サービス残業

• 読み: サービスざんぎょう
• ローマ字: sābisu zangyō
• 漢字の分解: サービス (service, here meaning 'free/complimentary') + 残 (remain) + 業 (work) → free overtime work
• 発音: /saː.bi.sɯ zan.ɡʲoː/

意味

Unpaid overtime work — working extra hours without receiving overtime compensation.

サービス残業 is a deeply ingrained problem in Japanese work culture. The 'service' in the name is bitterly ironic — workers 'volunteer' their time for free. This can happen through explicit pressure from management, implicit social pressure (not leaving before your boss), or companies manipulating time records. Despite being illegal under Japanese labor law, it remains extremely common and is a major factor in Japan's overwork crisis.

例文

1. サービス残業が当たり前の会社なんて今すぐ辞めたほうがいい。
2. 毎月サービス残業が30時間超えてるけど、誰も文句言えない。
3. タイムカードだけ先に押して、その後サービス残業するのが暗黙のルール。

使い方ガイド

場面: workplace, labor discussions, social commentary

トーン: critical, resigned

正しい言い方

• サービス残業は違法だから、ちゃんと記録残しておいたほうがいいよ。 (Unpaid overtime is illegal, so you should keep records.)
• サービス残業なくすって言ってるけど、結局何も変わってない。 (They say they're eliminating unpaid overtime, but nothing has actually changed.)

避ける言い方

• 新人にサービス残業を「当たり前」と教えない (Don't teach new employees that unpaid overtime is 'normal' — it's illegal)

よくある間違い

• Thinking サービス残業 is voluntary — while technically 'unpaid,' it's almost always done under social or managerial pressure

起源と歴史

Japanese-coined English (和製英語). 'Service' here means 'free of charge' (as in サービスです when a shop gives you something for free). Combined with 残業 (overtime) to describe unpaid overtime. The term has been in use since at least the 1990s.

文化的背景

時代: 1990s terminology, problem much older

世代: All working-age adults

社会的背景: Widespread across industries, especially traditional companies

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. Despite being illegal, it remains one of the most persistent labor issues in Japanese society.