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Intermediate Japanese - Free Online Course
SHINTAI UKAGAI
進退伺い
informal resignation
The employment relationship in Japan is generally thought of as a permanent one. Employees are seldom laid off for economic reasons. Moreover, a few blunders will not send a Japanese worker to the unemployment line as is often the case with his American counterpart. Japanese companies take an extremely forgiving attitude toward an employee who has failed, but subsequently demonstrates genuine remorse and a sincere intention to do better in the future.
Nevertheless, an employee may occasionally do something that warrants termination. For example, he may disgrace the company by being arrested for a crime, or he may commit a huge mistake that severely impacts his employer’s bottom line.
In such a situation, the disgraced employee submits an informal letter of resignation, in which he asks his superior to determine if he should continue his employment at the company. His boss may respond with a request for a formal resignation; but he is just as likely to let the employee stay in his job.
One aspect of the shintai-ukagai is pure pretense. But its real significance lies in the expression of contrition that it represents. In Japan, a person who has committed a grievous error or affront has an obligation to make a voluntary, effusively humble apology. At the same time, the offended party has an obligation to respond with clemency. Therefore, the shintai-ukagai often gives an employee a chance to recover from a serious mistake.