月30日 まで（原則1年）。
  3. 契約更新の有無: 原則として65歳に達するまで毎年更新する
  4. 更新の判断基準: 勤務成績、勤務態度、健康状態、業務量、会社の経営状況等
  5. 通算契約期間又は更新回数の上限: 原則として65歳に達する月の末日まで（高年齢者雇用安定法に基づく雇用確保措置）
  6. 契約を更新する場合は、契約期間満了前に書面により合意するものとする。

無期転換申込権の特例

本契約は、高年齢者雇用安定法に基づく継続雇用契約であり、専門的知識等を有する有期雇用労働者等に関する特別措置法（有期雇用特別措置法）第6条及び第10条による「第二種計画認定・変更申請書」に基づく特例の対象とする。当該特例の対象期間中は、労働契約法第18条第1項の規定（無期転換申込権）は適用されない。

従前の業務及び本契約の業務

  1. 従前の業務（定年退職前）: 営業部長
  2. 本契約の業務: 営業アドバイザー（後進指導・顧客対応支援）
  3. 配属部署: 営業部
  4. 本契約においては、乙の経験及び能力を踏まえつつ、業務範囲及び責任を再設定する。甲は、業務上の必要があるときは、乙の業務内容を変更することができる。変更の範囲は、甲の事業運営に伴う業務全般とする。

就業場所

  1. 就業場所: 本社（東京都千代田区丸の内1-1-1）
  2. 甲は、業務上の必要があるときは、乙の就業場所を変更することができる。変更の範囲は、甲の本社、支店、営業所その他甲の指定する場所とする。

労働時間・休憩・休日

  1. 所定労働日数: 週4日。
  2. 始業時刻: 9:30、終業時刻: 17:30。
  3. 休憩時間: 60分。
  4. 所定労働時間: 1日7時間。
  5. 休日: 土日祝、年末年始、年次有給休暇（労基法準拠、定年退職前の継続勤務期間を通算）
  6. 業務上の必要があるときは、甲は乙の労働時間及び休日を変更することができる。

休暇

  1. 年次有給休暇は、労働基準法第39条の定めるところにより付与する。定年退職前の継続勤務期間は、年次有給休暇の算定上、継続して通算する。
  2. 慶弔休暇、産前産後休暇、介護休業その他の休暇については、就業規則の定めるところによる。

時間外労働及び休日労働

  1. 業務上の必要があるときは、甲は乙に対し、時間外労働及び休日労働を命じることがある。
  2. 時間外労働及び休日労働は、労働基準法第36条に基づく協定（36協定）の範囲内において行うものとする。
  3. 時間外労働、深夜労働、休日労働に対する割増賃金は、労働基準法第37条の定めるところにより支払う。

賃金

  1. 月額基本給は¥280,000とする。本契約の賃金は、定年退職前の労働条件、本契約における業務範囲及び責任の再設定、並びに法令上の合理性の範囲内で定めるものとする。
  2. 諸手当: 通勤手当（実費支給、上限月額¥30,000）
  3. 想定年収: ¥3,360,000
  4. 締切日及び支払日: 毎月末日締め、翌月25日に支払う。
  5. 支払方法: 乙が指定する金融機関の口座に振込により支払う。所得税、社会保険料、住民税その他法令に定める控除を行う。
  6. 昇給: 業績及び勤務評価に基づき、契約更新時に甲の判断により行うことがある。

賞与・退職金

  1. 賞与: 無（業績及び勤務成績に応じて支給する場合がある）。本契約においては、原則として賞与は支給しない。ただし、甲の業績及び乙の勤務成績に応じ、甲が別途定めるところにより支給する場合がある。
  2. 退職金: 本契約に基づく退職金は支給しない。なお、定年退職時の退職金は、甲の退職金規程に基づき既に支給済みとする。

社会保険及び労働保険

甲は、所定労働時間及び所定労働日数が適用基準を満たす場合、乙を健康保険、厚生年金保険、雇用保険、労働者災害補償保険に加入させる。70歳以降は厚生年金保険の被保険者資格を喪失するが、健康保険は引き続き適用される（75歳到達時に後期高齢者医療制度へ移行）。

在職老齢年金

  1. 乙が老齢厚生年金の受給権者である場合、本契約の標準報酬月額及び標準賞与額並びに老齢厚生年金月額の合計額が支給停止調整額（2025年4月時点で月額51万円。毎年度改定）を超えるときは、超えた額の2分の1に相当する年金額が支給停止される（在職老齢年金制度）。
  2. 本制度の詳細及び年金支給状況の確認は、日本年金機構が交付する年金額改定通知書又は「ねんきんネット」等により乙が行うものとする。

服務規律及び誠実義務

  1. 乙は、就業規則その他甲の定める諸規程を遵守し、業務上の指示に従い、誠実に職務を遂行しなければならない。
  2. 乙は、勤務時間中、業務に専念しなければならない。

守秘義務

  1. 乙は、在職中及び退職後において、職務上知り得た甲及び取引先に関する一切の機密情報を、第三者に開示又は漏洩してはならない。本義務は、定年退職前の在職中に知り得た情報についても引き続き適用する。
  2. 機密情報には、技術情報、営業情報、顧客情報、人事情報、財務情報その他公知でない情報を含む。
  3. 乙は、退職時又は甲の請求があったときは、機密情報を含む一切の書類、データ、機器を甲に返還しなければならない。

個人情報の保護

乙は、業務上知り得た甲の役員、従業員、取引先、顧客その他関係者の個人情報を、個人情報の保護に関する法律その他関連法令並びに甲の個人情報取扱規程に従い、適切に取り扱わなければならない。

退職

  1. 本契約は、契約期間の満了をもって当然に終了する。ただし、契約更新の合意がある場合はこの限りでない。
  2. 通算契約期間又は更新回数の上限（原則として65歳に達する月の末日まで（高年齢者雇用安定法に基づく雇用確保措置））に達した場合、本契約は更新されないものとする。
  3. 乙が契約期間中に自己都合により退職を希望する場合、退職予定日の30日前までに、書面により甲に申し出るものとする。
  4. 退職時には、業務の引継ぎを誠実に行い、貸与物を甲に返還しなければならない。

期間中の解雇

甲は、契約期間中、やむを得ない事由がなければ乙を解雇することができない（労働契約法第17条第1項）。やむを得ない事由により解雇する場合は、就業規則に定める手続並びに労働基準法第20条の規定に従う。

雇止め予告及び理由証明

  1. 本契約を更新しない場合（雇止め）であって、乙が次の各号のいずれかに該当するときは、甲は契約期間満了の30日前までに、その旨を乙に予告する：（1）本契約が3回以上更新されている場合、（2）本契約期間と過去の契約期間（定年退職前を含む）を通算して1年を超えて継続して雇用されている場合。ただし、通算契約期間又は更新回数の上限に達したことを理由とする雇止めについては、当初の契約締結時にその旨が明示されている。
  2. 乙が雇止めの理由について証明書の交付を求めた場合、甲は遅滞なくこれを交付する。

損害賠償

乙が、故意又は重大な過失により甲又は第三者に損害を与えた場合、乙はその損害を賠償する責任を負う。

反社会的勢力の排除

  1. 甲及び乙は、自ら又はその関係者が、暴力団、暴力団員、暴力団準構成員、暴力団関係企業、総会屋、社会運動等標榜ゴロ、特殊知能暴力集団その他これらに準ずる者（以下「反社会的勢力」という）に該当しないこと、及び反社会的勢力との関係を有しないことを表明し、保証する。
  2. 甲及び乙は、相手方が前項に違反した場合、何らの催告なしに本契約を解除することができる。

就業規則等の優先

本契約に定めのない事項及び本契約の解釈に疑義が生じた場合は、甲の就業規則、賃金規程、嘱託社員規程その他諸規程、労使協定並びに労働関係諸法令の定めるところによる。

合意管轄

本契約に関する一切の紛争については、甲の本店所在地を管轄する裁判所を第一審の専属的合意管轄裁判所とする。

本契約の成立を証するため、本契約書を2通作成し、甲乙各1通を保有する。

甲（使用者）

〒100-0005 東京都千代田区丸の内1-1-1

株式会社サンプル

代表取締役　山田 花子

________________________ 印

乙（労働者）

氏名　鈴木 一郎

現住所

________________________

________________________ 印

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How it works

A Japanese post-retirement re-hire contract in 60 seconds

A 嘱託社員 (shokutaku) labor contract is the standard Japanese continued-employment contract used to re-hire an employee after they reach mandatory retirement age (typically 60). It exists because of the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons (高年齢者雇用安定法), which requires employers to provide one of three measures so workers can stay employed until 65: raise the retirement age, abolish it, or operate a continued-employment system. The continued-employment route via shokutaku is by far the most common in practice.

1. The contract is fixed-term, typically one year, renewable until 65

The standard structure is a one-year fixed-term contract, renewed annually until the worker reaches 65. Since April 2021, employers also have a best-effort duty (努力義務) to provide employment up to age 70, via continued employment, business commissioning, or social-contribution work. The renewal-cap field defaults to age 65; change it to 70 if your company has elected the best-effort path.

2. Article 18 (5-year conversion right) is removed under the Type II plan

Without intervention, fixed-term contracts trigger the indefinite-conversion right under Article 18 of the Labor Contract Act after five cumulative years. For shokutaku, that would mean a worker who reaches age 65 (5 years after re-hiring at 60) can apply for an indefinite-term contract. To avoid this, almost all employers obtain a Type II plan approval (第二種計画認定) from the prefectural Labor Bureau under the Act on Special Measures for Fixed-Term Workers with Specialized Knowledge etc. The approval is one-time per company, indefinite, and removes Article 18 for post-retirement re-hires. The contract includes the exemption notice; toggle off if you do not have the approval.

3. The role and wage may be reset, within the equal-treatment principle

The Part-Time and Fixed-Term Workers Act (パートタイム・有期雇用労働法), Articles 8 and 9, prohibits unreasonable differences in treatment between fixed-term and regular workers performing comparable work. Wage reductions of 30 to 50% on re-hire are common but only defensible when the role actually changed: scope narrowed, supervisory responsibilities removed, hours reduced. The Supreme Court’s Nagasawa Unyu ruling (2018) is the key authority. The template documents the role reset (pre-retirement role + post-retirement role) so the wage adjustment has a written basis.

4. The in-service old-age pension reduces the welfare pension when wages are high

A retiree drawing the old-age welfare pension (老齢厚生年金) while working has the pension partially suspended if the sum of their standard monthly remuneration plus the monthly pension exceeds ¥510,000 (April 2025 threshold; revised yearly). The suspended amount equals one-half of the excess. Most shokutaku workers want to optimize total take-home around this threshold; the contract includes an informational article so the worker is on notice. Toggle off if not relevant.

5. Probation and retirement allowance are not used here

The worker has been employed at the company for many years, so probation has no purpose, and imposing one may signal unreasonable treatment. Retirement allowance was already paid at the original mandatory retirement under the company’s standard regulations; no second retirement allowance is paid under the shokutaku contract. The bonus is also typically not paid, or paid at a substantially reduced amount.

6. Edit anything that doesn’t match your case

Click Edit on the toolbar above the preview and the entire contract becomes editable in place. Use this for anything the template doesn’t anticipate: knowledge-transfer commitments, advisor-style consulting clauses, equipment-return schedules, or specific carve-outs. When you turn editing off, your changes stay; the form fields keep driving only the highlighted variables.

7. Export to PDF

Click Download as PDF, enter your email, and the file generates locally in your browser. Whatever language is currently visible in the preview is what gets exported.

Edge cases worth knowing

  • Use this template for continued-employment re-hires after mandatory retirement (嘱託社員). For an open-ended hire below standard hours use the part-time template (アルバイト); for a fixed-term hire below standard hours use the same arubaito template with the fixed-term toggle on; for a permanent hire use the seishain template; for a fixed-term non-retirement hire use the keiyaku-shain template.
  • If your company has not obtained the Type II plan approval, toggle the exemption clause off. In that case Article 18 applies and the worker can convert to indefinite-term after five cumulative years, including pre-retirement service in some interpretations.
  • Wage reductions on re-hire must be defensible. Document role changes; do not reduce based on age alone. The Nagasawa Unyu, Yamanashi Kenmin Shinyo Kumiai, and Hamakyorex line of cases is required reading.
  • Health insurance applies until age 75 (then transitions to the Late-Stage Elderly Medical Care system, 後期高齢者医療制度). Welfare pension coverage ends at age 70.
  • Have the final wording reviewed by a labor and social security attorney (社会保険労務士) for non-standard cases, including senior executives, foreign workers, or 役員 (officer) re-hires.

Reference

What each section means

Continued employment system (継続雇用制度)

One of three measures employers must offer under the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons to keep workers employed until age 65. The employer re-hires the worker after mandatory retirement, typically as 嘱託社員 on a one-year fixed-term contract that renews annually. Most Japanese companies use this route.

Shokutaku worker (嘱託社員)

A worker on a continued-employment contract after mandatory retirement. The status is functionally a fixed-term worker (有期雇用), so the Labor Contract Act and the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Workers Act both apply, with specific exemptions for post-retirement under the Act on Special Measures for Fixed-Term Workers with Specialized Knowledge etc.

Type II plan approval (第二種計画認定)

A one-time approval from the prefectural Labor Bureau that exempts post-retirement continued-employment contracts from Article 18 of the Labor Contract Act (the 5-year indefinite-conversion right). Required only once per workplace and remains in force indefinitely. Most established employers hold this approval.

Best-effort duty to age 70 (70歳までの就業確保措置 努力義務)

Since April 2021, employers have a best-effort duty (not a hard duty) to provide employment opportunities up to age 70, via continued employment, business commissioning, or social-contribution work. Hard duty applies only up to age 65.

In-service old-age pension (在職老齢年金)

A system that partially suspends the old-age welfare pension when a recipient continues to work and the sum of standard monthly remuneration plus the monthly pension exceeds the suspension threshold (¥510,000 as of April 2025; revised annually). The suspended amount is half the excess.

Equal-treatment principle (均等・均衡待遇)

Articles 8 and 9 of the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Workers Act prohibit unreasonable differences in treatment between fixed-term workers and regular employees performing comparable work. The principle applies to shokutaku contracts; wage reductions on re-hire must be supported by documented role changes.

Mid-term termination (期間中の解雇)

Dismissal during a fixed term is restricted to “unavoidable reasons” under Article 17(1) of the Labor Contract Act, a higher bar than the standard for permanent dismissal. Where it applies, the Article 20 procedure (30-day notice or payment in lieu) still applies.

Non-renewal at the upper age cap (年齢上限による雇止め)

When the contract is not renewed because the worker has reached the upper age cap disclosed at the original conclusion of the contract, the standard 30-day non-renewal notice obligation does not apply, since the cap was already disclosed.

Frequently asked

Common questions about Japanese post-retirement re-hire contracts

What is a 嘱託 (shokutaku) employment contract?

A 嘱託社員 (shokutaku) contract is the standard Japanese continued-employment contract used to re-hire an employee after they reach mandatory retirement age (typically 60). It is one of the three measures employers must offer under the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons (高年齢者雇用安定法) to keep workers employed until age 65. The other two are raising the retirement age to 65 and abolishing it. The continued-employment route via shokutaku is the most common in practice, allowing employers to reset the role, hours, and wage at retirement.

Does the 5-year indefinite-conversion right (Article 18 LCA) apply to shokutaku contracts?

Not if the employer has obtained a Type II plan approval (第二種計画認定) from the prefectural Labor Bureau. Under the Act on Special Measures for Fixed-Term Workers with Specialized Knowledge etc. (有期雇用特別措置法), Articles 6 and 10, post-retirement continued-employment contracts are exempt from Article 18 of the Labor Contract Act for the duration covered by the approval. Most established employers obtain this approval; it is one application per company per workplace and is good indefinitely. Without the approval, Article 18 applies the same way it does for keiyaku-shain: five cumulative years gives the worker the right to apply for an indefinite contract.

Until what age must I renew the shokutaku contract?

Until age 65, this is a hard legal duty. The Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons requires employers to provide continued employment up to age 65 if the employee wishes (one of the three measures: raise retirement age to 65, continued employment system, or abolish retirement age). Since April 2021, employers also have a best-effort duty (努力義務) to provide employment up to age 70, via continued employment, business commissioning, or social-contribution work. The renewal-cap field in this template defaults to age 65; change it to 70 if your company has elected the best-effort path.

Can I reduce the wage when re-hiring as 嘱託 after retirement?

Yes, but within limits. The Part-Time and Fixed-Term Workers Act (パートタイム・有期雇用労働法), Articles 8 and 9, prohibits unreasonable differences in treatment between fixed-term workers and regular employees performing comparable work. The Supreme Court has held that reductions are permissible if the role, responsibilities, and personnel-management arrangements have changed (Nagasawa Unyu case, 2018). In practice, wage reductions of 30 to 50% are common when role scope is meaningfully reset. Document the role changes that justify the wage adjustment; do not reduce on age alone.

What is the in-service old-age pension (在職老齢年金) and how does it interact with the wage?

When a worker who is entitled to old-age welfare pension continues working, the welfare pension is partially suspended if the sum of (i) their standard monthly remuneration and standard bonus amounts and (ii) their monthly old-age welfare pension exceeds the suspension threshold. The threshold is ¥510,000 per month as of April 2025 (revised annually). The suspended amount equals one-half of the excess. Most shokutaku workers want to optimize total take-home (wage + pension) around this threshold; the contract includes an informational article about it so the worker is on notice.

Is a probation period appropriate for a shokutaku contract?

Generally no. Probation is used to verify suitability of a new hire; the shokutaku worker has typically already been employed at the company for many years and their suitability is already known. Imposing a probation period on a continued-employment contract is unusual and may signal unreasonable treatment under the equal-treatment principle. This template does not include a probation clause.

Should the contract be in Japanese or English?

The legally binding version should be the Japanese one. For foreign workers being re-hired post-retirement, it is best practice to issue both: the Japanese labor contract (労働契約書) as the controlling document, and an English translation provided for understanding only. This template lets you toggle the preview between Japanese and English so you can review and download each version separately.

Do I still need to issue a separate labor conditions notice (労働条件通知書)?

Not if the labor contract already contains all mandatory items. This template covers the post-April-2024 mandatory items for fixed-term contracts: contract period, renewal policy and criteria, renewal cap (with the upper age limit), workplace and scope of change, duties and scope of change, working hours and rest, days off and leave, wage calculation and payment, conditions for end of employment, and social insurance. The Type II plan exemption note replaces the standard Article 18 conversion-right disclosure. Many companies use the contract itself as their labor conditions notice (労働条件通知書); that is the simpler path.

Can I edit the contract text directly?

Yes. Click ‘Edit’ on the toolbar above the preview to make the contract directly editable in your browser. Use this for anything the template did not anticipate: knowledge-transfer commitments, advisor-style consulting clauses, or specific equipment-return schedules. When you turn editing off, your edits stay; the form fields below continue to drive only the highlighted variables.

Need help applying this?

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SaiyouTeam helps foreign and domestic companies hire and re-hire in Japan. Talk to us about continued-employment design, wage adjustments that hold up under the equal-treatment principle, and the operational setup behind every retiree re-hire.

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Compute the retirement allowance (退職金) at the original mandatory retirement under the favorable 退職所得 tax regime.

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Important. This template provides a generic post-retirement re-hire labor contract (嘱託社員 労働契約書) structure for general information only and is not a substitute for legal advice. Continued-employment law in Japan combines the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons, the Labor Contract Act, the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Workers Act, and case law on wage reductions; small wording choices have real consequences. Before issuing a contract to an actual worker, have the final wording reviewed by a licensed labor and social security attorney (社会保険労務士) or qualified legal counsel.