I hope the "resignation assistance" service becomes more widespread.

The other day, while browsing online news summaries, I came across an interesting company that I found quite impressive.
To give you an idea of the type of business this company does, it's a company that provides services to help people resign from their jobs.

While it's technically an employee's right to quit their job, actually resigning can be a complicated process.
In particular, if you want to quit because you can't stand the bad work environment, you probably don't even want to talk to anyone at the company.
I thought it was a fantastic service if all the troublesome communication could be handled for me just by paying a fee.
This time, we'll be introducing the "retirement assistance service."

What is a retirement assistance service?

It seems that resignation assistance services themselves have existed for a long time.
For detailed information about the services offered, please check the website of the retirement assistance service provider.
Many of these sites include numerous examples of specific past cases, which provides a sense of reassurance.

If you request their services when you want to quit or don't want to go to work tomorrow, it seems you can actually quit without having to talk to your company at all.
All necessary documents and items will be returned by mail, so you won't have to deal with the company yourself.

I've heard that business opportunities lie in places people find troublesome or bothersome, and I truly believe that's true.

What is the price?

The company I referenced for this article stated that their fees ranged from 30,000 to 50,000 yen.
Other companies charge around 100,000 yen, while hiring a lawyer to handle the resignation process costs approximately 300,000 yen.
The company that was trending online this time may have made an impact because its prices are significantly lower than conventional companies.

Personally, I found it quite appealing that paying a few tens of thousands of yen would allow me to avoid all the hassles associated with leaving a job.

<Added in February 2019>
Even law firms are now offering resignation assistance services for around 50,000 yen.
(See bottom of article)

Demand for retirement assistance services

This was the first time I'd ever heard of this kind of代行サービス (agency/proxy service).
However, I think there is considerable potential demand.

In the first place, most Japanese companies do not comply with the law, and there are many so-called "black companies" (companies with exploitative working conditions).
Although the right to quit a job is guaranteed by labor law, employers often suppress employees who try to leave by blaming or intimidating them.
The more conscientious a person is, the more likely they are to want to quit their job but be unable to say so because they don't want to inconvenience others, and end up continuing to work until they suffer from mental health problems.

I hope that services like these will help lower the barrier to quitting a job, even just a little.
Of course, you must plan in advance what you will do after retirement.
However, if depression is so severe that it's leading to suicide, then perhaps the first step should be to take time off from work.

Words for those who feel uneasy about using a resignation assistance service.

Here, I'd like to share some memorable quotes from the website of "EXIT," a retirement support service provided by "Sensies LLC."

I'd like to share a message from management, found in the "Past Cases" section, with those who want to quit but can't.
(As of October 2, 2018, this section appears to have been removed.)

This certainly feels like the truth.
If you're in a situation where you have no choice but to rely on a resignation service, waiting for the perfect timing could end up damaging your health.

If you find it troublesome to say it yourself, I think paying someone to do it for you is important for protecting yourself.

This is a story I hear often.
With a resignation assistance service, you won't have to deal with issues like refusing to accept your resignation letter or claiming you didn't receive it even though you submitted it.
Asking an employee to wait six months or a year before resigning is purely for the company's convenience.
According to labor law, in the case of an employment contract without a fixed term, employment terminates two weeks after the employee gives notice of resignation.
Some companies may have their own rules, such as requiring the submission of a resignation notice one month in advance, but labor laws take precedence.

summary

By using a resignation assistance service, you can completely delegate the hassle of resigning from your job for just a few tens of thousands of yen.
I think that people who are struggling because they can't quit their jobs might find relief from their suffering by using services like this.
I strongly felt that I'd like to use it myself when I retire.

<Added in February 2019>
Recently, in response to the competition from resignation assistance companies, law firms have also started offering resignation assistance services at low prices.
Traditionally, the main obstacle to hiring a lawyer for this kind of work was the cost, which could amount to hundreds of thousands of yen.
However, some law firms, like the one listed below, offer this service for a fee of 54,000 yen (including tax), which is comparable to that of other agencies.

Since they can also handle claims for unpaid wages, overtime pay, and severance pay when necessary, it might be safer to entrust this to a professional.
We are living in an era where society is moving towards a more healthy direction, albeit to some extent, due to initiatives such as "work style reform."
I have a naive hope that if services like these lead to greater labor mobility, employers will start treating their workers with a little more respect.