Professional agencies in Japan are seeing a surge in workers hiring intermediaries to request leaves of absence from their employers [1, 2].
This trend highlights a growing crisis of mental health and workplace anxiety in Japan, where employees feel unable to communicate their needs directly to management. While similar services for resignations have existed, these agencies focus on workers who wish to maintain their employment but require a break for recovery.
The services handle the communication of the intent to take leave and coordinate the necessary administrative procedures with the company [1, 2]. This allows employees to avoid the immediate stress of facing their supervisors. Use of these services spiked around the Golden Week holiday period earlier this month [1, 2].
Demographics of the users are shifting. While the primary user base consists of full-time employees in their 20s, there is a growing number of full-time staff in their late 40s and 50s seeking these services [1, 2].
"I felt it was gradually increasing," said Naoki Fujii, secretary general of Watashi no Union [1].
Users report that the primary drivers are mental burdens and a pervasive fear of returning to the office. One employee in their 20s said the work was "really hated" during the holiday break [1]. Older employees expressed similar anxieties, though they noted different risks. A worker in their 50s said that taking leave can eventually affect interpersonal relationships [1].
The services are being utilized across a range of companies, including both small businesses and large corporations [1, 2]. This indicates that the inability to communicate mental health needs is not limited to a specific corporate culture or company size.
“"I felt it was gradually increasing," said Naoki Fujii.”
The rise of leave-of-absence agencies suggests a deepening breakdown in communication between Japanese employees and employers. By outsourcing the request for mental health leave, workers are signaling that the traditional workplace environment is too hostile or rigid to support honest conversations about burnout. The expansion into the 40- and 50-year-old demographic indicates that workplace stress is no longer just a 'youth' issue but is affecting senior staff who may feel more pressure to maintain a facade of stability.
