- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,057
- 18,913
A significant share of Japanese workers, especially younger ones, prefer changing jobs to accepting unwanted transfers. Yet most companies, particularly smaller ones, have been slow to reform their relocation policies.
The rise of remote work and growing employee resistance to relocations have led some companies to adopt new personnel systems that give workers greater say in where they live and work, including the option to decline transfers. While surveys suggest Japanese firms have generally been slow to embrace such flexibility, the attitudes of younger employees are expected to hasten the shift. One notable case is AIG General Insurance Co., which now allows staff to state their preferred work locations and clarify whether they are willing—or unwilling—to relocate.
AIG General was established in 2018 through the merger of AIU General Insurance Co. and Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance Co.. This move required the integration of their respective personnel policies. At that time, frequent nationwide transfers for career-track employees were still the norm across the financial industry, but an increasing number of workers began refusing to comply with relocation orders.