Japan Annual Paid Leave Calculator
Compute statutory annual paid leave (有給休暇) under Article 39 of the Labor Standards Act. Supports all employment types: full-time, part-time, baito, and contract.
Leave entitlement calculator
How it works
How Japanese annual paid leave is calculated
Annual paid leave in Japan is governed by Article 39 of the Labor Standards Act (労働基準法第39条). Two simple eligibility tests open the door, and after that the number of days is set by a fixed table depending on the employee’s working pattern and length of continuous service. The rules apply regardless of job title: full-time regular employees, part-timers, アルバイト (baito), 契約 (contract), and 嘱託 (temporary) workers are all covered.
1. Eligibility: 6 months continuous + 80% attendance
On the date 6 months after hire (the first grant date), if the employee has worked at least 80% of all scheduled working days during those 6 months, they are entitled to a statutory grant. From then on the cycle repeats annually on that anniversary date, with the 80% test re-applied each year. Days lost to work-related injury, statutory childcare leave (育児休業), family-care leave (介護休業), and maternity leave (産休) count as worked for the attendance test. Days lost to employer-mandated shutdowns are excluded from the denominator entirely.
2. Standard table (full-time)
The standard table applies if the employee works at least 5 days per week OR at least 30 hours per week. Days awarded:
- 6 months → 10 days
- 1.5 years → 11 days
- 2.5 years → 12 days
- 3.5 years → 14 days
- 4.5 years → 16 days
- 5.5 years → 18 days
- 6.5 years and beyond → 20 days (capped)
3. Pro-rated table (part-time)
The pro-rated table (比例付与) applies if the employee works 4 days or fewer per week AND fewer than 30 hours per week. Days awarded depend on weekly days × tier:
- 4 days/week (169-216 days/year): 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 12 / 13 / 15
- 3 days/week (121-168 days/year): 5 / 6 / 6 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11
- 2 days/week (73-120 days/year): 3 / 4 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 7
- 1 day/week (48-72 days/year): 1 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 3
4. The 5-day mandatory usage rule
Since April 2019, employers must ensure that any employee granted 10 or more days of paid leave per year takes at least 5 of those days within the year (時季指定義務). The employer chooses the dates after consulting the employee, unless the employee has already used 5+ days on their own initiative. Failure carries a penalty of up to ¥300,000 per affected employee.
5. Carryover and expiration (2-year time limit)
Unused days carry over for one year. The total time limit is 2 years from the date of grant under Article 115 of the Labor Standards Act. Companies cannot legally shorten this period; work rules or labor agreements that try are void.
6. Pay during paid leave
Article 39 specifies one of three pay methods, which must be defined clearly in your work rules: (a) average wages, (b) ordinary wages for a normal day’s work, or (c) 1/30 of the standard remuneration grade used for health insurance (option c requires a labor-management agreement).
Edge cases worth knowing
- The employer’s time-shifting right (時季変更権) only applies if the chosen date would seriously disrupt normal operations; “we’re busy” alone is not sufficient.
- Some companies use a unified grant date (一斉付与) for all employees. This is allowed only if every employee is granted at least the legal minimum on or before the legal date.
- Employers may grant more than the statutory minimum (often called 法定外有給); this calculator only computes the legal minimum.
- Hourly leave (時間単位年休) is allowed up to 5 days’ worth per year via labor-management agreement.
- Treating an employee disadvantageously for taking leave is prohibited (Art. 136).
Reference
Key terms and concepts
Continuous employment (継続勤務)
Continuous employment is judged by actual employment substance, not formal contract type. A retiree who is rehired as a 嘱託 (temporary employee) immediately afterwards is generally treated as having continuous employment, for example.
Attendance rate (出勤率)
Calculated as actual worked days ÷ all scheduled working days × 100. Must be 80% or higher for the qualifying period (6 months for the first grant; 1 year thereafter). If below 80%, no leave is granted for that cycle, but the next cycle is still tested independently.
Standard vs pro-rated (通常付与 vs 比例付与)
Standard applies to anyone working ≥5 days OR ≥30 hours per week. Pro-rated applies to anyone working ≤4 days AND <30 hours per week, with annual scheduled days between 48 and 216.
5-day mandatory usage (時季指定義務)
Employers must ensure employees granted 10+ days take at least 5 of them within the year. Effective April 2019, this is the employer’s responsibility and a violation carries fines.
Planned annual leave (計画的付与 / 計画年休)
Days exceeding the first 5 of an employee’s entitlement can be assigned by labor-management agreement to specific dates (e.g. company-wide closures around Obon or New Year). The first 5 days are always at the employee’s discretion.
Hourly leave (時間単位年休)
By default leave is granted in 1-day units. Via labor-management agreement, leave can be granted in 1-hour units, capped at 5 days’ worth per year.
Time-shifting right (時季変更権)
The employer can ask the employee to choose a different day, but only if granting leave on the requested date would seriously disrupt normal business operations. Generic busyness is not sufficient grounds.
Frequently asked
Common questions about Japanese paid leave
Does part-time / baito staff get paid leave?
Yes. Article 39 applies to all employees regardless of category. Part-timers and baito who meet the 6-month + 80% test get the pro-rated table (or the standard table if they happen to work ≥5 days OR ≥30 hours per week).
What if my employee’s schedule varies week to week?
When weekly days aren’t fixed, use the annual scheduled working days bands: 169-216 = treated as 4 days/week, 121-168 = 3 days, 73-120 = 2 days, 48-72 = 1 day. Above 216 days/year, the standard table applies.
What happens if I miss the 80% attendance test?
No grant is made for that cycle, but service still accrues, and the next cycle is tested independently. If you pass next year, you’ll receive the days corresponding to your full tenure (e.g. someone hired 3 years ago who now passes will get the 2.5y / 3.5y tier days as appropriate).
Can my company refuse leave on busy days?
By default the employee chooses the date. The employer’s time-shifting right is narrow: it requires that granting leave on that date would seriously disrupt normal operations. “We’re busy” alone is not sufficient. Multiple employees requesting the same day might qualify.
Do unused days roll over?
Yes, for one additional year. Days expire 2 years from grant under Article 115. Companies cannot legally shorten this; provisions in work rules attempting to do so are void.
What happens to unused leave when the employee resigns?
There is no statutory obligation to pay out unused leave on resignation, and Article 115 only protects the right to use leave during continued employment. Many companies offer to pay out unused days as a goodwill gesture, often called 買取り, but this is at the company’s discretion.
Does maternity / childcare / family-care leave reset the clock?
No. Continuous service keeps accruing during these statutory leaves, and the days are counted as worked for the 80% attendance test. The employee’s tier on the next grant date reflects total tenure.
What if our company has a unified grant date?
A unified grant date (一斉付与) is allowed if every employee is granted at least the statutory minimum on or before the legal date. In practice this often means the company front-loads days slightly. The calculator above uses the strict legal anniversary; if your company uses a unified date, your actual grant may be slightly more generous.
Important. This calculator implements the statutory minimum under Article 39 of the Labor Standards Act. It is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific cases (fixed-term contracts crossing tier boundaries, mid-cycle pattern changes, or company-specific work rules) may produce different results. Consult a licensed sharoshi (社会保険労務士) for binding answers.