The Childcare and Caregiver Leave Act will be amended in phases in April and October 2025. This article explains major changes enforced in April, focusing on items requiring changes in the work rules and new measures to prevent workers from leaving to care for family members.
[1] Items requiring revisions in the work rules
The amendments require changes in the work rules in three areas: leave for sick/injured childcare, limitations on unscheduled work and requirements for workers entitled to caregiver leave.
1. Leave for sick/injured childcare
Currently, workers may take “leave for sick/injured childcare” when their children become sick or injured or need to take vaccination or health examination. Other than such reasons, workers will become able to take leave when their children’s schools are temporarily closed due to the spread of infectious diseases or when they attend their children’s entrance or graduation ceremonies. The leave will be renamed to “leave for sick/injured childcare, etc.” The scope of applicable children will also be expanded from the current children “prior to starting elementary school” to “prior to completing the third year of elementary school.” At present, employees whose period of continuous service at the company is less than six months may be excluded from this leave system by signing a labor-management agreement, but this rule will be abolished.
2. Increased limitation to work outside scheduled work hours
Workers raising children under the age of 3 may request to limit unscheduled work (overtime exemption). The scope of employees who can apply this system will be expanded to workers raising preschool children.
3. Easing of requirement for using caregiver leave
Employees whose period of continuous service at the company is less than six months may be excluded from caregiver leave system by signing a labor-management agreement. This rule will be abolished, similarly to leave for sick/injured childcare.
Other than the changes described above, companies will be required to make efforts to allow workers raising children under 3 or caring for family members who need nursing care to choose teleworking. Companies newly introducing a teleworking system will also need to revise work rules accordingly.
[2] Efforts to prevent quitting for nursing care
From April 2025, companies need to make efforts to prevent workers from leaving because of nursing care of family members. Efforts should be made in working environment improvements and notification to individual employees.
[Working environment improvements]
Companies will be required to take at least one from the following measures.
1. Seminar relating to caregiver leave and the system to support workers providing nursing care
2. Establishment of a consultation system (consultation desk) regarding caregiver leave and the support system
3. Collecting and providing of case examples of employees’ uses of caregiver leave or the support system
4. Notification of the company policy on caregiver leave and the support system to employees
The change is aimed to promote support for employees caring for family members without quitting their jobs. Since April 2022, companies have already been required to take measures to support employees with children to continue working. Please examine whether similar measures should be taken for workers caring for family members or come up with different measures and start preparations.
[Reference]
The Labour Ministry, “The Childcare and Caregiver Leave Act”
mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000130583.html
*The information is based on laws and regulations as of the date of this article.
