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Pledge Upon Joining (入社誓約書)

Generate a clean, first-person Japanese new-hire pledge in seconds. Toggle the standard pledge clauses (Work Rules compliance, confidentiality, return of company property, anti-harassment, SNS conduct, side-work mode), preview in Japanese or English, edit inline, then export to PDF.

Emmanuel Gendre, Founder of SaiyouTeam
By Emmanuel Gendre
Founder, SaiyouTeam · 12 years recruiting in Japan

Last reviewed: · Aligned with the Civil Code framework for unilateral pledges and MHLW guidance on Work Rules (就業規則)

Pledge Upon Joining generator

入 社 誓 約 書

株式会社サンプル　御中

私は、2026年6月1日付けにて貴社に（ITソリューション部　ソフトウェアエンジニア）採用されるにあたり、以下の各条項を遵守することを誓約いたします。

就業規則の遵守

貴社の就業規則および会社の諸規定を遵守し、誠実に勤務いたします。

秘密保持

業務上知り得た貴社および取引先の機密情報（顧客情報、技術情報、営業情報、個人情報を含むがこれらに限らない。）を、在職中および退職後において、貴社の事前の書面による承諾なく第三者に開示または漏洩しないことを誓約いたします。なお、別途締結する秘密保持契約書がある場合は、当該契約書の定めにも従うものとします。

会社財産の返還

退職時には、貴社から貸与された物品（社員証、PC、携帯電話、書類、機密情報を含む電子データ等を含む。）を速やかに返還いたします。電子データについては、私的な機器・媒体に複製したものを含めて、貴社の指示に従って消去または返還いたします。

ハラスメントの禁止

職場における性的言動、優越的言動、その他のハラスメントに該当する一切の言動を行わないことを誓約いたします。

SNS・社外活動の規範

SNS等での投稿および社外活動において、貴社の信用を毀損する行為、貴社の機密情報を開示する行為、その他貴社の名誉または利益を害する行為を行わないことを誓約いたします。

業務命令の遵守

業務上の正当な指示・命令を遵守し、自己の職責を誠実に履行いたします。

副業に関する規定

取扱区分: 事前承認制

副業を行う場合は、事前に貴社に届け出て書面による承諾を得るものとし、承諾なく副業を行わないことを誓約いたします。

競業避止

在職中は、貴社の事前の書面による承諾なく、貴社と競合する事業を営む第三者に対して役務を提供しないことを誓約いたします。なお、退職後の競業避止については、別途競業避止契約書を締結することにより定めるものと理解しております。

知的財産権の取扱い

職務上作成した発明、考案、著作物その他の知的財産については、貴社の就業規則および職務発明規程に従い取り扱うものといたします。なお、個別の譲渡条件等については、別途締結する知的財産譲渡契約書または貴社の規程の定めに従います。

反社会的勢力との関係排除

私は、暴力団、暴力団員、暴力団準構成員、暴力団関係企業、総会屋、社会運動等標ぼうゴロまたは特殊知能暴力集団等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、および反社会的勢力と一切の関係を有しないことを誓約いたします。

本誓約に違反した場合は、就業規則に基づく懲戒処分の対象となることを承知いたしました。

以上

2026年6月1日

住所　〒150-0001 東京都渋谷区神宮前2-3-4

氏名　田中 太郎　　印

________________________

Ready to send? Download a PDF of the pledge you see above. Your email is used only to receive the file.

Official sources

This template is built on the following primary Japanese government sources. Open each link to verify the underlying rule against the issuing authority.

Reference

What the Pledge Upon Joining (入社誓約書) is

A Pledge Upon Joining (入社誓約書) is a one-sided written pledge signed by a new employee at the time of joining the company. Unlike a contract, which creates mutual obligations, the pledge is signed unilaterally by the employee and commits them to a set of baseline expectations: following work rules, maintaining confidentiality, returning company property at separation, observing conduct standards. The pledge is common in Japanese HR practice, especially in traditional companies, but it is not legally required. It typically supplements the employment contract and the work rules (就業規則) rather than replacing them.

When to use

When to use this document

  • At the start of every new hire's employment, before or on the first working day
  • When the employer wants explicit acknowledgment of specific work-rules clauses (e.g., social media policy, harassment policy)
  • For new hires who will access sensitive information, customer accounts, or company assets
  • When the standard employment contract is brief and the company wants supplementary commitments documented
  • Re-issued on substantial role changes (promotion to a position with broader access, transfer to a new department)

Mandatory items

What to include

  • Identity of employee and employer
  • Pledge to follow company work rules (就業規則) and policies
  • Pledge to maintain confidentiality during and after employment
  • Pledge to return all company property (laptop, phone, ID card, documents) at separation
  • Pledge regarding social media use and outside activities
  • Anti-harassment and anti-discrimination commitment
  • Acknowledgment of disciplinary procedures (戒告, 譴責, 減給, 出勤停止, 諭旨解雇, 懲戒解雇)
  • Employee signature, date, and 印鑑 (personal seal)

Legal basis

入社誓約書 is a unilateral pledge governed by general civil-contract principles under the Civil Code. Its enforceability depends on the reasonableness of the pledged terms: an overbroad pledge (e.g., "absolute obedience to all instructions, no matter what") is unenforceable; a focused, reasonable pledge (e.g., "follow the work rules currently in effect") is enforceable. The pledge supplements but does not override the employment contract or the work rules; in conflict, the contract or the work rules generally prevail. Some commonly-included clauses (e.g., post-employment non-compete) require additional consideration to be enforceable as part of the pledge alone.

Frequently asked

Common questions about the Pledge Upon Joining

Can I refuse to sign 入社誓約書?

Legally yes, the pledge is unilateral and there is no statutory obligation to sign one. Practically, refusing to sign at the offer stage usually leads to the offer being withdrawn, since employers see the pledge as part of the standard onboarding package. If you have specific concerns about a clause, raising them before signing is reasonable; refusing the entire document is rare.

Is 入社誓約書 a contract?

Technically no, it's a one-sided pledge rather than a bilateral contract. This means it carries less weight legally than the employment contract or work rules. In practice, courts treat the signed pledge as evidence that the employee was aware of and agreed to the terms, but the employment contract and work rules govern the actual employment relationship.

What if a pledge clause conflicts with the employment contract?

The employment contract typically prevails. The pledge is a supplementary document, not a replacement for the negotiated contract. If the pledge introduces obligations not in the contract (e.g., a longer non-compete period, broader confidentiality), those provisions may not be enforceable to the extent they exceed the contract. Best practice is to keep the two documents aligned.

Can the pledge include a non-compete clause?

Yes, but enforceability is subject to the reasonableness test under Civil Code Article 90 (公序良俗): the duration, geographic scope, restricted activities, and any compensation for the restriction all matter. A non-compete pledge alone (without separate compensation or specific consideration) often gets narrowed by the court. For meaningful enforcement, use a separate non-compete agreement with explicit compensation.

Does 入社誓約書 expire?

Most clauses apply only during employment and expire at separation. Some clauses survive: confidentiality typically continues post-employment for the period stated, and certain returns of property (e.g., signing acknowledgment that you don't retain customer data) survive permanently. Read each clause for its own duration provisions.

About the author

Emmanuel Gendre, Founder of SaiyouTeam
Emmanuel Gendre
Founder, SaiyouTeam · TechieCV K.K.

Emmanuel advises small and mid-sized companies (SMBs) on HR and recruiting in Japan. He brings 12 years recruiting in Japan as a Recruitment Consultant placing IT professionals, plus prior experience hiring engineers across EMEA as a Google recruiter. Onboarding pledge-related paperwork is something he handles regularly with his SMB clients in Japan, so he built this template as part of that advisory work and uses it himself when those conversations come up.

For case-specific contract matters, Emmanuel works with licensed Japanese professionals (社会保険労務士 and 弁護士). This template is a planning tool used in those conversations, not a substitute for professional advice on an individual case.

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Important. This template is provided for general planning purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Japanese contract law is complex and case-specific. Before issuing this document in any non-routine situation, consult a qualified labor lawyer (弁護士) or Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (社会保険労務士).