In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Japanese government is considering a new law to enable the government to declare a state of emergency, cancel public events, and instruct people to stay indoors. The government is already recommending that large gatherings be cancelled, postponed, or scaled back until on or about March 19, 2020, when the counsel of professionals will provide its opinion. Given the rapid spread of the virus and its implications, employers are confronting difficult questions regarding how to handle safety and health rules, travel restrictions, privacy of employees' health information, compensation, and other employment issues.

The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are designed to address some of the more common questions that employers with operations in Japan currently face. Employers are also encouraged to consult relevant guidance and FAQs put forth by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (links in English/Japanese), Prime Minister's Office of Japan (links in English/Japanese), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Travel Warning and Advice (links in English/Japanese).

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

1. Should an employer restrict travel to all "affected areas" where there have been confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO)?

Employers can, as a precaution, impose travel restrictions if reasonable grounds exist to believe that doing so is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Employers should also rely on the Japanese government's travel alerts restricting travel to high-risk areas.

On March 10, 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel warning designating France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland as Level 1 areas (Exercise Caution); most of South Korea, Italy, Iran, China and the Vatican as Level 2 (Avoid Non-Essential Travel); and the significantly affected areas of Korea, Italy, Iran and China as Level 3 (Avoid All Travel).

As of March 12, 2020, 29 countries are imposing some restrictions on travel from Japan, and 70 countries provide other types of restrictions (e.g., 14 days self-isolation upon return).

2. What should an employer do if an employee shares that they plan to travel to an affected area?

Assuming this would be for an employee's personal travel, the employer can ask the employee to refrain from travelling to high-risk areas. Generally, the law does not support an employer's disciplinary action based on an employee's off-duty conduct. Therefore, whether the employer can discipline the employee for traveling to a high-risk area should be determined on a case-by-case basis, taking all factors into consideration.

3. How should an employer handle employees who have family members who have traveled to affected areas?

The employer can ask the employee to report whether they or any of the employee's family members who traveled to the high-risk area are experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms. If the answer is in the affirmative, the employer can ask the employee to self-isolate and not come to the workplace for 14 days to confirm that the employee is not affected by COVID-19.

4. Can we prevent employees from traveling to affected areas for personal reasons?

See answer to Question #2.

DISCRIMINATION LAW

5. What discrimination issues should employers address/be aware of?

The employer is not allowed to discriminate against its employees based on their race, nationality or family origin. The employer can implement different measures for employees based on whether they pose a risk of infection, but such measures should be implemented regardless of these protected classifications.

6. What are the employer's obligations to prevent harassment of those suspected of being infected?

Employers are required under the law to create and maintain a safe and healthy work environment for employees. Accordingly, employers should endeavor to prevent any type of harassment.

DISABILITY LAW

7. Can employers take the temperature of employees who are coming to work?

Yes, so long as the employee provides consent.

8. Are there any rules on what employers are allowed to do concerning subjecting employees to medical examinations or health-related tests that would apply to an emergency situation involving a communicable illness such as COVID-19?

Because an employee's health information is considered sensitive personal information, an employee must consent to any medical examinations or tests.

SAFETY & HEALTH RULES

9. Are non-healthcare employees required to wear respirators or other personal protective equipment?

There is no specific requirement to wear respirators or other personal protective equipment. Some employers require their employees to wear masks, as needed.

10. Can an employer with a public-facing business prevent employees from wearing a surgical mask or respirator?

It is more common to wear a mask in Japan than in western countries to prevent contagion. An employer should allow the employee to wear the mask as doing so does not usually damage the business, and the employees might be able to protect themselves better with one.

11. What if an employee requests to wear some type of mask as an accommodation?

See answer to Question #10.

12. For employers that have events for large gatherings scheduled, should they cancel them?

The government is recommending that large gatherings be cancelled, postponed, or scaled back until on or about March 19, 2020.

IMMIGRATION

13. Has your country's government issued travel advisories? (If so, please summarize the guidance and provide a link to the government's website (if applicable)).

See answer to Question #1.

14. An employee who recently traveled to an affected area (in another country) is having difficulty re-entering your country. Can the employer help the employee get back into your country?

Non-Japanese employees carrying a passport from areas affected by COVID-19 are restricted from entering Japan. For now, the employer should wait and see until the restriction is lifted. If feasible, the employer should endeavor to allow them to work from outside Japan for a short period or place them on a special leave, as needed.

UNEMPLOYMENT & OCCUPATIONAL RISK LIABILITY

15. Do employer-instituted quarantines or temporary shutdowns or mass layoffs entitle workers to unemployment benefits or severance?

Employees are entitled to unemployment benefits only when their employment relationship is terminated. The government is providing public benefits to the employers that provide extra paid leave to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or for parents who have children affected by school closures.

16. What are an employer's workers' compensation obligations if an employee traveled to an affected area for work and contracted COVID-19?

The employer has a duty to keep the workplace healthy and safe. An employer might breach such duty if it forces its employee to travel to an affected area and the employee contracts COVID-19.

PRIVACY

17. According to your government's health department, what are the steps that employees should follow to notify the authorities that they suspect or are confirmed to have a COVID-19 infection?

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, if a person is experiencing the symptoms of a COVID-19 infection, they should contact the nearest public health center for a consultation. Click here for the Ministry's FAQ with additional details. The medical care provider is required to report COVID-19 cases directly to the government's health department.

18. Can an employer require employees to self-report having a COVID-19 infection?

Yes, as long as the stated motivation is to protect the health and safety of the workforce.

19. If one of our employees is quarantined, what information can we share with our employees? Who can we share it with?

The company may notify the workforce that an employee within the same location has a confirmed case of COVID-19 infection, and identify the next steps the company will take to keep the rest of the workforce safe and to prevent spread of the virus (e.g., the employee will not work in the location for a period of time, the company will conduct deep cleaning of the premises, etc.).

20. What privacy concerns do we need to be aware of when we are asking for the health information of our employees in order to evaluate whether they need to be quarantined?

Under Japanese law, health data is sensitive information that should be treated carefully to protect a person's right to privacy. Unlawful infringement of the right to privacy constitutes a tortious act under the civil laws, which can form the basis for damages.

As this is a fluid and rapidly changing situation, please keep in mind that different or additional facts may warrant re-assessment of policies and practices so they can serve the best interest of employees, employers and the community at large.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.