Need to miss work or expect to arrive late in Japan? Contact the person and channel your workplace specifies as soon as you know. Say who you are, which shift or start time is affected, whether you will be absent or late, your estimated arrival time if known, and when you will update them. If you are unsure whether a message is enough, call the designated contact and follow the workplace procedure.
This is a communication guide for employees, including English teachers. It does not assume that every workplace has the same rules or that every illness is automatically paid leave. Save the emergency contact number and the reporting procedure before you need them.
Useful Japanese words on a schedule or absence form
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 欠勤 | けっきん / kekkin | Absence from work |
| 遅刻 | ちこく / chikoku | Arriving late |
| 早退 | そうたい / sōtai | Leaving work early |
| 体調不良 | たいちょうふりょう / taichō furyō | Feeling unwell |
| 有給休暇・年次有給休暇 | ゆうきゅうきゅうか・ねんじゆうきゅうきゅうか | Annual paid leave |
| シフト | shifuto | Shift |
| 出勤予定 | しゅっきんよてい / shukkin yotei | Scheduled to work |
| 遅延証明書 | ちえんしょうめいしょ / chien shōmeisho | Train delay certificate, if requested |
If you are unwell and cannot work today
- Check your workplace’s designated contact, hours and method. A teacher with scheduled students may need to notify a school manager so lessons can be covered; another workplace may use a phone line or staff app.
- Contact them before your shift where possible. Give a clear status without a long medical explanation.
- Ask about the next update and any form or leave request. If you do not know whether you can work tomorrow, say so and agree on when to follow up.
Phone or message example: おはようございます。［名前］です。体調不良のため、本日の勤務をお休みさせていただきたいです。担当の方にご連絡しています。明日の勤務については、本日［時刻］までに改めてご連絡します。
Ohayō gozaimasu. [Name] desu. Taichō furyō no tame, honjitsu no kinmu o oyasumi sasete itadakitai desu. Tantō no kata ni go-renraku shite imasu. Ashita no kinmu ni tsuite wa, honjitsu [time] made ni aratamete go-renraku shimasu.
“Good morning, this is [name]. I am unwell and need to be absent from work today. I am contacting the person in charge. I will update you about tomorrow’s shift by [time] today.”
Adapt the last sentence to what you can actually promise. If you are too unwell to call, follow your workplace’s procedure for having someone contact it on your behalf.
If your train is delayed or you will arrive late
Example: ［名前］です。電車の遅延で、［時刻］の出勤に間に合いません。到着は［時刻］頃の見込みです。分かり次第、改めてご連絡します。
[Name] desu. Densha no chien de, [time] no shukkin ni maniaimasen. Tōchaku wa [time] goro no mikomi desu. Wakarishidai, aratamete go-renraku shimasu.
“This is [name]. Because of a train delay, I cannot make my [time] start. I expect to arrive around [time]. I will update you when I know more.”
If an arrival estimate changes, send another update. Ask whether your workplace needs a delay certificate and how to provide it. Our existing time-management article for English teachers covers why keeping your workplace contact details close at hand matters when commuting.
Absence, annual paid leave and pay are different questions
Reporting an absence tells the employer that you cannot attend. It does not by itself decide whether the day is paid, unpaid, or recorded as annual paid leave. Ask how the absence will be entered and what request you need to make. 本日の欠勤は、どのように勤怠に記録されますか。 — “How will today’s absence be recorded in attendance?” If you wish to use annual paid leave, ask separately: 有給休暇として申請できますか。 — “Can I request this as annual paid leave?”
The Osaka Labour Bureau’s English guide to annual paid leave explains the leave system. Eligibility, the available balance and workplace request procedures should be checked for your situation. If an absence later changes your payment, compare the attendance entry with your Japanese payslip.
A 30-second checklist before you send
- Did you use the right contact and channel?
- Did you identify yourself and the affected date or shift?
- Is the status clear: absent, late, or uncertain?
- If late, did you give an estimate and promise an update when it changes?
- Did you ask who handles any urgent handover, without putting private student or customer details into an unsecured message?
Keep the notice short and factual. Your manager can ask follow-up questions. The useful first step is to make sure the right person knows in time to adjust the work.
