Companies Expanding Childcare Support Programs

The Institute of Labor Administration, a private survey institute in Japan, released the results of a survey on corporative support for employees to balance work and child-rearing on July 5, 2007. According to the results, an increasing number of companies are implementing support that exceeds the provisions of the Law for Childcare Leave, as compared to the previous survey conducted three years ago.

With regard to childcare leave, the law stipulates that workers are entitled until their children reach the age of one, or until the age of one and a half if their children are on the waiting list for nursery school. The survey shows that 26.3 percent of companies are implementing a longer childcare leave than the legislative provision. This is up 11 points from the previous survey (15.3%).

As for workers who are not taking childcare leave while raising children under the age of three, the law requires employers to provide them with optional supportive arrangements, such as reduced working hours. The survey shows that 26.4 percent of companies, more than one out of four, are implementing a system of shorter working hours for those raising children between the age of three and school age.

The survey was conducted between February and March 2007 on a total of 4,154 companies, many of which are major companies in Japan, and 240 of these companies responded.



Posted: 2007/11/21 11:11:10 PM
Japanese version