Overtime Calculator (Japan)
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Calculate Japanese overtime (zangyō) — Labor Standards Act premiums: +25% beyond 8 hours/day/40 weekly, +50% past 60 OT hours/month, +25% late-night (10pm-5am) stacking, +35% statutory-holiday work — under the 36 Agreement’s 45/360-hour caps.
Quick answer: Japan’s premiums stack: OT beyond 8/40 = 125%; OT past the 60th monthly hour = 150%; late-night (22:00-5:00) adds +25% (late-night OT = 150%, late-night OT past 60 hrs = 175%); statutory holiday work = 135% (+25% if late-night). Caps: 45 hrs/month, 360/year (special clauses to 100/month, 720/year — the karōshi-line limits).
The Premium Stack
| Work | Rate |
|---|---|
| OT beyond 8/day or 40/week | 125% |
| OT beyond 60 hours in the month | 150% (since 2023 for SMEs too) |
| Late-night premium (22:00-5:00) | +25% — stacks: late-night OT 150%, late-night OT past 60h 175% |
| Statutory holiday (the weekly rest day) | 135% (+ late-night → 160%); holiday hours don’t count toward the 60 |
The 36 Agreement Frame
ANY overtime needs a 36 Agreement (saburoku kyōtei) filed with the Labor Standards Office: default caps 45 hours/month, 360/year; special-circumstance clauses to 100/month (incl. holiday work), 720/year OT, 2-6 month averages ≤80 — the post-2019 hard caps with criminal penalties, drawn at the karōshi-recognition lines. "Fixed overtime" (minashi zangyō) salaries must state the covered hours and pay excess beyond them — the standard litigation point.
Worked Example
¥2,000/hour, 70 OT hours, 10 late-night: first 60 × 2,500 + 10 × 3,000 (past-60) + late-night premium 10 × 500 = ¥185,000 — and the 70 hours itself exceeds the 45-hour default cap: lawful only under a special clause, and the pattern of 70+ months triggers the 80-hour karōshi average checks.
Enforcement Reality
Service overtime (sābisu zangyō — unpaid OT) remains Japan’s signature violation: claims reach back 3 years (extended from 2), with PC-logon logs and security-gate records as the standard evidence; labor-standards offices order back payment routinely. Managers (kanrikantoku) are exempt from OT but NOT the late-night premium — the "name-only manager" (McDonald’s case) doctrine claws misclassified store managers back into OT rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Japan’s overtime rates?
125% beyond 8 hours/day or 40/week, 150% past 60 OT hours in a month, +25% late-night (22:00-5:00) stacking on top, and 135% for statutory-holiday work.
What is a 36 Agreement?
The labor-management agreement (filed with the Labor Standards Office) legally required for ANY overtime — default caps 45 hours/month and 360/year, special clauses to 100/720 with hard criminal-penalty ceilings.
Is "fixed overtime pay" legal?
Only when the covered hours and the premium amount are explicit — and hours beyond the fixed allocation must pay extra; vague all-in salaries lose in court.
How far back can unpaid overtime be claimed?
Three years — with objective records (PC logs, entry records) as evidence; the labor-standards office route is free.
Are managers exempt?
True kanrikantoku (real authority, pay, schedule freedom) are exempt from OT and holiday premiums but STILL get late-night premiums — name-only managers reclaim full OT.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026