Many people want to raise children together as a couple, but the rate of men taking parental leave is not increasing.
However, it is also true that the environment is gradually being created where it is easier for men to take parental leave, with examples of executives at listed companies taking the initiative in taking parental leave and the government promoting diversity in working styles.
This time, we will discuss men taking parental leave.Benefits, latest cases, and legal reformsWe hope you will use it to update your information regarding parental leave.

The current situation regarding men taking parental leave

According to the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act, both fathers and mothers can take child care leave.
Although there are some differences in how mothers can take maternity leave under the current law,In principle, childcare leave is taken until the child turns one year old.You can take.
but,The rate of men taking parental leave is around 12%However, the current situation remains at 0.01, which is far from the target.
This is because men are not aware that they should take parental leave,There are not enough staff, the boss is not understanding, and there are concerns about career developmentThis is thought to be the result of various problems and misunderstandings, such as:

Source: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare "Basic Survey on Employment Equality"
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/71-r02.html

Benefits of taking parental leave for male employees

The reason for this low rate of men taking parental leave is likely because the benefits of taking parental leave and of improving parental leave systems are not fully recognized by both employees and companies.Paternity leave for men brings great benefits for both employees and companiesis.

Benefits for employees

When a male employee takes parental leave, he will likely feel more affection for his child and the bonds between family members will become even stronger.
It also reduces the burden on couples. With postpartum depression becoming a serious social issue, sharing childcare responsibilities is the best way to reduce anxiety about childcare.
Furthermore, as parental leave becomes more common,New connections are formed, such as a community for fathers on parental leaveThis will also lead to the spread of new ways of working.

Benefits for companies

Especially for businessesBenefits in terms of improved teamworkThis creates an interest and consideration for each other's families, which in turn creates a positive cycle in which men taking parental leave increase awareness of supporting each other in the workplace and deepen team unity.
Furthermore, in order to support employees who take parental leave, it is necessary to improve work content and processes, and we often hear reports that the parental leave system has increased employee productivity and efficiency.
moreover,Companies with a large number of men taking parental leave are those that place importance on women's success in the workplace and returning to work after giving birth, so they are good working environments for women.It can be said that.
The ease of taking maternity and childcare leave is also a checkpoint during job hunting for both new graduates and those who have already graduated, so it can also be an appealing point when applying for employment.

next time"Parental leave for menI would like to introduce you to ``.