The Rise of Resignation Services in Japan: How Quitting a Job Has Become a Business
Leaving a job in Japan is always a stressful process where an employee has to deal with many adversities.
One might think that quitting a job is easily done, but this is especially not the case in Japan. It is challenging for several people to depart their unhappy work station, thus resulting in the formation of resignation services in Japan that assist in the process of quitting. Due to the fact that people in this culture do not indulge in open demonstrations of emotions, many people stick to unfulfilling jobs they do not like because they are unable to understand how to go about giving their notice.
Realizing this opportunity, many companies have emerged to provide resignation services for a fee. Of course, it is not a secret that only a few organizations are involved in this specialized segment, and one of them, which goes by the name of Exit, has emerged as a frontrunner player in this particular sphere. The Wall Street Journal mentions that Exit helps with resignations of approximately 10,000 people annually.
The services provided by the company are essential within the Japanese workforce, which is evidenced by the fact that the company provides a 10% discount to those clients who require the service again. They stated “Americans may be surprised, but I was too shy or too scared to say what I think,” co-founder Toshiyuki Niino, 34, told WSJ. “Japanese are not educated to debate and express opinions.”
The Role of Exit and Albatross in Resignation Services in Japan
Leaving a job in Japan is always a stressful process where an employee has to deal with many adversities that would not let him or her go, which is why new start-ups have appeared to support people who want to quit. These firms, such as Exit, also accept the resignation on behalf of the employee, inform the employer, provide the final date of work, and coordinate the surrender of any company property.
This was experienced by Ayumi Sekine, who now works for another resignation service known as Albatross. He once attempted to quit working for a gas company; however, his boss threatened to fire him if he attempted it again and only allowed Sekine to resign after he begged and cried.
Yuta Sakamoto, a dissatisfied employee, spent more than $200 on a quitting agency after his superior told him that exiting the company would prevent him from getting another job. However, in a situation where an individual is unable to afford such services, some will be forced to fake their resignation by posing as members of a quitting agency. Shinji Tanimoto, the CEO of Albatross, remarked that many employers do accept a third party to convey the resignation. Nevertheless, some demand that one must go to the legal department for negotiations with a lawyer before accepting the resignation.
Former forklift driver Koichi Oda, dissatisfied with his job, low wages, and his boss’s attitude, told the Wall Street Journal, “This was my way of conveying a message: ‘You colleagues aren’t worth saying goodbye to’.
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