Revised Child Care and Family Care Leave Law and Revised Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children were enacted.

To enable both men and women to balance work and childcare/nursing care, the revised law was enacted for the purpose of taking measures as follows:

* Expansion of measures to provide flexible work arrangements based on the age of the child,

* Expanding the scope of the obligation to publicize the status of childcare leave taken,

* Promote and strengthen measures to support Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children;

* Reinforcement of support systems for balancing work and nursing care in order to prevent nursing care turnover.

◆Key amendments to the Child Care and Family Care Leave Law, along with the effective date.

(1) Employers will be obligated to take measures, etc. to realize flexible work styles for workers raising children over 3 years old and before entering elementary school. [Effective date: Date specified by Cabinet Order within 1 year and 6 months after promulgation.]

(2) Workers who take care of children before entering elementary school are entitled to restrictions on overtime work (exemption from overtime work) upon request. [Effective date: April 1, 2025]

(3) Employers will be obliged to make efforts to take measures so that workers raising children under 3 years of age can choose to telework. [Effective date: April 1, 2025]

(4) Child nursing care leave will be revised. [Effective date: April 1, 2025]

(5) Employers will be obliged to listen to and give consideration to the individual wishes of workers regarding balancing work and childcare at the time of pregnancy and childbirth notification and before the child turns 3 years old. [Effective date: Date set by government ordinance within 1 year and 6 months after promulgation.]

(6) The obligation to publicize the status of employees taking childcare leave will be extended to companies with more than 300 employees. [Effective date: April 1, 2025]

(7) Employers will be obliged to take measures to prevent employees from leaving their jobs due to nursing care, such as informing employees about the measures, confirming their intentions, and improving the employment environment. [Effective date: April 1, 2025]

◆Points of revision of the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children and effective date

The effective date of the law has been extended to March 31, 2035. [Effective date: Date of promulgation (May 31, 2024)]

Companies with more than 100 employees will be required to monitor and set numerical targets for the use of childcare leave. [Effective date: April 1, 2025]

Details will be established by government ordinance in the future, so it will be necessary to keep a close eye on the situation.

“Information on the revised points of the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act and the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children”.

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11900000/001259367.pdf