In December 2023, the Cabinet Office approved a strategy for supporting working couples with children. The strategy will be implemented on three main policies: “promotion of working fathers’ childcare leave,” “promotion of flexible working style throughout a child-raising period,” and “support for diverse ways of working and raising children.” This article focuses on benefits under the employment insurance system to be launched in April 2025 as part of this initiative.
[1] Establishment of benefit for supporting parental leave
Workers covered by the employment insurance can receive benefits during childcare leave, but the amounts fall short of their normal salaries. This is believed one of the reasons male workers are reluctant to take childcare leave.
As a solution, if both mother and father take childcare leave for 14 days or more during a certain period after the birth of their child, they can receive about 13% of the wages paid before starting the leave for up to 28 days. Combined with the parental leave benefit and the childcare leave benefit, the benefit ratio will be 80% of their salaries and almost equal to take-home pay. “The certain period” regarding this benefit means eight weeks after the birth of the child for men, and eight weeks after the end of maternity leave for women.
This benefit is provided even if workers’ spouses do not have a job or workers are single parents. Workers’ spouses taking childcare leave is not a requirement.
[2] Establishment of benefit for reduced work hours for caring for children
For workers whose wages have decreased because of reduced working hours to care for children under two years of age, benefits of up to 10% of their wages will be provided during the period of reduced work hours.
The purpose of this benefit is not to promote work hour reduction. It is aimed to encourage workers to choose reduced work hours instead of taking childcare leave, and normal work hours instead of reduced work hours. This is why the benefit rate is set at 10% of the amount of salary. The benefit rate will be adjusted after the period of reduced work hours to ensure that the total amount of the wage and the benefit will not exceed the normal wage paid before the period.
After the start of the benefit for supporting parental leave, application for parental leave (childcare leave that can be taken within eight weeks after the birth of a child in two portions for up to four weeks) is expected to increase. In the past, the system of reduced work hours for caring for children was mostly used by female workers, but the number of male workers who make use of the system is also expected in increase. Companies should confirm application methods and internal flow regarding childcare leave and work-hour systems.
[Reference]
Labour Ministry, “Changes in the Employment Insurance System in FY2024 (partial amendments to the Act for Supporting Children and Child-rearing)”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_40723.html
Children and Families Agency, “Children’s future strategy (leaflets, etc.)”
