Abstract
In Japan, COVID-19 countermeasures in workplaces have not been enforced as
legal obligations; rather, voluntary responses have been sought primarily in the form
of requests for cooperation and recommendations, and resolutions have thus been
attempted. However, many labor issues have arisen in this process.
Research activities in the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare FY2021 Industrial
Disease Clinical Research Grant “Research on the creation of guidelines, system
maintenance, and tool development that contributes to comprehensive infectious
disease prevention measures in the workplace” were used as a basis to report
primarily on the following: (1) The authority to order individuals to undergo
vaccination or COVID-19 testing, rationale and limits of the right to order transfers
of non-vaccinated individuals, and effects of the violation of orders. (2) The spread
of COVID-19 and obligation of workers to work, work-from-home requests, and
user safety consideration obligations.
