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As a proactive step, targets are in place to attain 100% of male employee childcare leave takers in the fiscal year, Hitoshi Tanimura, Senior General Manager, Human Resources Department at OMRON Corporation shares.
Parental leave, once largely a benefit reserved for mothers, has evolved into a shared responsibility between parents. This shift is particularly evident in the increasing implementation of paternal leave policies across the globe. Traditionally, maternity leave has been the primary focus, offering mothers time to recover from childbirth and bond with their newborns. However, in recent years, a growing recognition of fathers' roles in childcare has led to the emergence of paternal leave as a significant workplace benefit.
The history of parental leave is intertwined with broader societal changes, including women's increasing participation in the workforce and evolving family structures. As more women enter the workforce, the need for flexible work arrangements and family-friendly policies become apparent, with paternity leave emerging as a natural extension of these developments and acknowledging the importance of fathers' involvement in early childhood development.
The implementation of paternal leave policies has been driven by various factors, including social, economic, and demographic trends.
- Societal shifts towards gender equality and shared parenting responsibilities have created a demand for policies that support fathers' involvement in childcare.
- Economically, studies have shown that paternal leave can have positive impacts on workforce productivity, employee retention, and overall organisational wellbeing.
- Demographically, ageing populations and declining birth rates in some countries have highlighted the need to encourage and support parenthood.
In fact, in Japan, new mothers are given 14 weeks of maternity leave, with the option to extend it further in certain cases, and although the country offers paternity leave policies, the uptake rate is relatively low. However, there are efforts to encourage more fathers to take paternity leave, and some companies offer additional leave beyond the statutory minimum.
One example is OMRON Corporation, where the percentage of male employees taking childcare leave was 66%, which is more than double the average for Japanese manufacturers (30.2%).
In Japan, October 19 is recognised as "Ikumen Day" by the Japan Anniversary Association – a combination of the Japanese word IKUJI (childcare) and the word for men. According to a survey released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in July earlier this year, based on responses from 3,945 business offices across Japan, the average rate of paternity leave taken was 30.1%, and more than half (58.1%) took leave for less than one month. At OMRON Corporation, the figure went up 1.6 times from the previous year, and an average of 62.6 days.
As a result of the enhancement of these programmes, OMRON Corporation acquired the Kurumin Mark in 2008 as a child-rearing support company from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and also acquired the Tomonin Mark as a company working to improve working environments where employees can balance work and nursing care in 2015.
Some initiatives that the company has implemented include
- Distributing guidebooks to managers, who are supervisors, to raise awareness on parental leave and to create a culture in which it is normal for employees to take leave.
- Workshops where employees can hear from their colleagues who have taken parental leave, to help them imagine what it would be like to take parental leave in the future.
- Engaging with male employees to prepare a plan sheet and conduct interviews with their supervisors to confirm their intentions when they are expecting the birth of a child, regardless of whether they wish to take childcare leave.
- Individual consultation services to employees and their families so that employees can follow up on any concerns they may have and provides support so that employees can take leave smoothly, leading to the high rate of employees taking parental leave and the number of days taken.
Hitoshi Tanimura, Senior General Manager, Human Resources Department, OMRON Corporation tells Sarah Gideon: "OMRON sincerely encourages receipts of requests from a male employee whose spouse is pregnant or has given birth and conducts an interview with the employee to confirm the employee's wishes regarding the use of the system, as well as an explanation of the system that can be used for childbirth and childcare.
"In addition, it operates a system in which the employee and his or her supervisor discuss with each other, create a specific plan based on the actual situation of the workplace so that the employee can take childcare leave as desired, and submit it to the Human Resources Department at the head office.
As a result, it has become possible to systematically prepare for taking childcare leave at an early stage, and the percentage of male employees taking childcare leave and the number of days taken have increased, he notes.
These initiatives have led to OMRON Corporation being recognised as a 'Nadeshiko Brand'. Hitoshi reflects, "The Nadeshiko Brand is a recognition that is given to selected companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for their remarkable efforts in promoting women's participation in the workforce.
"This helps to enhance corporate value of listed companies, as entities which are giving huge importance on improving corporate value in the medium to long term, amongst investors. And this further accelerates each company's efforts to further promote women's participation in the workforce."
Sharing on how these initiatives have impacted the overall culture around parental leave within the company, Hitoshi says:
"I feel that an organisational culture has been fostered that values the self-realisation of each member and supports each other as a team."
Other measures that OMRON has initiated are the Childcare Support System, which allows employees to take leave until the end of March when their child is two years old; the Career Reentry System, which allows employees to take a relocation leave if their spouse is transferred, and the Nursing Care Support System, which allows employees to take a leave of absence within 365 days.
Hitoshi explains that these programmes are part of a comprehensive strategy to promote gender equality and inclusivity. Not only does it provide valuable benefits to individual employees, but it also contributes to the overall productivity and morale of the organisation by fostering a culture of recognition.
"OMRON believes that we need to shift the culture where employees avoid using a system because of the fear of creating trouble for their colleagues.
"As one of the proactive steps, we have been sending messages from senior management, such as the CHRO, to attain 100% target of male employee childcare leave takers (last fiscal year). We are also providing manger training sessions to orient the employees,” he adds.
He concludes by sharing that although OMRON does not have the specific data on the exact impact of all its’ initiatives, including the workshops, the rise in conversion rate of expectant fathers deciding to take paternity leave has been influenced indirectly by these workshops along with other initiatives, suggesting that through the team’s combined efforts, including the workshops, are making a significant impact.
“Through these workshops and the sharing of experiences, we are on way towards fostering a culture that normalizes and encourages paternity leave, thereby supporting our broader goal of creating a more inclusive workplace."
READ MORE: Case study: How Sino Group empowers working women to juggle their responsibilities
Lead image / Provided
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