A task is running past your scheduled finish, and your manager says, “Please submit a 残業申請.” First tell your manager what work remains and when you expect to finish. Then use your workplace’s overtime request screen and record the time you actually work. The request is a plan or approval step; your time card is the record of what happened. They may be separate in the same system.
Japanese labels in an overtime request
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning on the screen |
|---|---|---|
| 残業申請／時間外勤務申請 | ざんぎょうしんせい／じかんがいきんむしんせい | Request to work beyond scheduled hours |
| 事前申請／事後申請 | じぜんしんせい／じごしんせい | Request before / after the work, if the system permits it |
| 申請日／対象日 | しんせいび／たいしょうび | Date of request / date you plan to work |
| 開始予定／終了予定 | かいしよてい／しゅうりょうよてい | Planned start / finish |
| 申請時間 | しんせいじかん | Requested duration |
| 業務内容／申請理由 | ぎょうむないよう／しんせいりゆう | Work to be done / reason for request |
| 承認者 | しょうにんしゃ | Person who reviews the request |
| 申請中／承認／却下／差戻し | しんせいちゅう／しょうにん／きゃっか／さしもどし | Pending / approved / rejected / returned for correction |
| 実績時間／打刻 | じっせきじかん／だこく | Actual hours / time clock entry |
| 所定外／法定時間外 | しょていがい／ほうていじかんがい | Beyond the workplace schedule / beyond statutory working hours; payroll may classify them differently |
The wording and fields vary by employer and software. If the screen says 保存, check whether it is only a draft; 申請 or 提出 may be needed to send it to the approver.
Before and after you work longer
- Check the task and schedule. Tell the manager what needs finishing, why it cannot wait, and the proposed finish time. Ask whether you should submit the form before continuing.
- Enter a realistic request. Select the correct date and expected period, choose the approver, and write a brief specific reason. For example, “Customer handover notes need completion today” is clearer than “Busy.” Submit and check the status.
- Update the manager if the estimate changes. If the task finishes earlier or takes longer, follow the company’s change procedure. A request for one hour is not itself proof that you worked exactly one hour.
- Record actual work and breaks. Clock out at the actual finishing time according to your employer’s timekeeping rules. Review the time clock record and correct a missing or inaccurate entry promptly.
- Check the monthly result. Compare the approved request and attendance record with your payslip. If something does not match, ask payroll which dates and categories were counted.
The MHLW guideline on recording working time says employers should check and record each workday’s actual start and finish times. Keep the approval workflow and the actual record aligned. If work happened without advance approval, describe the facts accurately and ask how to correct the request; do not erase the work from the time record.
Short messages you can use
- 本日の作業が定時までに終わらない見込みです。残業を申請してもよろしいですか。
Honjitsu no sagyō ga teiji made ni owaranai mikomi desu. Zangyō o shinsei shite mo yoroshii desu ka.
I expect today’s work to run past my scheduled finish. May I submit an overtime request? - 終了予定を30分延長する必要があります。申請を変更します。
Shūryō yotei o sanjup-pun enchō suru hitsuyō ga arimasu. Shinsei o henkō shimasu.
I need to extend the expected finish by 30 minutes. I’ll update the request. - 実際の退勤時刻と承認済みの申請時間が異なります。修正方法を教えてください。
Jissai no taikin jikoku to shōnin-zumi no shinsei jikan ga kotonarimasu. Shūsei hōhō o oshiete kudasai.
My actual finish time differs from the approved request. How should I correct it?
Why the labels matter for pay
“残業” in everyday office speech can mean work after the company’s scheduled hours. The legal category of 法定時間外労働 refers to work beyond statutory working hours, and treatment of overtime and holiday work depends on the applicable rules and agreement. The MHLW’s employee guide explains statutory overtime, the 36 agreement and premium pay; the Osaka Labour Bureau FAQ distinguishes legal overtime from other uses of the word. Do not infer a particular pay rate solely from the app’s label. Check your contract, work rules and payslip, or ask payroll for the calculation on the dates in question.
