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As of April 1st, 2017, it became possible for non-full-time employees with 20 or more working hours a week in companies with fewer than 501 employees to be enrolled in health and pension insurance based upon a labor-management agreement.

Therefore, even if your company employs fewer than 500 people, you can still be enrolled if your employer agrees to the twenty hour line.

However, we aren’t suggesting waiting for your employer to suggest this out of the goodness of their own hearts, but rather stating that you now have a chance to make demands through a union and win health and pension insurance at the bargaining table.

On September 13th, 2017, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) announced the enrollment in the Health and Pension Insurance of non-full-time employees working for companies with fewer than 501 employees: 1,742 employees in 1,270 companies (preliminary figures).

Let us know if you and your coworkers are on “fewer than 30 hour” contracts but still want Shakai Hoken/Shigaku Kyosai.