Childbirth and Child-Raising Programs for Working Mothers and Fathers
− CONTENTS −
When you find out you're pregnant
Workplace life during pregnancy
Taking maternity leave before and after birth
Returning to work from maternity leave after birth
Continuing work while raising a young child
Re-employment support for workers who resigned for childcare or other such reasons
When you find out you're pregnant
●• Tell your employer soon about your delivery due date and your plans to take leave
●• If receiving a health checkup for expectant mothers or health guidance requires time, ask your employer toprovide the time off to do so
If you request time off from your job for this purpose, your employer must provide you the sufficient time to receive a health checkup and so on. (It is up to the company as to whether this time off is paid or not.)
●Number of examinations and Related Appointments: once every four weeks until the 23rd week of pregnancy, once every two weeks from the 24th to 35th weeks of pregnancy, and once every week from the 36th week of pregnancy until delivery (or the frequency suggested by your physician or midwife (hereafter referred to as "physician or medical professional") .
●• If you receive instructions from a physician or other medical professional at a health checkup for expectant mothers or other such examination
If a physician or other medical professional advises you to ease commuting difficulties, to take an extended leave, or to work shorter hours, limit your work duties or take a leave of absence to deal with morning sickness, swelling or other symptoms, make a request to your employer so they can take the necessary steps for you.
If you make this request, your employer must take the appropriate steps in accordance with the guidance provided by the physician or other medical professional. To make sure your employer fully understands this guidance that was provided to you, have the person providing this guidance fill out a Maternal Health Maintenance Information Card. (See separate document for format. You can make an enlarged copy of this sample to use for yourself. Additionally, it can also be downloaded from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website.) Using this card is an effective way to convey the message to your employer.
●If diagnosed with infertility by a physician or medical professional, you may be advised to have more frequent prenatal check-ups than usual, or to start maternity leave earlier than the normal prenatal leave period. These are also considered part of maternal health management measures, so you should inform your employer and take the necessary steps.
Workplace life during pregnancy
●• Application of restrictions to work outside of normal working hours, work on holidays, limits to late-night work, and limits to irregular working hours
Pregnant women have the right to request exemption from overtime work, holiday work, and late-night shifts. Even under a flexible working hours system, they can request not to work more than 8 hours per day or exceed 40 hours per week.
●• Shifting to light work duties
If you have trouble working while standing up or carrying heavy objects while pregnant, you can request that your duties be switched to other lighter tasks.
●Employment Restrictions on Hazardous and Harmful Work:
It is not permissible to assign pregnant women to tasks that are harmful to pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing.
Taking maternity leave before and after birth
●Maternity leave before birth
You can receive maternity leave if you submitted a request more than six weeks before the due date (or in the case of multiple pregnancy), 14 weeks).
●Maternity leave after birth
You cannot work during the eight weeks following delivery. However, once six weeks have passed after delivery, you may ask a physician to permit you to work. If the physician acknowledges there are no health concerns, it is possible to return to work.
●In addition to permanent employees (seishain), anybody, including part-time workers (baito, paato) and temporary workers (haken), can receive maternity leave before and after birth.
●Additionally, in the event of a miscarriage or stillbirth, if it occurs after the 4th month of pregnancy, postnatal leave can be taken. Even if the miscarriage or stillbirth occurs before the 4th month, you are eligible for maternal health management measures for a year. Therefore, if there is guidance from a medical professional, you should inform your employer and take the necessary steps.
Returning to work from maternity leave after birth
●Childcare hours
Women raising children under the age of one may request childcare time in the form of at least two breaks a day, with each break lasting 30 minutes.
●Maternal healthcare maintenance steps
During the first year after giving birth, a woman who has received instructions from a physician or other medical professional may request that she be guaranteed enough time to receive a health checkup or the like. In addition, a woman receiving such instructions may take advantage of the necessary maternal healthcare maintenance steps.
●• Application of restrictions to work outside of normal working hours, work on holidays, limits to late-night work, and limits to irregular working hours
Women who have not passed one year postpartum can make the same requests as during pregnancy.
●Employment Restrictions on Hazardous and Harmful Work:
It is not permissible to assign women who have not passed one year postpartum to tasks that are harmful to pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing.
Taking childcare leave
● The childcare leave system
Male and female employees who are raising children under the age of one may take leave to raise their child during a desired period. Taking parental leave is a right of workers established by law, so you can take it even if your company's work rules do not have provisions regarding parental leave. If you encounter any difficulties, please consult with the prefectural labor bureau.
●People who may take childcare leave
In addition to permanent employees (seishain), part- time workers (paato), temporary workers (haken) and other laborers on fixed-term contracts may take childcare leave if they fulfill certain conditions.
●Other Programs
Within the parental leave framework, there are systems like the following, which can be utilized even if not specified in the employment regulations:
Postnatal Paternity Leave (Childcare Leave at the Time of Birth)
This system started on October 1, 2022. Fathers can take up to 4 weeks of leave, separate from parental leave, within 8 weeks after the birth of their child for childcare purposes. If there is a labor-management agreement at the company, it is also possible to work during this leave.
Extending childcare leave
Childcare leave may be extended until the child reaches 18 months of age if the child is not placed in daycare after returning one year old, (or it may be extended until the child reaches the age of two if the child is not placed in daycare after turning 18 months old).
● Procedures for taking childcare leave
You must make a written request to your employer in order to take childcare leave. First, consult with your company about taking parental leave, and then submit the parental leave application form to your company at least one month before the start of the leave (or two weeks before, depending on the company's policy).
Zero tolerance for being put at a disadvantage or harassment because an employee is pregnant, gives birth or takes childcare leave
Disadvantageous treatment, such as termination, rejection of contract renewal or demotion are prohibited for reason of an employee being pregnant, giving birth, taking childcare leave or other such reason. In addition, an employer is obligated to prevent harassment in the workplace relating to pregnancy, childbirth and childcare leave. If you are subjected to harassment, first consult with your employer. If you encounter any difficulties, please consult with the prefectural labor bureau as well.
Continuing work while raising a young child
After taking childcare lleave, consider using the following systems to continue working while raising your child.
●•Short work hours system
An employer must offer male and female employees raising children under the age of three short work hours (generally six hours per day).
●Limitations on extra working hours
If an employer receives a request from a male or female employee raising children under the age of three, the employer shall not have the requesting employee work extra hours.
●Sick/injured child care leave
A male or female employee who is raising a child under elementary age may submit a request to their employer to take extra leave in order to provide nursing care for an ill or injured child, or for the child to receive immunizations or receive a health checkup. This leave, which is in addition to annual paid leave, may be taken in increments of full days or half days, up to a total of five days off per year for an employee with one child or 10 days per year for an employee with two or more children.
●Limitations on overtime or late-night work
If an employer receives a request from a male or female employee raising children under elementary age, the employer shall not have the requesting employee work overtime hours in excess of 24 hours in a month or 150 hours in a year. In addition, the employee shall not be made to work late at night (between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.).
○For inquiries concerning the preceding information, contact your prefecture's Labor Bureau.
(Employment Environment and Equal Employment Department/Offices)
Re-employment support for workers who resigned for childcare or other such reasons
"Workplace Creation Navi" that is friendly to women
"Ikumen Project" for supporting active fatherhood
Re-employment support for workers who resigned for childcare or other such reasons
●At "Mother's Hello Work" and "Mother's Corner," where you can consult comfortably even with children in tow, dedicated staff support job-seeking activities tailored to each individual's situation.
●Employment insurance can, in principle, be received during the period of job-hunting within a year after leaving a job, limited to the prescribed number of benefit days according to age, reason for leaving the job, and the period of insurance coverage. However, if you are unable to find new employment within a year due to pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, illness, injury, etc., it's possible to extend the period for receiving employment insurance benefits (up to four years after leaving a job).
For inquiries, contact:
Public Employment Security Office (Hello Work)
Receiving the lump-sum birth allowance/maternity allowance, exemptions to social insurance premiums, national health insurance tax and national pension contributions
●Programs you can take advantage of when you give birth include the lump-sum birth allowance and the maternity allowance. There is also a program which provides exceptions to social insurance premiums (health insurance and employees' pension insurance) during maternity leave before and after birth and childcare leave, as well as a program for exemptions to national health insurance tax and national pension contributions before and after birth.
For inquiries, contact:
contact your employee, the Japanese Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo), a health insurance society, a pension office, your municipality's national health tax desk, your municipality's national pension desk (only for inquiries concerning the exemption program for national pension contributions), etc.
Child allowance
● A person raising a child can receive benefits. The amount of the benefit varies according to the recipient's income, age of children and other factors. You must apply for this benefit at your local municipality (or your employer if a civil servant) within 15 days from the day after your child is born.
For inquiries, contact:
visit your municipality's child allowance desk (For public servants, please contact the Child Allowance Section of your department).
Global Site - Children and Families Agency "Guide to the Child Allowance System"
Childcare leave benefits
●If you take childcare leave and you fulfill certain requirements, there is a program which will provide you childcare leave benefits from employment insurance equivalent to 67% of your wages as of the time you initially took leave (which then becomes 50% beginning at 180 days after the start of your leave).
For inquiries, contact:
Public Employment Security Office (Hello Work)