Why Are More New Graduates Opting for Early Retirement? — Legal Risks of the "This Isn't What I Signed Up For!" Issue and Five Measures Companies Should Take

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: What the "Quitting in a Few Days" Phenomenon Indicates

2. Understanding Early Resignation Through Data

3. Legal Overview: The Two-Week Rule and Its Limitations

4. Learning Corporate Risks from Precedents and Guidelines

5. Five Concrete Measures Companies Can Take

6. From the Perspective of New Graduates: A Checklist to Confirm Before Quitting

7. Conclusion and Outlook
   
   
   

1. Introduction: What the "Quitting in a Few Days" Phenomenon Indicates

As the recruitment process for 2026 graduates becomes a mere formality, with 80% already having job offers, the biggest risk companies face is employees "quitting shortly after joining." ben54.jp. With the proliferation of resignation services, the psychological and practical hurdles to quitting have dramatically decreased. As a result, a "negative spiral" occurs where companies cannot recover recruitment costs, leading to a loss of personnel and a decline in the morale of remaining employees.

2. Understanding Early Resignation Through Data

• Monthly Resignation Service Usage Rate: 15.4% in April, 14.1% in May, totaling 29.5% leaving within two months of joining ben54.jp
  
  

• Main Reasons for Resignation (April-June)

  1. Discrepancy Between Pre-Employment Explanation and Working Conditions 47%

  2. Unexpected Job Content 21%

  3. Human Relations and Power Harassment 14%

  4. Excessive Workload and Overtime 9%

  5. Other 9%
     
     

The numbers indicate a simple fact: the accuracy of pre-employment explanations significantly influences the risk of resignation.

3. Legal Overview: The Two-Week Rule and Its Limitations

• Civil Code Article 627, Paragraph 1: "An employee can terminate the employment contract at any time, with the contract ending two weeks after the notice."
  
  

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Q&A also confirms the same jsite.mhlw.go.jp.
  
  

• Exceptions

  • During fixed-term employment or probationary periods, resignation is generally not allowed until the contract expires (however, if there are "unavoidable reasons," termination is possible).

  • Even if the work regulations stipulate "notification 30 days in advance," it is invalid if it violates public order and morals.
    
    

Point
There is no basis for uniformly illegalizing early retirement. Although it is difficult for companies to be awarded damages, there are cases where "exceptional claims are accepted," such as the return of training costs discussed in the next chapter.

4. Learning Corporate Risks from Precedents and Guidelines

Implications
Penalty clauses in the form of liquidated damages are generally invalid, but certain risk hedging is possible with the "loan contract method" or "reasonable restrictions."

5. Five Specific Measures Companies Can Take

1. Thorough Information Disclosure
   Present salary models, assigned departments, and overtime records in numerical form. Aim for "zero gap" with RJP videos and employee interviews.
   
   

2. Realistic Job Preview (RJP)
   Show the "worst-case scenario of a day" before joining. There are overseas studies where the turnover rate decreased by an average of 15%.
   
   

3. Paid Internship/Work Experience
   Fujitsu's "1-6 month practical internship" is a good example of enhancing mutual understanding ben54.jp.
   
   

4. Onboarding Program
   ① Pair mentor system, ② 90-day roadmap, ③ Reflection interviews — these three pillars provide early care.
   
   

5. Transition to Job-based and Year-round Recruitment
   Focus on "skills necessary for the job" rather than "securing numbers." Distribute hiring periods to prevent "overlooked" mass training in a short period.
   
   
   
   
   

6. Perspective of New Graduates: Checklist to Confirm Before Quitting

• Compare the Notice of Working Conditions with the Work Regulations

• Confirm salary/expenses during probation/training period

• Understand the costs and risks when using a resignation agency

• Check for non-compete and confidentiality obligations

• Clarify the start date of the "two-week rule" before submitting a resignation letter
  
  
  
  
  

7. Conclusion and Outlook

Early resignation not only causes "pain for the employer" but also leads to "detours in one's career." Since legal deterrents are limited,information design to prevent mismatches and two-way communication is the only solution.


Companies should view recruitment and retention as a set and urgently update systems and culture.

List of Reference Articles

1. Lawyer JP News "New Graduates Who Quit Immediately Saying 'This Is Not What I Was Told!'... Are There Legal Issues with Such Selfish Responses?" (2025-06-11)ben54.jp

2. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Osaka Labour Bureau "Frequently Asked Questions (Resignation, Dismissal, Non-renewal)"jsite.mhlw.go.jp

3. "Is There an Obligation to Return Training Costs?")(Labor Issue Lawyer Navi, 2024-09)roudou-bengoshi.com

4. Tokyo District Court Judgment (2023-10-26) Commentary on the Qualification Acquisition Cost Refund Claim Case toyohira-sr.com

5. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Document "Notice of Resignation Should Be Given Two Weeks in Advance" (PDF)jsite.mhlw.go.jp