Working at Rakuten – Advice wanted for office rules

Dear Japanlife,
Anybody here work at Rakuten? My friend (who is not on reddit) came recently to Japan as a temporary employee for an IT consulting company. Now he’s scheduled to start working for Rakuten as a software engineer consultant on monday.
Now TODAY the recruiter guy, who is his only point of contact, tells him he needs to get a PCR test over the weekend on his own expense because he doesn’t have his third shot.

Can you advise us on what to do. If necessary he’ll get the test but we’re confused if they expect him to do this every time he goes to the Rakuten office and where this suddenly comes from.

8 comments
  1. Not working for Rakuten, but have seen this elsewhere. They expect him to do this every time until he gets his third shot and it is his burden.

    I have had to submit proof of at least 3 vaccinations for my job and at companies I have visited overseas. This is a pretty standard requirement for visiting offices/working in offices in my experience

  2. If should have been talked about much earlier because as a freelancer, this becomes one of his business expenses that he should include in his bill to the company along with his commute and probably lunch expense.

    As a freelancer, you always make your customer pay for the expenses that are tied to the job you do for them. The pcr test is a requirement for the job so he has to bill it.

  3. He doesn’t actually work for Rakuten. Sounds like this has nothing to do with Rakuten. Either he pays it or his company pays it.

  4. Not sure about situation in Rakuten. But if your friend live in Tokyo, s/he can have free PCR test at some places.

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