Support for Childcare
and Nursing Care
Policy / way of thinking
One of the most fundamental duties for companies is creating a work environment supportive of childbirth and parenting, where employees balancing work and childcare can reach their full potential. In order to achieve this, SoftBank has put in place childcare support system policies and a general business plan in accordance with Japan's Law on the Promotion of Measures to Support Fostering of the Next Generation.
SoftBank is working to enhance systems for providing information and support to resolve the concerns and challenges faced by employees who are trying to balance work with caring for senior family members. Our goal is to eliminate the need for employees to leave their jobs due to the burdens of long-term care at home.
External Evaluation
Hataraku Yale 2023 Awarded as an Excellent
Employee Benefit Corporation
The Hataraku Yale program certifies and awards companies that make efforts to enhance and utilize employee benefit programs as a measure to support working people. The company received the “Hatara Yale 2023 Outstanding Employee Benefit Corporation” for the second year in a row in 2022, and was commended as a corporation with particularly outstanding initiatives.
The award was given in recognition of the company's proactive efforts to enhance its support system for balancing work with childcare and nursing care, and to promote the use of the system.
Company measures to address Japan's low birthrate
As part of our efforts to address the issue of decreasing birthrates, we have established our own childcare support system that exceeds the statutory requirements, including special childbirth allowances.
Special childbirth allowances
We provide regular employees with childbirth allowances ranging from 50,000 yen for the first child to 5 million yen for the fifth child. In FY2022, approximately 730 employees for the first and second child, and approximately 100 employees for the third child and beyond.
| Years with SoftBank | Under one year | Over one year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of children born | All | First born | Second born | Third born | Fourth born | Fifth born and beyond |
| Allowance | 20,000 yen | 50,000 yen | 100,000 yen | 1 million yen | 3 million yen | 5 million yen |
Child support system policy outline
To support employees during pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare, SoftBank Corp. offers flexible work systems to employees from pregnancy until the child reaches the end of elementary school.
Maternity / Paternity Leave
| System | Content | Legal requirements in Japan | Points of the system that exceed the legal minimum requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child plan | Accumulated annual leave can be obtained due to hospital visits or hospitalization for infertility treatment.
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No legal provisions | Company's original system
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| Maternity leave for outpatient medical care | Can be obtained when visiting the hospital for medical checkups during pregnancy available until one year post-delivery.
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The time necessary to receive health guidance or health examinations for expectant and nursing mothers must be reserved for them
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| Maternity protection care leave | Can be obtained if received a doctor's order regarding maternal protection.
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Based on the guidance of a physician or other health care provider, measures must be taken to limit work during pregnancy, shorten working hours, or take leave from work. | Salary paid under accumulated annual leave. |
| Maternity leave | Six weeks prior to and eight weeks after childbirth.
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Women shall not be allowed to work for 6 weeks before childbirth (14 weeks in the case of multiple pregnancies, both upon request by the woman) and 8 weeks after childbirth. | Employees working in sales can take special maternity leave from the time they find out they are pregnant. |
| Paternity leave | Five days of special paid leave are granted. Can be taken from one week prior to and one month after childbirth.
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No legal provisions | Company's original system
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Leave and holidays during childcare
| System | Content | Legal requirements in Japan | Points of the system that exceed the legal minimum requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| childcare leave | Available until the day before the child's first birthday, divided up to two times. The last five days of the initial leave are paid, and longer periods of paid leave can be taken by allocating accumulated annual leave for unpaid periods.
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Upon request from a worker, childcare leave shall be granted until the child reaches a maximum of two years of age. (Extension is possible every six months at the age of 1 year and 1 year and 6 months in case of not being able to enroll in a daycare center, etc.) |
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| childcare leave at birth | Available up to 4 weeks, divided up to two times, until the day before the child's 8 weeks old. The last five days of the initial leave (either childcare leave at birth or childcare leave) are paid, and the unpaid period can also be taken with pay for a longer period by allocating accumulated annual leave.
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Upon request from a worker, childcare leave at birth shall be granted up to 4 weeks and divided up to two times, until the child's 8 weeks old. |
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| Sick / injured childcare leave | Can be obtained until the child is in elementary school, including nursing care of the child and accompanying the child to immunizations and health checkups.
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Upon request of a worker, up to five days (unpaid) of leave per year per employee for a child before elementary school age must be allowed to be taken on a daily or hourly basis. |
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| Kids' leave | Available until the child graduation from elementary school in cases where the employee is unable to care for the child, accompany the child to vaccinations and medical checkups, attend nursery school and school events, or care for the child due to circumstances at the nursery school, kindergarten, or elementary school or hospitalization of the spouse.
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No legal provisions | Company's original system
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Special work arrangements
| System | Content | Legal requirements in Japan | Points of the system that exceed the legal minimum requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short working hours during pregnancy | Flexible working hours without core hours are available with reduced monthly scheduled working hours from the time of finding out about the pregnancy until before the baby is born.
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Must take measures to shorten working hours (based on physician's guidance) | Even if there is no guidance from a doctor, it is available by presenting only the fact of pregnancy. |
| Flexible work schedule during pregnancy | Flexible working hours without core hours are available from the time of finding out about the pregnancy until before the baby is born.
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No legal provisions | Even if there is no guidance from a doctor, it is available by presenting only the fact of pregnancy. |
| Exemption from overtime and late night work during pregnancy | Overtime and late night work can be waived. | No overtime, holiday or late-night work shall be performed when requested by a pregnant employee. | - (Available as legally required) |
| Short working hours for childcare | Flexible working hours without core hours are available with reduced monthly scheduled working hours.
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A system of shorter working hours of 6 hours per day shall, in principle, be established for workers raising children under 3 years of age. | Available until the child's graduation from elementary school. |
| Flexible work schedule for childcare | Flexible work hours with no core time are available.
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No legal provisions | Available until the child's graduation from elementary school. |
| Limitations on overtime, exemption from overtime, and late-night work for childcare | Limitation or exemption of overtime work and late-night work. | Upon the request of a certain worker who is raising a pre-elementary school child, the worker shall not work overtime or work more than 24 hours per month or 150 hours per year outside the prescribed working hours. In addition, they must not work late at night (from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.). | Available until the child's graduation from elementary school. |
| Childcare time | Time for childcare is available during working hours until the day before the child's first birthday. | Upon request of a woman raising a child under one year of age, she must be given at least 30 minutes each twice a day to raise the child. | Available regardless of gender |
Other
| System | Content | Legal requirements in Japan | Points of the system that exceed the legal minimum requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommuting | Support the balance between childcare and work by promoting flexible and efficient use of time, and promote a combination of work and home (best mix) to maximize performance. | No legal provisions | Company's original system |
Initiatives to alleviate childcare concerns
As a relief measure for employees who have concerns about waiting-list children issues during childcare leave and to support their early return to work, we have introduced a system for utilizing approximately 100 company-led daycare centers*1.
Additionally, employees have access to daycare, babysitting, and housekeeping services through our employee welfare program “Benefit Station”*2, and can also receive childcare subsidies for children attending affiliated nursery schools.
Furthermore, to ensure a worry-free transition back to work after childcare leave (including prenatal and postnatal leave), we continue to provide employees with company-issued mobile phones during their childcare leave period. This allows them to stay in contact with the company, participate in e-learning programs, and as part of communication, we organize orientations and consultation sessions that they can attend with their babies.
- [Notes]
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- *1New daycare centers using open slots in daycare centers set up by other companies (number of centers in use in May 2023)
- *2Benefit Station is a benefit welfare service provided by Benefit One Inc.
- *1
| Consultation meeting held prior to maternity leave | The program provides an explanation of the systems available during pregnancy and the procedures and benefits after childbirth, and provides opportunities to consult with HR. |
|---|---|
| Orientation during childcare leave | An orientation open to both parent and child which takes place during childcare leave. We are organizing events such as explanations of preparations and systems for returning to work, sharing experiences from senior moms, and holding roundtable discussions among employees on leave. |
| Return to work orientation | We are hosting events where we introduce the systems and internal communities available after returning to work, as well as roundtable discussions where employees can discuss their concerns after returning to work. |
Building a strong employee support network in childcare
Oya Oya Club (Parents Club) was established in 2004 by a group of childcare peer supporters with the aim of improving parent-child communication.
The club provides communication training through workshops on basic counseling and coaching, which teach skills for understanding children's communication signals and building trust. The club also builds awareness in topics such as children's emotional development and parents' communication habits, both of which significantly influence communication. This nine-session course is held twice a year during employees' lunch break, and a mix of 20 male and female employees participate in each session, with 580 individuals having completed the course thus far.
Other activities include the in-house community Haru Urara, which holds lunch meetings and lectures open to all employees, with the aim of building a network among employees and supporting child-rearing.
Promoting male participation in childcare
Declaring paternity leave for all fathers
SoftBank Corp. supports the “Declaring paternity leave for all fathers” sponsored by WORK-LIFE BALANCE Co.,Ltd to promote paternity leave.
Many of the childcare support systems, such as the paid leave system for childbirth by a spouse, childcare leave, kid's leave, and short-time flex work, exceed statutory requirements, making it easier for employees to participate in childcare.
A portal site on the company intranet has been set up with information on childcare support, including interviews with male employees who are balancing work and childcare, as well as childcare-related systems and procedures. Various efforts are being made to encourage male employees to take childcare leave, including the annual corporate version of a parents class to deepen understanding of the need for male childcare leave.