TOKYO -- A resignation agency handling negotiations with companies on behalf of people quitting their jobs saw a surge in consultations on Jan. 6, as many companies and public offices returned to work after the New Year break.

It is believed that the nine-day holiday period from Dec. 28 -- longer than usual -- raised the hurdle for many people to return to work, contributing to the higher number of consultations.

Momuri, a resignation agency run by a job changing and resignation support company Albatross Co., based in Tokyo's Minato Ward, received a stream of phone calls at its Tokyo office from the morning of Jan. 6. Previously the agency had fielded a maximum of about 180 inquiries a day, but as of 5 p.m. on Jan. 6, the number of consultations had surged to a new record of over 250, representing an increase of over 40%, the agency said.

Momuri informs workplaces of employees' intentions to resign and their reasons for doing so on their behalf, and also coordinates the mailing of resignation notices and the return of company equipment, among other procedures. The cost of using the service is 22,000 yen (approx. $140) for regular and contract employees, and 12,000 yen (about $76) for part-timers.

Reasons for resigning among the requests received on Jan. 6 included such comments as, "I worked really hard up until the end of the year, but I lost my nerve at the beginning of the year," suggesting the end of the long year-end and New Year break impacted their decisions. Others complained of deteriorating working conditions with one commenting, "There was repeated power harassment from the president. When I took three days of paid leave, my bonus was cut for the reason that 'looking after your health is part of the job,'" while another said, "I became depressed due to a worsened work environment, but I wasn't permitted to take leave."

Since such resignation requests have tended to increase after long holiday periods such as "Golden Week" from late April to early May, the agency placed 26 staffers on duty on Jan. 6, more than normal.

A company representative commented, "We responded to the increased number of inquiries with a sense of speed. We'd like people troubled with their work environments and other issues to use us as a 'last resort.'"

Related comments were also seen on X (formerly Twitter), with posts reading, "People who are really at their limit should use a resignation agency," and, "Is there anything we can do to eliminate 'black companies' from Japan?" using the Japanese term to refer to exploitative businesses. The terms "Momuri" and "resignation agency" also trended for a while.

(Japanese original by Yuhi Sugiyama, Business News Department)