Japanese workers are turning to resignation agencies to help them quit their jobs, marking a significant shift from traditional workplace norms. These agencies, like Momuri, based in Tokyo, are witnessing skyrocketing demand as employees seek assistance to exit their positions.
Shinji Tanimoto, the head of Albatross, the company behind Momuri, explained how they assist individuals who struggle to resign on their own. Since its inception over two years ago, Momuri has received around 350,000 online consultations and successfully processed about 20,000 resignations. The agency's name, "Momuri," translates to "enough already," reflecting the frustrations many feel about their work environments.
The process for using these services is straightforward. Prospective clients typically reach out via popular messaging apps, fill out a questionnaire, and sign a contract. For full-time workers, the fee is approximately ¥22,000, which translates to around ₹12,344, and for part-time workers it's about ¥12,300, or roughly ₹6,900. Following this, a staff member from Momuri directly communicates with the employer to handle the resignation. This entire process can take as little as 20 to 30 minutes from start to finish.
So why are so many opting for these services? A startling 60% of Momuri’s clientele is comprised of people in their 20s. Such data is particularly relevant as the Japanese labor market has seen over 30% of new graduates leaving their jobs within the first three years, illustrating a significant departure from lifestyle expectations of previous generations.
The underlying reasons driving this trend are complex, influenced by broader shifts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many young workers reevaluated their work-life balance during the pandemic, prompting a rejection of the old corporate hierarchies rooted deep in Japan's post-war work culture, which traditionally favored loyalty and lifetime employment.
Japan’s enduring labor shortages, exacerbated by declining birth rates, have placed great pressure on employers to retain their staff, often through less-than-ideal methods. Reports indicate some employers demand their workers find replacements before acknowledging their resignations, and others have been accused of tearing up resignation letters out of sheer anger.
For many young professionals, the decision to engage resignation agencies is often tied to prior negative experiences. Take Mari, for example, who was just two months in at her online banking gig and found herself overwhelmed by harassment from her boss. Unable to confront him directly, she chose the easier route through Momuri, finding relief after she no longer had to endure the hostile work environment.
The impact of these aggressions, from power harassment to more severe forms of abuse, drives many to seek help from these agencies. The stigma surrounding quitting, deeply ingrained within Japanese culture, paints resigning as akin to shirking one’s responsibilities. Nevertheless, the notion is shifting among the younger generations, who prioritize personal happiness over outdated notions of loyalty.
Momuri is not alone; it operates among approximately 100 agencies across Japan providing similar services, each catering to a population increasingly reluctant to engage with rigid corporate practices. And it connects to the larger trend observed by Mynavi, which reported approximately one in six workers utilized resignation agencies to facilitate job changes over the past year. A large group of these individuals cited their employers' tenacity against their exiting as the main driver for seeking outside assistance.
Toui Iida, for example, reached out to one of these agencies after being unable to quit his physically demanding IT position on his own. After engaging the service, he cut ties with his employer within hours, describing the feeling of liberation akin to being handed "a second chance."
The services offered by these resignation agencies reflect broader societal changes, as younger workers increasingly favor roles where their well-being is prioritized. This shift demonstrates the collision between the new workplace dynamic where personal satisfaction takes precedence and the traditional work ethic still prevalent among many corporations.
Approximately 40.7% of resignation agency users report their employers actively working to prevent them from leaving, showcasing clear disconnects between generational expectations and established corporate cultures. Meanwhile, actions of frustration from employers following resignations can range from contrition to combative hostility, indicating varying degrees of workplace relationships.
Overall, the rise of proxy resignation services marks not just changing paths for individuals seeking to leave jobs but also speaks volumes about the changing attitudes toward employment and worker rights within Japan. Young professionals are increasingly vocalizing their needs, signaling significant cultural shifts to come.
