Male perspective on childcare leave
One of the major reasons cited for the continuous decline in birthrates is the tremendous burden that childrearing places on working couples, not to mention financial pressures. Solutions cited include policies to boost childcare facilities both in quantity and in quality, the expansion and boosting of childcare leave programs at the workplace, and ways and means to encourage employees to take up childcare leave.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is pushing its project to award "family-friendly corporations." Awards are given to companies that (1) have in-house systems that allow employees to simultaneously work and raise children or provide nursing care, and (2) carry out programs that enable their employees to choose diverse, flexible styles of work. In October, the Ministry selected this year's award recipients. The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Award for Excellence was presented to Kao Corporation; the Minister's Award for Effort was presented to Co-op Hiroshima; and the Prefectural Labour Bureau Award was handed out to 32 corporations.
It does appear that continuing these initiatives will contribute in a major way to changing corporate culture.
On the other hand, the National Personnel Authority announced at the end of September the results of their survey on private corporations' systems related to working conditions, etc. The survey targeted approximately 4,600 companies that have 100 full-time employees or more (approximately 600 companies were surveyed via office visits and approximately 3,900 had questionnaire sheets sent by post). A total of 2,593 companies responded. The survey showed that 29% of the companies had some type of program in place to encourage male employees to take childcare leave. In terms of the content of such programs, 97% cited "Making the system thoroughly known," 2.7% cited "Encouraging target employees to take such leave," and 1.4% cited "Offering financial assistance."
In other words, approximately 70% of the companies still have not taken any action whatsoever to encourage male employees to take childcare leave. Moreover, only a handful of the companies have gone so far as to provide more detailed support, instead of just "making the system thoroughly known."
We have already described survey results in our earlier issues that showed a majority of people supporting the idea--awareness-wise, at least--that men should do housework and raise children together with women, but that in actual reality, the main burden of childcare falls on women. Another finding was that the burden of work at the office was the heaviest for men of childrearing years.
To build a society where both men and women can bear children and raise them together with peace of mind, companies should devise ways at the workplace such that the wishes of individual workers are respected more than they are now; and labor and management ought to conduct even more vigorous and productive discussions at places of work. In other words, corporations are now expected to make steadfast efforts, starting with immediate issues.
