Using Paid Leave Before Leaving a Job in Japan

Verify the balance and rules

• Check statutory annual leave granted, already used and due to expire.
• Separate statutory leave from additional company benefits.
• Check any half-day or hourly leave arrangement.
• Reconcile pending applications and upcoming grants with HR.

Statutory annual leave has a two-year limitation period, but an employer may offer more favorable arrangements. Do not assume that forty days is an absolute cap under every company policy. Resolve discrepancies in the attendance records before making a plan.

A fictional eight-day plan

Suppose the final two weeks contain ten scheduled working days and eight available leave days. If the last eight are leave, the first two are worked. The following example assumes a Monday–Friday schedule with no public holiday during those ten days.

Recalculate using actual holidays and shifts. Employment continues during leave up to the end date; the last day in the office is not necessarily the resignation date.

Coordinate leave and handover

1. Put the proposed end date and leave dates on the calendar.
2. List remaining tasks, owners and document locations.
3. Discuss the working days needed for handover and submit the leave request.
4. Keep the application, response and agreed schedule.

I propose ending employment on [date], with my last working day on [date] and annual leave on the remaining scheduled days. My recorded balance is [number]. I plan to hand over [tasks] to [person]. Could you confirm the schedule and balance?

Check pay rather than assuming identical take-home income

Leave-day pay can use average wages, ordinary wages or an agreed method based on one-thirtieth of standard monthly remuneration. The applicable arrangements and final-pay deductions matter. See MHLW’s explanation and the workplace rules.

Payment for unused leave is not an automatic alternative entitlement you can demand instead of taking leave. Some employers have arrangements for a remaining balance on departure; confirm the terms rather than budgeting for an assumed payout.

If the request is refused

An employer’s ability to change leave timing has limits and cannot move it beyond employment termination. Review official annual-leave guidance, ask for the reason and proposed solution, and keep a record. If unresolved, bring the request, attendance record, work rules and end-date information to a Labor Standards Inspection Office or relevant labor consultation service. Do not confuse seeking advice about leave with unilaterally changing the employment end date or ceasing attendance without communication.

Related guides

• Leaving a Job in Japan: A Timeline of Paperwork and Deadlines (Japanese)
• Resignation Notices and Requests in Japan: Wording and Submission (Japanese)
• Documents to Request When Leaving a Job in Japan (Japanese)

Sources and further checks

Public information checked on October 4, 2026. These sources concern Japan; verify the conditions that apply to your case.

• 厚生労働省：年次有給休暇の学習資料
• 厚生労働省：年次有給休暇取得日の賃金

Related Otame4 guides above are in Japanese. Japanese wording in the examples is provided for applications and workplace documents in Japan.