Our Position on Work-Life Balance
- ❶ To promote flexible approaches to work, while also reducing overtime hours and promoting the full use of annual leave entitlements, and encourage employees to devote the additional time available to worthwhile non-work activities, such as educational pursuits and activities related to family and communities.
- ❷ To offer a greater diversity of working styles that benefit employees who must deal with major life events, such as marriage, childbirth, and child rearing, and thus contribute to nurturing the next generation.
We are implementing effective measures with the aims above.
Focusing on expanding leave systems, in 2023, we increased the number of days of annual paid leave. The number of days granted increased from 8 days to 14 days for employees hired from April, and from 15 days to 20 days for second-year employees (by calendar year), then 20 days each subsequent year.
In 2023, we established a new system of fertility treatment leave, supporting flexible ways of working by allowing employees to take leave in 10-minute increments. For employees with childcare or nursing care responsibilities, the maximum number of days they may work from home has been increased from 8 days to 12 days a month.
“Regular employees” means our company (non-consolidated basis) personnel working during daytime hours, excluding managerial personnel.
Employee Support for Various Life Events
We are focusing on creating an environment in which our employees can achieve their goals for both work and life events (such as childbirth and childcare). As well as implementing systems that go beyond legal requirements, we are enhancing employee support by providing information and introducing external services.
〈Publication of handbook〉
We have published a handbook that outlines the key points about balancing work and private life.
- Support for balancing career and childcare (for female employees, male employees, and supervisors)
- Support for balancing work and nursing care
〈Introduction of employee benefit services〉
We have introduced the following services to help create an environment where employees are able to work with peace of mind while raising children or caring for family members.
- Consultation hotline (childcare, nursing care, health, mental health, etc.)
- Childcare support website
- Various discounts
〈Dissemination of health information〉
We are disseminating information about major lifestyle-related diseases, things to be aware of as people age, and information on creating a workplace environment where diverse human resources can thrive.
- ViVa Health! Regular service as much as possible (Reducing the Risk of Serious Illnesses, Maintaining and Improving Productivity, Fostering a Workplace Culture)
ViVa Health! Regular service as much as possible
〈Sharing tips from employees〉
We called on employees to share some “Tips on Achieving Work-Life Balance” that they use for achieving and maintaining their own work-life balance, and showcasing them on our portal site. Readers can find out specific ideas about how to balance work with childcare, nursing care, and illnesses.
- Balancing work with childcare: Sharing housework, external childcare services, etc.
- Balancing work with nursing care: “Care Taxi ” services, home visit medical care, etc.
- Balancing work with medical treatment: Online medical appointments, etc.
Feedback from a person who took leave system to support life events
Taking childcare leave strengthened my family bonds and gave me a sense of my own growth
My long-awaited first child was born in January 2025. After discussing it with my wife, I planned to
start working from home and taking paid leave from the start of the new year, taking childcare leave
until the end of March.
When I told my manager about this plan and explained that I might consider extending my childcare
leave depending on the situation, he congratulated me and readily accepted. When our baby was born, I
received many messages of congratulations. I started my childcare leave, feeling grateful for the kind
response of those around me.
During my childcare leave, my partner and I shared both happiness and difficulties, getting through
the hard times with the support of people around us.
I experienced the joy and wonder of watching my child grow up day by day. It has made my family
bonds so much stronger that my partner has said how glad she is that I took childcare leave.
After returning to work, I have made use of the flexi-time system to spend precious time with my
family, and I feel I can now concentrate more on my work.
Kazuki Inoue, Information & Telecommunication Materials Research Laboratory
“Kurumin Plus” Certification
We received “Kurumin Plus” certification in FY2024 in recognition of our initiatives on balancing work with childcare, as well as our efforts to support fertility treatment.
Continuing from FY2023, in order to foster a culture where male employees can take childcare leave, we provided education to support balancing child-rearing and work, and showcased stories from people who have used the system. In addition, in order to create an environment where employees can continue to work with peace of mind while undergoing fertility treatment, we established a fertility treatment leave system in FY2023, and provided e-learning to promote understanding among superiors and colleagues.
Next-generation Certification Mark: “Kurumin Plus”
“Kurumin Plus” Certification
“Kurumin” is a governmental scheme sponsored by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare where, based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children, a company whose childcare support measures have satisfied certain criteria can be recognized by the Minister as a “Childcare Supporting Business”. “Kurumin Plus”, introduced in 2022, recognizes companies that help employees to balance work with fertility treatment.
Employee Support Systems (Systems Going Beyond Legal Requirements)
Programs relating to childbirth and childcare
| Systems beyond those legally required |
Details |
|---|---|
| Parental leave after birth system | To encourage male employees to take childcare leave, the first five days of leave are provided with pay (100%) (within eight weeks after birth of their child) Can be taken separately from childcare leave |
| Childcare leave system | Childcare leave can be taken until children reach the age of two |
| Altering work start times for workers caring for children | Employees are able to shift their work start time in 30-minute increments up to either one hour forward or one hour back (employees with children up to the sixth grade of elementary school) |
| Shorter working hours | Employees may shorten their prescribed daily working hours by up to two hours (employees with children up to the sixth grade of elementary school) (can be used with flex-time) |
| Leave for child sickness, etc. | Leave is up to five days per year for one child, and up to 10 days per year for two or more
children Taken in addition to annual paid leave and nursing absence (employees with children up to
the sixth grade of elementary school) 1. A child is injured or is infected with a contagious disease 2. A child requires a vaccination, checkup 3. School closure due to infectious diseases 4. School and kindergarten entrance ceremonies and graduation ceremonies It can be taken with accumulated annual paid leave |
| Outpatient leave | Pregnant employees can take leave during pregnancy and after giving birth for receiving health
guidance from a health professional or receiving postnatal checkups It can be taken with accumulated annual paid leave |
- Childbirth leave, exemption from overtime work, limitations on overtime work, and limitations on late-night work, shall remain as legally required.
Programs relating to nursing
| Systems beyond those legally required |
Details |
|---|---|
| Nursing leave programs | The total leave period is one year, and may be taken in up to three installments |
| Change of work start time | Employees are able to shift their work start time in 30-minute increments up to either one hour forward or one hour back |
| Shorter working hours for nursing | Employees may shorten their prescribed daily working hours by up to two hours (can be used with flex-time) |
| Nursing leave | Nursing leave can be taken in 10-minute increments up to five days per year when there is one
family member requiring care or up to 10 days when there are two or more family members requiring
care It can be taken with accumulated annual paid leave |
- Exemption from overtime work, limitations on overtime work, and limitations on late-night work, shall remain as legally required.
Programs relating to fertility treatment and contributing to ease of working
| Systems beyond those legally required |
Details |
|---|---|
| Fertility treatment leave | Employees can take five days a year in 10-minute increments It can be taken with accumulated annual paid leave |
| Telecommuting system | Employees may work at home up to eight days per month The following employees may work up to 12 days per month
|
| Accumulated annual paid leave | It can be used in the following cases
|
| F leave | Female employees who have difficulty working due to menstruation days and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are eligible, with two days of vacation allowance per month |
- Hourly annual leave system and flex-time system are also available