[MHLW] Publication of the Study Group Report on the Future Support Measures to Reconcile Work and Childcare/Nursing Care
On June 19, 2023, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) published the "Report of the Study Group on Future Support Measures to Reconcile Work and Childcare/Nursing Care."
The study group has met nine times since January 2023 to analyze the current state of affairs, sort out issues at stake, and come up with future support measures for the reconciliation of work and childcare/nursing care, as well as development for the next-generation.
The table of contents is as follows:
| Introduction... 1 A. Current issues and basic concepts... 3 1. Workstyle reform... 3 2. Status quo of reconciliation of work and childcare/nursing care... 4 a. Status quo of reconciliation of work and childcare... 4 b. Status quo of reconciliation of work and nursing care... 6 3. Basic concepts for the study of future support systems for reconciliation ... 9 4. Concept of policy measures to support reconciliation... 11 B. Specific policies... 13 1. Responding to the support needs of working parents considering their children’s age, so as to reconcile work and family care... 13 a. Expansion of support for reconciliation until the child turns three years old... 14 ① Promoting telework...14 ② Shake-up of the current short-time working system... 14 ③ Child nursing care leave system... 15 b. Expanded support for reconciliation of work and family life from the age of three until elementary school enrollment of the child... 15 ①Measures to enable flexible working styles... 15 ② Exemption from overtime work (limitation of overtime work)... 17 ③ Child nursing care leave system... 18 c. Shake-up of the child nursing care leave system... 18 2. Promotion of the use of support systems to reconcile work with childcare... 19 a. Support for firms and attending workers who support working parents using the system... 19 b. Publication of the status of childcare leave taken and setting targets for the take-up rate .of childcare leave... 20 3. Improvement of the workplace environment to support the development of the next generation... 21 4. Strengthening publicity of the work/nursing care reconciliation scheme to prevent people from quitting their jobs to care for family members... 23 a. Providing information on the work/nursing care reconciliation scheme and developing the employment environment that facilitates the use of the scheme... 23 b. Nursing care leave... 24 5. Support for the reconciliation of work with family life, taking into account the individual needs of parents raising children with disabilities... 25 a. Shake-up of the operation of current work/nursing care reconciliation scheme... 25 b. Respect for the aspirations of individual workers raising children... 26 6. Environmental improvements necessary to support reconciling work and childcare/nursing care... 26 a. Looking into work settings/nursing care reconciliation scheme which enables safe use for workers... 26 b. Privacy considerations... 27 c. Consideration for mental and physical health and wellbeing... 28 d. Promotion of childcare leave for fixed-term workers... 28 Conclusion... 29 |
As stated in the table of contents, this report addresses the need for support for parents raising children with disabilities.
The approach to support includes that extra consideration should be given to cases where the child’s disability requires complex medical care.
As part of concrete measures, the report also states that the operation of the current work/nursing care reconciliation scheme should be reviewed. Respect and extra consideration should be given to individual workers who aspire to raise children.
For more information, please visit the website below:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_33678.html
