Cosmetic giant Shiseido is expecting a higher-than-anticipated departure of 257 employees amidst a voluntary retirement initiative. The company, a stalwart of Japan's beauty industry, launched the scheme earlier this year in response to notable changes in the industry. The number of resignations surpassed expectations, reflecting the overall shift in employee mindset towards job security and practices in Japan's corporate sector.

Work stability and loyalty to a single employer for life have long been significant norms within Japanese society. A surge of resignations in a well-established company like Shiseido indicates wider changes in the labor market. Employees are increasingly willing to break with traditional norms of enduring through harsh company restructuring in pursuit of better work-life balance or job satisfaction. This reflects Japan’s ongoing changes in labor law and societal attitudes towards employment.

In the US or EU, voluntary retirement or resignations, particularly those surpassing expectations, can signal an unstable atmosphere within a company or an industry. However, traditionally, employees in these regions have more flexibility to change jobs or careers, making such news less shocking compared to a society like Japan's where job mobility is historically limited.