Japan’s parliament enacted legislation on Friday aimed at providing greater support to workers raising young children. The new law mandates companies to offer flexible working arrangements to employees with young children, aiming to assist them in balancing work responsibilities with child-rearing duties.
The legal amendments, including revisions to the child care and nursing care leave law, form part of the government’s initiative to foster a society where workers’ career advancement is not hindered by gender or family obligations.
The measures outlined in the revised laws will be implemented gradually, beginning in April of the following year.
Under the new regulations, companies will be required to provide employees with preschoolers aged 3 and older with at least two flexible working options, such as remote work, reduced work hours, or staggered work schedules. Efforts will also be made to facilitate work-from-home arrangements for employees with children under the age of 3.
Currently, employees can apply for exemption from overtime work until their children reach the age of 3. The revised laws extend this exemption until the children start elementary school.
Additionally, child care leave for attending to sick or injured children, presently available for preschool-age children, will be extended up to the third grade. This includes leave for attending nursery school entrance ceremonies and closures of classes due to infectious diseases.
Large companies with over 300 employees will be required to disclose the percentage of male employees who have taken child care leave, with smaller companies over 100 employees obligated to establish a target.
To address the issue of workers leaving employment to care for elderly parents, companies are mandated to provide information on public support services to employees aged 40.
In parallel, the government plans to survey child-rearing support programs offered by municipalities to compile a comprehensive database by March 2025. This database will be integrated into child-rearing support apps operated by private companies to ensure that guardians do not miss out on benefits or overlook important medical examinations for their children.
Meanwhile, a recent survey by the labor ministry revealed concerning figures, with 26.1% of women who took pregnancy, childbirth, or parental leave reporting instances of “maternity harassment,” and 24.0% of men who applied for parental leave experiencing “paternity harassment.”