You have been told you can work from home, but the company form is in Japanese. First check which days and locations your workplace permits, then submit the request and wait for approval before treating the day as a home-working day. On the day itself, follow your usual attendance and contact rules.
Japanese labels on a work-from-home request
Screen wording varies by employer and attendance system. These are common labels, not a universal form.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning / what to enter |
|---|---|---|
| 在宅勤務 | ざいたくきんむ (zaitaku kinmu) | Work from home, specifically at home |
| テレワーク | terewāku | Telework; may include other approved places |
| 勤務形態 | きんむけいたい (kinmu keitai) | Work arrangement; choose the applicable option |
| 勤務日・対象日 | きんむび・たいしょうび (kinmubi / taishōbi) | Date of the planned arrangement |
| 勤務場所 | きんむばしょ (kinmu basho) | Work location; enter the approved place |
| 申請理由 | しんせいりゆう (shinsei riyū) | Reason for the request |
| 始業・終業 | しぎょう・しゅうぎょう (shigyō / shūgyō) | Planned start and finish times |
| 休憩・中抜け | きゅうけい・なかぬけ (kyūkei / nakanuke) | Break / time away during the working day |
| 承認・差戻し | しょうにん・さしもどし (shōnin / sashimodoshi) | Approved / returned for correction |
| 出社へ変更 | しゅっしゃへへんこう (shussha e henkō) | Change the plan to work at the office |
Before you press 申請
- Read your workplace rule. Look for 在宅勤務規程 (work-from-home rules) or テレワーク規程. Check eligibility, permitted location, deadline, approval route, required equipment, and how to contact your team. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) guidance on workplace telework rules explains why the company should make these arrangements clear.
- Choose the actual date and place. 在宅勤務 means working at home. The broader テレワーク can also cover a satellite office or mobile work, according to the MHLW telework explanation. A café or another address is not automatically an approved location.
- Enter your planned hours and a short reason. For example: 10月5日は在宅勤務を希望します。資料作成とオンライン会議を予定しています。 (I would like to work from home on October 5. I plan to prepare documents and attend online meetings.) Use the date and reason that fit your situation.
- Submit and check the status. 申請中 means pending; 承認 means approved. 差戻し means the approver sent it back, often with a comment to fix. If the date is close and it remains pending, ask your manager before making plans.
On the approved day
Start and finish work as your company instructs, including any time clock app. Keep your team informed through its designated channel. If you need to step away for a personal errand, ask how to record 中抜け and whether to adjust the working time; do not assume it is the same as a normal break. MHLW’s telework guideline covers labor-time management and interruptions during the day.
If the internet fails: 通信が不安定なため、電話で連絡してもよろしいでしょうか。 (My connection is unstable. May I contact you by phone?) If you need to switch locations or go to the office, tell your manager and correct the request and attendance record using your company’s process. For work beyond scheduled hours, check the separate overtime request procedure.
Useful messages to your manager
- 来週水曜日に在宅勤務を申請したいです。手続きを教えていただけますか。
I would like to request work from home next Wednesday. Could you tell me the procedure? - 申請を提出しました。ご確認をお願いいたします。
I submitted the request. Please review it. - 承認後に勤務場所を変更する場合、再申請が必要ですか。
If I change the work location after approval, do I need to apply again?
What the form does not settle by itself
Approval of a remote-work day does not automatically change your paid leave, hours, overtime approval, or expense rules. Ask who pays for internet, electricity, and equipment before buying anything for work. MHLW says telework cost sharing should be discussed and clearly explained; arrangements differ with the work and equipment supplied. If you need a day off rather than a working day at home, use your workplace’s paid-leave request process. Check your working-conditions notice and company rules when the terms are unclear.
