新卒者怒り 退職代行に依頼相次ぐ［2024.4.14］

新年度が始まって10日あまり。街を歩けば、真新しいスーツを着た新入社員の姿がまぶしく映る。しかし、本人に代わって企業側と交渉する「退職代行」サービスの現場では、すでに新卒者からの依頼が相次いでいる。「入社前と話が違うのですが……」。多くはそう切り出すという。

　◇「あんな会社とは話できない」

　各地で入社式が行われた1日、東京都大田区の「アルバトロス」が運営する「退職代行モームリ」の電話に、さっそく新入社員からの依頼が舞い込んだ。「あんな会社とはもう話ができません。退職代行をお願いします」。美容関係の企業に就職したという20代女性の声は怒りで震えていた。

　女性は入社前、髪の色は自由だと聞かされていたが、入社式直前に黒に染めるよう指示された。拒否すると、入社式に出席させてもらえなかった。そのままモームリに電話をかけて退職の手続きを進めてもらい、今は新しい就職先を探しているという。

　モームリは弁護士の監修を受けてサービスを提供している。依頼主の雇用形態が正社員や契約社員の場合は2万2000円、アルバイトの場合は1万2000円で引き受ける。2022年3月にスタートし、総依頼件数はこの2年で8000件を超えた。

　◇新卒者の依頼は12日間で80件

　24年度が始まり、12日までの依頼件数は計545件。そのうち新卒者からの依頼は約80件だった。23年は4～5月で52件だったといい、アルバトロスの谷本慎二社長は「この数が多いか少ないかは分からないが、若い人を中心に今後も退職代行の需要は増えていくのではないでしょうか」と推測する。

　新卒者の退職理由で目立つのは、「就労環境が入社前に聞いていたものと隔たりがある」という内容だ。谷本社長は「今の若い世代はSNS（ネット交流サービス）で他人の働く様子を見ることができます。そうしたなかで自分の働く環境に違和感を持つ人がとても増えているような印象があります」と解説する。

　サービス利用者の約6割は20～30代の若者で占められるが、最近ではベテラン世代からの依頼も増えているという。昨夏には体調不良を訴えているのに、企業側の都合で退職をさせてもらえない正社員の70代男性から依頼があった。

　谷本社長は語る。「新入社員に限らず、企業側は全ての従業員に歩み寄ろうとする姿勢が必要ではないでしょうか。そういう風潮が広がり、退職代行というサービスがなくなることが一番だと思っています」

■英訳

The new fiscal year has started for just over 10 days. As you walk through the streets, you'll see the dazzling sight of new recruits dressed in brand-new suits. However, in the field of "resignation agency" services negotiating on behalf of individuals with their employers, requests from new graduates are already pouring in. "The job isn't what they described it to be..." Many of them start off saying that.

◇ "Can't deal with a company like that"

On the day various companies held their entrance ceremonies, "Momuli," operated by "Albatross" in Ota Ward, Tokyo, received a call from a new recruit. "I can't deal with a company like that anymore. Please handle my resignation." The voice of a woman in her twenties who had joined a beauty-related company trembled with anger.

Before joining, she was told that hair color was up to her, but just before the entrance ceremony, she was instructed to dye it black. When she refused, she wasn't allowed to attend the ceremony. She then called Momuli to proceed with her resignation process and is currently looking for a new job.

Momuli provides its service under the supervision of lawyers. For regular employees or contract workers, the fee is ¥22,000, and for part-time workers, it's ¥12,000. It started in March 2022, and the total number of requests has exceeded 8,000 over the past two years.

◇ 80 requests from new graduates in 12 days

As the 2024 fiscal year began, there were a total of 545 requests by the 12th day. Of these, about 80 requests came from new graduates. In 2023, there were 52 requests between April and May. Albatross President Shinji Tanimoto says, "I don't know if this number is high or low, but I think the demand for resignation services will continue to increase, especially among young people."

One prominent reason for new graduates resigning is "discrepancies between the working environment and what was heard before joining." President Tanimoto explains, "The current younger generation can see how others work through social media. It seems that there is a significant increase in people feeling uncomfortable in their working environment."

About 60% of service users are young people in their 20s and 30s, but recently, there has been an increase in requests from veteran generations as well. Last summer, a request came from a 70-year-old male regular employee who was unable to resign due to the company's convenience despite complaining of poor health.

President Tanimoto remarks, "Isn't it necessary for companies to have an attitude of compromise with all employees, not just new recruits? I believe that such a trend should spread, and the service of resignation agencies should disappear."

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