Young professionals in Japan are seeking help from specialized agencies to quit their jobs. Tokyo-based agency Momuri has seen a huge increase in demand since it began offering proxy resignation services more than two years ago.
Shinji Tanimoto, head of Albatross, the company that runs Mamuri, told The Guardian that he resigned on behalf of the people because he was unable to do so for any reason.
In Japanese, momuri means “enough already”.
“Sometimes it’s just natural reluctance, but some people may have experienced harassment or even violence from their employers. They are at their wits’ end when they come to us,” the officer said. “
Currently, Momuri is one of an estimated 100 companies that provide similar services throughout Japan. It has received a total of 350,000 online consultations and 20,000 resignations have been completed.
How does this work?
For this service, people usually contact these agencies through popular messaging apps. In Momuri’s case, customers must first complete a questionnaire and then sign a contract, plus a fee of ¥22,000 (approximately ₹12,344) for full-time employees and ¥12,300 (approximately ₹6,900) for part-time employees. Will have to give. And also those working on fixed term contracts.
On behalf of the customer, an employee of Momuri calls the employer. The entire process, starting from the initial consultation with the resignation, usually takes 20-30 minutes.
Why are people leaving jobs?
Surprisingly, 60 percent of Momuri’s users are people whose age is around 20 years. According to Japan’s Labor Ministry, more than 30% of recent graduates in the country are leaving their jobs within three years.
According to experts, this growing trend is due to a generational change in people’s attitude towards work, which has been accelerated due to the disruptions in jobs as well as lifestyle due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan’s labor shortage – a symptom of its low birth rate – has made employers more determined to retain staff members, even if it requires intimidating them to stay back. Furthermore, there have been instances when he has allegedly forced employees to look for his own replacements before accepting their resignations.
Mainavi, an employment information provider in Japan, said one in six workers in the country sought help from resignation agencies to move to another company in the 12-month period to June this year.
