Labor consultation offers advice that helps
solve work-related concerns, problems, and troubles.
- Can part-timers have paid holidays?
- What should I do when I get harassed?
- Who should I talk to when I don’t get paid?
- I am being harassed and need help! And more…
- We want to dismiss idle employees with bad attitude.
- We have some questions about setting work regulations.
- What should we watch out for when we are asked to engage in a collective bargaining by the labor union?
- We want our employees to take a leave of absence to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And more…
Where to Contact
| Where to Contact | Labor Consultation Center Osaka Prefectural Labor Center (L-Osaka) South Bldg. 3F, 2-5-3 Koku-machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 540-0033 06-6946-2600 Labor Consultation 06-6946-2601 Consultation for Sexual Harassment/Women 06-6946-2608 Consultation for Telework |
| Consultation During Regular Hours | Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Consultation at Night | Every Thursday (on the following Friday if it falls on a holiday) until 8:00 p.m. |
| Consultation by Lawyers/Labor and Social Security Attorneys | Consultations with Lawyers/Labor and Social Security Attorneys are held after consultations with advisers. (Reservation required) |
Online Labor Consultation
Everything can be done online, from reservation to consultation, on your smartphone, tablet, PC, or other electronic devices.
| Hours | Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m./1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (45-minute consultation, 6 slots a day) |
| Available Consultation Service | Consultation for general labor-related matters and telework (Consultation by lawyers/labor and social security attorneys and specialized consultation for mental health issues are not available on online labor consultation) |
Click below for reservations
Online Labor Consultation Reservation System (external website)
*A reservation must be made by 5:00 p.m. one business day prior to requested consultation day.
*After a reservation is made, the link to visit on the consultation day and other detailed information will be emailed by the previous day of your requested consultation day.
*If you do not enter the meeting room within 15 minutes after the start of your scheduled appointment, your consultation may get cancelled.
Find the Online Labor Consultation Operation Policy below
* Please read it through before making a reservation.
Online Labor Consultation Operation Policy [Word File] [PDF File]
Labor Consultation by Email
Email consultation offers interpretation of the law and other general explanations.
If you wish to have a more personal, specific consultation, please have a phone or face-to-face consultation.
Osaka Prefecture Labor Environment Division (Labor Consultation Center) Email address
rodokankyo-g06@gbox.pref.osaka.lg.jp
Sometimes replies from the Labor Consultation Center do not reach the intended recipients due to your email filtering settings, wrongly addressed emails, or other reasons.
If you do not receive a reply after 7 days (excludes New Year holidays, weekends, and holidays), please check your email filtering functions and send an email again or contact us by phone. (Replies will be sent from PC. If your email setting is set to block emails from PCs, please cancel that setting. )
Information on Individual Labor-Management Dispute Settlement Support System
In Osaka Prefecture, Osaka Prefecture Labor Environment Division (Labor Consultation Center) and Osaka Prefecture Labor Committee collaborate to help solve individual labor-management disputes.
Amid the ongoing diversification of employment patterns, Osaka Prefecture helps find a prompt, realistic, and appropriate solution for individual labor-management disputes (disputes between an individual worker and employer regarding work conditions and other labor-related matters) by providing information and consultation as well as setting a “Coordination” and “Mediation” systems.
Please do not hesitate to consult the Osaka Prefecture Labor Environment Division (Labor Consultation Center).Confidentiality is strictly maintained and the service is free of charge.
What are “Coordination” and “Mediation”?
Mediators and conciliators come between an individual worker and employer, present possible solutions such as coordination/mediation plans after conducting interviews with both sides and sorting problems, gain consent from both parties, and help provide a realistic solution to the dispute.
– “Coordination” is conducted by a “coordinator” (municipal worker) from Osaka Prefecture Labor Environment Division (Labor Consultation Center).
– “Mediation” is conducted by a “mediator” from the Osaka Prefecture Labor Committee.
◎”Mediation” takes place when a settlement is unlikely to be reached with “coordination” or when it is needed.
Cases Eligible for “Coordination” and “Mediation”
| Eligible Cases | Off all individual labor-management dispute cases that have been consulted with the Labor Consultation Center, ones that are difficult to settle regardless of resolution efforts made willingly by both parties |
| Eligible Individuals and Employers | Employees and employers of business establishments located in Osaka Prefecture |
| 1) The system helps dispute settlements with fairness and neutrality of a public administration. Coordinators and mediators do not represent one of the parties, hold a leadership position, or have an oversight authority. 2) To utilize this system, consulters must have a labor consultation in advance. As a general rule, coordination/mediation is conducted when it is difficult to reach a dispute settlement by the parties involved, even though the consulter has made a certain effort (negotiations with the other party). ◎The following cases are not eligible. – Disputes that are not about work conditions and other labor-related matters. Collective labor-management disputes between a labor union and employer – Labor-management disputes for which “mediation” already took place according to the Act on Promoting the Resolution of Individual Labor-Related Disputes – Disputes for which a ruling has been made by a court or labor tribunal, a reconciliation has been reached in a civil court or through labor tribunal proceedings, or a court-mediated settlement was accepted – Other cases, including a case where applications show that disputes are inappropriate to conduct “coordination” or “mediation” on |
How to Apply
Please fill out the required items on the application form (Individual Labor-Management Dispute Settlement Application Form) available at the Osaka Prefecture Labor Environment Division (Labor Consultation Center).
Labor consultation in foreign languages with an interpreter
[As needed] Labor consultation in foreign languages with an interpreter
(Consultation time: 120 minutes. Available face-to-face or online. Reservation required)
Consultation in English
Labor Consulting Available in English [Word File／101KB] [PDF File／68KB]
Consultation in Chinese
可以用中国語進行労働問題諮詢 [Word File／95KB] [PDF File／122KB]
Consultation in Vietnamese
TƯ VẤN LAO ĐỘNG [Word File／14KB] [PDF File／44KB]
[Held Regularly] Labor consultation in foreign languages with an interpreter
(Held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays every month. Consultation time: 45 minutes. Available online, face-to-face, or on the phone. Reservation required)
For inquiries, please contact Osaka Foundation of International Exchange
English Chinese Korean Portuguese Spanish Thai Filipino Vietnamese Indonesian Nepalese Ukrainian Russian Japanese
Click below for work rule brochures in foreign languages
English Chinese Korean Ukrainian Russian Vietnamese Indonesian Nepali Portuguese Easy Japanese
Harassment at Work
Click below for information on harassment at work
Harassment at Work [PDF File／810KB]
Click below for helpful information
Specialized Consultation for Mental Health Issues at Work
Sometimes long working hours, relationships, tasks, transfers, and other problems at workplace get us stressed and throw our “mental health” off balance. Don’t worry about it all by yourself and feel free to have a “Specialized Consultation for Mental Health Issues at Work.”
Doctors, clinical psychotherapists, and industrial counselors with expertise and experiences in mental health offer consultation to workers concerned about their mental health, employers trying to maintain and promote employees’ mental health, and those in charge of personnel labor management.
| Locations that Offer Consultation Services | Address/Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Osaka Prefecture Labor Environment Division (Labor Consultation Center) | L-Osaka South Bldg. 3F, 2-5-3 Koku-machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka Phone 06-6946-2600 | The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4h Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The 1st Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Consultation time: 45 minutes Not available on holidays Reservation required |
Free Dispatch of Instructors for Basic Labor Law/Issue Seminars
With over 10,000 labor consultations each year, Osaka Prefecture Labor Environment Division (Labor Consultation Center) sends instructors (labor counselors) for free to trainings on labor law and labor issues held by labor unions and small and medium-sized enterprises, so that all workers can work with peace of mind and all employers can manage their workplaces appropriately. Please do not hesitate to make use of this service.
| Target | 1) Labor unions, 2) Small and medium-sized enterprises, 3) Employers’ associations, business communities, trade groups, etc., 4) High schools, universities, vocational schools, etc. (e.g. for teachers), 5) Other institutions whose business objectives are considered appropriate to hold such trainings. *Please inquire to find out if your institution is eligible or not. |
| Basic items covered in the training | 1) Overview of the basic labor law and other information concerning the labor contract and working conditions as well as matters to keep in mind in preventing troubles among employees and the employer 2) Overview of the basic labor law and other information concerning the labor union and collective labor-management relationship as well as matters to keep in mind in preventing troubles among employees and the employer 3) Basic understanding concerning the prevention of sexual, power, and other harassment issues in workplaces as well as matters to keep in mind about labor-management relations. Please inquire for details. |
| Application/Contact | Contact Osaka Prefecture Labor Environment Division (Labor Consultation Center). When inquiring by fax, please state your contact information. Phone 06-6946-2610 Fax 06-6946-2635 Email rodokankyo-g06@gbox.pref.osaka.lg.jp |