A Single Phone Call Shakes Japanese Companies: The Challenges Posed by "Resignation Services" and the Reality of Organizational Reform

1. The "Sudden Death" of Resignation Services—What One Phone Call Revealed

At 10:15 a.m. on January 7, 2025, an external call came into the General Affairs Department of "Amaze Plus," a healthcare goods manufacturer headquartered in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. The caller identified themselves as an operator from the private resignation service "Yamerumon." "Your employee, ○○ (pseudonym), wishes to resign effective today. At the request of the individual, please direct all further communications through our company."

—The person who took the call was momentarily at a loss for words and immediately went to the president's office. At that moment, President Yoshimasa Yamamoto reportedly muttered, "So, it's finally come to us..."tokai-tv.com

2. Three Backgrounds for the Growth of Resignation Services in Japan

1. Rising Early Resignation Rates
   According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the resignation rate within three years of new graduates is at a record high of 34.9%. The short cycle of careers is becoming the norm.nli-research.co.jp
   
   

2. Worker-Dominant "Super Seller's Market"
   According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Labour Force Survey," the number of people wishing to change jobs has exceeded 10 million, reaching about 15% of the employed population. Competition among companies is occurring not only in hiring but also in "ease of resignation."nli-research.co.jp
   
   

3. Subscription Model for Resignation Costs
   Fees for major services like "Moumuri" range from around 19,800 to 30,000 yen. The market size is expected to expand to 500 million to 1 billion yen by 2025, with the largest company holding a 70% share.against-job.net

3. Amaze Plus's "Three-Stage Shock" and Internal Hearings

• Surprise: The management, who thought "not at our company," was confronted with the reality that it "could happen to anyone."

• Confusion: The reason for resignation was "not the job I originally wanted to do." However, regular meetings with superiors were only once a year, and the consultation desk was practically non-functional.

• Reflection: The president conducted a survey and one-on-one meetings with all employees. 34% of employees had considered leaving, with the top reason being "no atmosphere for consultation."

4. The Shock of "7.2% Resignation via Services" Seen in Corporate Surveys

In a corporate survey conducted by Teikoku Databank in May 2025, 7.2% of companies experienced resignations through resignation services.In large corporations, it reaches 15.7%, more than double that of small and medium-sized enterprises, and the larger the workforce, the more common "just a phone call" becomes. tsr-net.co.jp

5. Legal Loopholes and the Legitimacy of "Proxy Business"

Resignation is unilaterally established with "two weeks' notice" under Article 627 of the Civil Code, but Japan lacks a system for individual negotiations at the time of leaving a job, making it legal as long as the "communication" is handled by a proxy. Service companies operate in a gray area to avoid violating the Attorney Act by ① not providing legal advice and ② referring cases involving negotiations to partner attorneys.

6. Comparison with Global Resignation Practices

• United States: Under "At Will Employment" regulations, resignation can be immediate and verbal. However, there are significant risks for employees, such as immediate loss of insurance.

• Germany: Written notice is mandatory, with a minimum of four weeks' notice after the probation period. Proxy services exist but are mainly for legal and translation services.

• South Korea: Article 26 of the Labor Standards Act requires 30 days' notice. There is an increasing use of resignation proxies due to harassment.

7. Five Reforms Implemented by Amaze Plus

1. Monthly "Reverse 1on1"—Subordinates interview their superiors and provide feedback on areas for improvement

2. Anonymous Slack Channel—Allows direct questions and complaints to be submitted to management

3. Self-Declaration System for Transfer Requests—Twice a year, employees can request a transfer to another department without needing to provide a reason

4. Manager Training Reskilling—Mandatory training on psychological safety and unconscious bias

5. Visualization of the Resignation Process—From expressing the intention to resign to approval, the process takes a maximum of five business days, with overtime and paid leave settlements automated by the system
   
   

Compared to the first year of reforms (fiscal year 2024), by April 2025, the **monthly turnover rate decreased from 2.1% to 1.2%**. Employee satisfaction (ES) improved by 10 points.

8. Recommendations for Companies Living in the "Era of Resignation Services"

• Enhance the System for Delivering Voices with Technology

• Accept Resignation as Part of a Career and Keep the Door Open for Reemployment

• Redefine Managers from "Middlemen" to "Career Partners"
  
  As a result, resignation services shift from being a "last resort" to "one of the options," and the relationship between companies and employees moves closer to an equal contract.

9. Message to Foreign Readers

Japanese companies are often associated with lifetime employment and seniority-based systems, but on the ground, there is a rapid shift towards job-based and performance-based systems. The examples in this article highlight the unique challenges of labor-management communication in Japan and signs of overcoming them. Readers facing similar issues in their own companies should take this opportunity to reflect on their management culture through the "mirror of resignation services."

Reference Article List

1. Tokai TV NEWS "Finally, it came to us... The sudden call from 'Resignation Agency' - Surprise → Confusion → Reflection leading to internal reform by the president" (2025-06-21) tokai-tv.com

2. Against Job "Market Size of Resignation Agencies - Moumuri with an annual sales of 400 million yen, holding 70% industry share" (2025-05) against-job.net

3. NLI Research Institute "The Era of Leaving 'Goodbye' to Professionals - The Background of the Increasing Use of Resignation Agency Services" (2025-06) nli-research.co.jp

4. Teikoku Databank "Survey on Companies' Experiences with 'Resignation Agencies'" (2025-05) tsr-net.co.jp

5. note "The Reality of 'Resignation Agencies' Considered by Managers: Tips for Facing the Resignation of Gen Z Subordinates" (2025-04) note.com