Scientists nearing their 10-year work anniversaries at Japanese universities and institutes find themselves in a difficult position, as their employers are preparing to lay them off instead of offering them the permanent employment promised to them by a 2013 labor law, Science and Nature report.
Over the past 30 years, the Japanese government sought to bolster its scientific research programs, especially at government-funded institutes like RIKEN, but ran into roadblocks due to apprehension over adding a significant number of permanent employees to the federal payroll, Science reports. Instead, many scientists were hired with what’s called a fixed-term contract, which treated them as temporary, with lesser benefits and lower salaries than they’d earn under long-term employment.
A 2013 labor law guaranteed workers on fixed-term contracts the right to request permanent employment after five years on the job, according to Nature, although that was later extended to 10 years for many researchers. ...
