It is now time to review the system introduced by the Corona disaster

Staggered work hours remain unchanged at about 15%

According to the results of the 7th Survey on Workers' Attitudes conducted by the Japan Productivity Center, 15.1% of workers have staggered their workday (as of October). 16% of workers in the first survey in May 2020 also staggered their workday, so there has been no significant change.

The main reason for staggered work hours in Corona disasters is probably to avoid crowds. With Corona on the wane in Japan, this may be a good time to test the effects in your company.

While telework is becoming more and more popular

In the same survey, the telework implementation rate was 22.7%. In various surveys, there is a response that "telework was effective", but it seems that the most important reason is that there is no stress and fatigue of commuting, rather than an increase in the efficiency of work.

On the other hand, disadvantages of telework have also begun to be pointed out, such as the difficulty and inconvenience of internal communication and consultation, long working hours, and overwork due to the blurring of the boundaries between work and life. If you ask your employees, you will probably find that there are many things that need to be improved, such as the inability to give instructions and consultations all at once, the lack of control due to varying levels of proficiency and usage of chat and other tools, and the fact that some people are burdened with tasks that used to be done by everyone.

The time to review is now

I believe that now is the time to calmly analyze and judge the effects and challenges of the various measures that we have begun to implement in Corona, to see how they actually affect our own operational efficiency. 

It is important to make adjustments to the company's system, not only to deal with the corona disaster. We want to avoid a situation where we introduce a system once and then do nothing with it.

It is becoming increasingly important for people to manage the way employees work. Let's reflect the opinions of employees and create a sense of conviction as we proceed with the review.

Let's start preparing for the enforcement of the revised Child Care and Family Care Leave Law!

 

◆Major Changes in the Childcare Leave System

The revised Child Care and Family Care Leave Law will come into effect on April 1 next year, and in addition to the establishment of a new "Papa Ikukyuu" leave, it will be necessary to provide workers with information on the company's childcare leave system and confirm their intentions on whether or not to take childcare leave, and it will be possible to take childcare leave in installments.

Naturally, it is necessary to review the childcare and nursing care leave regulations and maintain internal forms regarding the use of the system, but that is not all.

◆A labor-management agreement must also be concluded

Under the amendment, the requirements for taking childcare leave will be relaxed for part-timers, etc., who are currently not eligible to take childcare leave depending on the period of employment. Therefore, it is necessary to conclude a labor-management agreement and decide whether those who have been continuously employed for less than one year are eligible to take childcare leave or not.

◆Preparation of materials to inform workers about the company's system is also necessary

As mentioned above, after the enforcement of the revised law, when a worker or her spouse requests for pregnancy or childbirth, the employer is obliged to provide information about the system and confirm the intention to take childcare leave. It is not enough to just provide the regulations, but you also need to provide information on where to apply for childcare leave, childcare leave benefits, and how to handle social insurance premiums during the leave period.

If the documents are already prepared, it is only necessary to check whether they meet the prescribed requirements, but if they are newly prepared, it is also necessary to check what kind of system the company has in place and whether there are any oversights that are not explicitly stated.

Support for Balancing Diabetes and Work

 

◆Increasing number of diabetics

According to the 2019 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the percentage of people with "strongly suspected diabetes" (those who said their HbA1c was 6.5% or higher or that they were being treated for diabetes; 19.7% of men and 10.8% of women) was the highest since 2009. This is the highest percentage since 2009. Currently, it is estimated that there are about 10 million people with both diabetes and pre-diabetes, and the number is increasing.

◆Work and diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a disease that allows people to continue to work as usual if attention is paid to its treatment, but if left untreated, it can lead to severe illness and serious complications. Continued treatment is of utmost importance.

However, of the working-age population (20-59 years old) with "strongly suspected diabetes," approximately 40% are not receiving treatment (National Health and Nutrition Survey, 2017). The top reason cited for this is "busy at work," and companies are expected to provide support so that treatment can continue appropriately.

◆To ensure that workers can continue their treatment

Diabetes treatment requires regular visits to the doctor, generally every two weeks to three months. A hygienic environment and privacy at the workplace are required, for example, when self-injection is required for medication therapy. In addition, although diabetes does not develop or worsen solely due to lifestyle, prejudice and misunderstanding around them may hinder treatment by making it difficult to offer necessary support. It is advisable to consider individual measures while listening to the opinions of their doctor, industrial physician, etc., and to provide appropriate information to supervisors and colleagues.

Color Universal Design for correctly conveying information to all people

◆What is "Color Universal Design"?

"Color Universal Design" refers to "the design of products from the user's point of view so that information can be conveyed as accurately as possible to all people, taking into consideration their diverse color vision" (Tokyo Metropolitan Government Color Universal Design Guidelines). For example, people with abnormal color vision, people with retinal diseases such as glaucoma, and people with cataracts may have difficulty distinguishing colors, and therefore may not be able to obtain appropriate information using colors depending on the color scheme. Are you able to convey the information you are sending out in your color flyers, guides, and websites in an easy-to-understand and correct manner?

◆"The Importance of Correctly Conveying "Information Using Color

According to the Japanese Ophthalmological Society, one in 20 men and one in 500 women in Japan have abnormal color vision. As the development of painting, printing, and computer technology has led to the rapid shift from black-and-white displays to color, it can be said that the need for correctly conveying information using color is increasing, and it is necessary to be mindful of design that allows all users to obtain information equally.

◆Let's start by checking the existing media.

As a first step in our efforts toward color universal design, let's first check existing information media. As a simple method, it is sufficient to copy and print the information in black and white and check whether it can be read properly. There are tools for checking how each color vision type looks in both printed and web-based media, so it is recommended to make use of these tools as well. If a problem is found, we will work to correct it.

With just a little effort, the power of information dissemination can change dramatically. Let's consider the ingenuity and care to provide information that are easy to understand for all people.

◆MHLW partially amended the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations

It has become clear that the majority of people who are identified as having abnormalities in the color vision test are able to perform their work without any problems.    

However, there have been cases where employers have restricted the employment of people who are identified as having abnormalities in the color vision test, even when there are no special problems with their work.

In July 2001, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) partially amended the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations, etc., and abolished the color vision test as an item of medical checkup at the time of employment, which came into effect on October 1, 2001.

When hiring workers, rather than attaching job conditions such as "color blindness is not acceptable," please make sure to describe in detail the nature of the work that involves the use of color, and carefully consider the necessity of medical examinations, including color vision tests, in relation to the nature of the job at the time of employment selection, so as not to lead to discrimination in employment.

Survey on Women's Career Awareness

 

In the five years since Act on the Promotion of Female Participation and Career Advancement in the Workplace was enacted, there has been an urgent social need for local governments and companies to promote women in management positions, and various measures have been taken to encourage men to actively participate in housework and childcare and to create opportunities for women to improve their business skills.

On the other hand, what do working women think about their own promotion to management positions?

Hakuhodo Inc. conducted a "Women's Career Awareness Survey" of men and women in their 20s and 30s in June 2021, and here are the main findings of the survey.

＜Key points of the survey results>

(1) Among women in their 20s and 30s, 30% want to be in management positions and 40% want to be leaders and more than half of men do not want to be in management. More than half of men want to be in both categories.

(2) The reasons for not wanting to be in a managerial position that differed greatly between women and men were "I'm not good at standing out and attracting attention," "I'm not good at setting big policies and guidelines," and "I'm not good at leading a team," as well as concerns about team building.

(3) For women, the number of items that the "ideal manager/leader" should have is higher than for men.

(4) As for women's specific image of the ideal manager/leader, the most common responses were "motivating subordinates" and "watching over subordinates from an appropriate distance," with "nurturing and caring for subordinates" in mind. Men, on the other hand, aim for "smooth execution of work" by sharing and organizing work with subordinates.

(5) The reasons given by women for wanting to become a manager or leader were those that emphasized interpersonal relationships, such as "being relied on by subordinates and others" and "expanding internal and external networks. The top reason for men was to increase their own influence, such as "higher social status" and "opinion is more likely to be accepted.

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare releases first survey results on "rules for conversion from fixed-term to indefinite term contract"

 

◆First Survey on conversion from fixed-term to indefinite term contract

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has released the results of its "Survey on Fixed-term Labor Contracts," revealing for the first time the actual status of the "rules for conversion from fixed-term to indefinite term contract" (newly established under the revised Labor Contract Law enacted in April 2013), which gives fixed-term contract workers the right to apply for an indefinite contract if their contracts are renewed for a total of more than five years. The survey was conducted on 5,662 business establishments employing five or more people as of April 2020 and 6,670 workers as of January 2021, respectively.

◆Approximately 30% of respondents exercised their right to apply for a change of employment

According to the survey results, the percentage of establishments employing fixed-term contract workers was 41.7%. Of those, 27.8% had the right to apply for a change of employment to an indefinite-term contract in fiscal 2018-2019 and exercised that right, while 65.5% were still employed without exercising the right to apply for a change of employment. By size of establishment, 39.9% of establishments with 1,000 or more employees, 22.2% of establishments with 300-999 employees, 22.3% of establishments with 100-299 employees, 17.1% of establishments with 30-99 employees, and 8.6% of establishments with 5-29 employees exercised their right to apply for conversion from fixed-term to indefinite term contract. The higher the number of employees, the higher the percentage of establishments exercising their right to conversion to indefinite term contract.

◆What are the reasons for not wanting to convert to indefinite term?

On the other hand, in the survey of fixed-term contract workers, 18.9% of respondents answered "Yes, I would like to," 22.6% answered "No (I would like to continue with a fixed-term contract)," and 53.6% answered "I don't know. The most common reason for wanting to convert to an indefinite term was "because it will eliminate employment uncertainty," followed by "because it will make it easier to make long-term career prospects and future life plans," and "because wages and working conditions can be expected to improve afterwards. The most common reason given for not wanting to work was "Because I am old and am rehired after retirement," followed by "Because I am not dissatisfied with the current situation," and "Because it would be meaningless if I only lost my contract period."

◆40% of respondents don't know about the "rules for conversion to indefinite term contract”

17.8% of respondents said they had heard of the "conversion rules," while 39.9% said they knew nothing about it or had never heard of it, indicating that 40% of respondents were unaware of the system itself.

It has been eight years since the new rules for conversion was established, but the system is still not fully recognized. In March, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare started a study group to review the rules for conversion to indefinite term contract, and discussions are continuing. It is hoped that both fixed-term contract workers and companies will understand the content of the rules and that the rules will be properly implemented.

Amendment to the Health Insurance Law changes the total amount of Injury and Sickness Allowance and exemption from social insurance premiums during maternity leave

The "Act for Partial Revision of the Health Insurance Act, etc. for the Purpose of Establishing a Social Security System for All Generations" was passed and enacted by the 204th Diet and promulgated on June 11.

The following are some of the major revisions.

In addition to that,

◆Totalization of the payment period of Injury and Sickness Allowance (effective from January 1, 2022)

Injury and Sickness Allowance is paid when a person takes a leave of absence to recover from an illness or injury caused by reasons other than work, and when certain requirements are met. This does not mean that you will be paid for one year and six months, but even if you return to work during the one year and six months, and then are unable to work again due to the same illness or injury, the period of return will be included in the one year and six months. If you are unable to work for more than one year and six months after the start of payment, you will not receive the Injury and Sickness Allowance even if you are unable to work.

The amendment is to make the payment period total so that if there is a period of time when the payment is not made due to attendance at work, the payment can be extended to cover that period (payment for a total of one year and six months from the date when the payment started). The amendment was made in response to the fact that there are cases where a person works while taking a leave of absence for medical treatment for a long period of time, such as repeated hospitalization for cancer treatment.

◆Revision of the system for insured persons with optional and continued coverage (effective from January 1, 2022)

The system for optional and continued health insurance coverage allows those insured under the health insurance system to continue to be insured for up to two years after retirement, if they choose.

This amendment is a review of the basis for calculating premiums for insured persons with optional and continued coverage (if a health insurance association stipulates in its rules, the previous standard monthly remuneration can be used as the basis for calculating premiums for insured persons with optional and continued coverage whose previous standard monthly remuneration is higher than the average standard monthly remuneration of all insured persons of the association). In addition to the above, the system allows for disqualification upon application by the insured.

◆Revision of requirements for exemption from insurance premiums during childcare leave (effective from October 1, 2022)

The exemption from social insurance premiums during childcare leave is a system whereby if you are currently on childcare leave as of the last day of the month, you are exempt from the insurance premiums (including bonus premiums) for that month. Therefore, for example, even if you take two weeks of childcare leave during the month, if the leave period does not include the last day of the month, you will not be eligible for the exemption.

The amendment is to exempt the premiums for the relevant month if the childcare leave is taken for two weeks or more within the month, even if the childcare leave period does not include the end of the month. In addition, the insurance premiums for bonuses will be exempted only when the childcare leave exceeds one month.

The requirements for the insured period of childcare leave benefits will be partially changed on September 1, 2021

The requirements for the period of insured service for the "Childcare Leave Benefit" will be partially changed on September 1. As a result, even if you did not meet the requirements in the past, you may be eligible for the benefits. In particular, those who have been on maternity leave for about a year after starting work may be eligible for this benefit, so please check once.

Period of insured persons for childcare leave benefits in principle

Current

There must be at least 12 full months with 11 or more days of basic wage payment (working days) in the two years prior to the date of commencement of childcare leave.

After revision

Even if the above requirements are not met during the insured period, if there are 12 or more full months with 11 or more days of basic wage payment (working days) during the two years prior to the date of start of maternity leave, the insured period requirements for the payment of childcare leave benefits shall be fulfilled.

Treatment of leave and working hours for vaccination against new coronas

 

Vaccination itself is not a job, but the time spent on vaccination and the handling of working hours and leave in case of adverse reactions are of concern. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's position is as follows

From the viewpoint of infection prevention measures in the workplace, it is desirable to establish a leave system that can be utilized in the event that a worker becomes ill after receiving the vaccine or the vaccination, so that the worker can receive the new coronary vaccine with peace of mind.

In addition to that,

1) Establish a new leave system that can be used for vaccinations and medical treatment in the event of adverse reactions after vaccinations, and review the existing sick leave and expired annual leave accumulation systems (a system that allows employees to accumulate expired annual paid leave and use it for medical treatment) so that they can be used for these situations as well.

2) Allowing workers to be excused from work (e.g., allowing workers to be excused from work during vaccination time and moving down the end of the workday) or to be deemed to have attended work (allowing workers to be excused from work during vaccination time and treating that time as if they had worked as usual) without any specific penalty.

As long as they are available to workers on a voluntary basis, they are generally considered reasonable and not disadvantageous to workers, and therefore, even if they are accompanied by a change in work rules, they are considered to be effective as long as the revised work rules are made known to workers. 

In taking such measures, it is important to consider the wishes and intentions of workers so that the system can be easily utilized by workers who wish to receive the new coronary vaccine.

In the case of workplaces that employ 10 or more workers at any given time, procedures for changing work rules are also required.

The revised Child Care and Family Care Leave Law was passed

 

On June 3, 2021, the House of Representatives plenary session passed and enacted the revised Child Care and Family Care Leave Law, which establishes a new "male version of maternity leave" to make it easier for fathers to take time off immediately after the birth of their children.

Companies will be required to encourage each employee who has a child to take maternity leave. The aim is to encourage husbands to participate in housework and childcare, which tends to be dominated by wives, and to raise the percentage of men taking childcare leave from 7.48% in fiscal 2019 to 30% by 2025.

The male version of maternity leave is a special measure of maternity leave that allows a man to take a total of four weeks off within eight weeks of the birth of his child. Only husbands can use this system, and they can take up to two separate leaves. The deadline for applying for childcare leave is one month in advance, but the deadline has been shortened to two weeks to make it easier to take time off. With childcare leave benefits and exemption from social insurance premiums, up to 80% of the actual wages will be covered, just like the regular system. The new system is expected to take effect in October 2022.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, many husbands want to take time off immediately after their wives give birth, when postpartum depression is more likely to occur, and couples whose husbands are involved in housework and childcare tend to have two or more children. During deliberations in the Diet, it was pointed out that this was a "preferential treatment" for men, but the ministry explained that encouraging husbands to take maternity leave would reduce the burden on wives and help them continue their careers and counter the declining birthrate.

The revised law also strengthens the responsibility of companies. From April 2022, it will be mandatory for companies to inform their employees about the maternity leave system and confirm their intentions, which is currently only an effort. The aim is to create an environment where it is easy to take time off, along with in-house training and consultation services.

In addition, it will be possible for married couples to take up to two installments of the standard childcare leave, which in principle can only be taken once before the child turns one year old. Large companies with more than 1,000 employees will also be required to disclose the status of employees taking childcare leave starting in April 2023.

The report on the "Survey on Harassment in the Workplace" has been released

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has compiled a report on the "Survey on Harassment in the Workplace. Please use this report as a reference for preventing and resolving harassment in the workplace.

Incidence of harassment and workplace characteristics related to harassment
Regarding the changes in the number of consultations on harassment over the past three years, the percentage of "no change" was the highest for "power harassment," "significant annoyance from customers," "harassment in pregnancy, childbirth, childcare leave," "harassment in nursing care leave," and "sexual harassment in job hunting," while the percentage of "decrease" was the highest for "sexual harassment.
As for the characteristics of the workplace, the difference between those who experienced harassment and those who did not experienced harassment was particularly large for both power harassment and sexual harassment with regard to "little or no communication between superiors and subordinates," "no anti-harassment regulations enacted," "no room for failure or low tolerance for failure," and "lots of overtime work or difficulty in taking leave".

Status of efforts to prevent and resolve harassment
As employment management measures regarding harassment such as power harassment, sexual harassment, pregnancy, childbirth, childcare leave, and nursing care leave, about 80% of the companies have implemented "clarification and awareness-raising of the content of harassment and policies prohibiting harassment" and "establishment and awareness-raising of a consultation counter". However, the ratio of "measures to enable the person in charge to respond appropriately according to the contents and circumstances of the consultation" was around 40%.
For all types of harassment, the percentage of respondents who experienced harassment was the lowest among those who answered that their workplace was "actively working on it," and the percentage of those who answered that their workplace was "not working on it much" was the highest.

Experience of harassment
When asked whether they had experienced power harassment, sexual harassment, or significant annoyance from customers or others at their place of work in the past three years and how often, the percentage of those who had experienced each type of harassment at least once was 31.4% for power harassment, 15.0% for significant annoyance from customers or others, and 10.2% for sexual harassment.

What to do after being subjected to harassment, and what to do at work after learning of harassment
In the case of power harassment and sexual harassment, the highest percentage of respondents chose "did nothing" as their action after being subjected to harassment. On the other hand, in the case of significant annoyance from customers, etc., the percentage of "Consulted with my supervisor in the company" was the highest, followed by "Consulted with my colleagues in the company.
As for the response of the workplace after learning of harassment, "nothing in particular was done" (47.1%) for power harassment, "they listened to your requests or consulted with you to solve the problem" (34.6%) for sexual harassment, and "they listened to your requests or consulted with you to solve the problem" (48.6%) for significant annoyance from customers, etc. that had the highest percentage.

Key Points on People Management in the FY2021 - Local Labor Administration Management Policy

 

◆What are the points of concern?

The "FY2021 Local Labor Administration Operation Policy" has been formulated to show the trend of future supervision and guidance policies by the Labor Standards Inspection Offices. Let's take a look at the points of interest.

◆Support for the maintenance and continuation of employment

After the emergency response period to the new Corona, the center of gravity of policy seems to be shifting to post-Corona.

It says that the company will support the use of enrolled secondments and outplacement support using subsidies for stable industrial employment and trial employment. It will be important to confirm employee’s intentions regarding the secondment contract and secondment.

◆Promotion of women's participation and advancement and men's use of childcare leave, etc.

The number of companies obligated to formulate action plans under the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace has been expanded to 101 or more employees from this April. In addition, the so-called male version of the maternity leave system (the main pillar of which is to allow male employees to take four weeks off during the first eight weeks after the birth of a child) is scheduled to be newly established, and the system is scheduled to come into effect in the fall of 2022.

◆Telework and work-related injury

It seems that efforts are being stepped up for telework, which has now become a matter of course. There is support through subsidies for securing human resources. Telework will become essential knowledge for HR managers, both from a technical standpoint and in terms of people management such as working hour management and health management.

It is also important to be aware of work-related injuries caused by the new corona infection. There have been cases where workers' compensation due to corona has been recognized not only for medical-related occupations, but also for cleaners in the building maintenance industry, construction managers, salespeople and construction workers, port cargo handlers, and sales clerks.

Although supervision and guidance are mainly related to the correction of long working hours, this year's management policy also mentions workplace harassment, intervals between working hours, and equal pay for equal work, so we need to pay attention to investigations and guidance that reflect recent trends.

*The intervals between work hours are the way to ensure that workers have time to live and sleep by providing them with a certain amount of time to rest after work.

How much progress has been made in improving the treatment of part-time and fixed-term employees?

From a survey conducted by the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT)

Enforcement of the Part-Time and Fixed-term Employment Labor Law

In order to eliminate unreasonable differences in treatment between regular employees (full-time workers with indefinite employment) and part-time and fixed-term workers within the same company, the Part-Time and Fixed-term Employment Labor Law (hereinafter referred to as the Part-Time and Fixed-term Employment Labor Law) came into effect in April 2020. The law will apply to small and medium-sized companies from April 1, 2021.

The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT) has released a questionnaire to companies that was conducted prior to the implementation of the law.

To what extent can you explain the reasons for differences in treatment?

Under the Part-Time and Fixed-term Employment Labor Law, the reason for the difference in treatment between full-time and part-time/fixed-term employees must be explained to the employee upon his/her request.

69.3% of the companies that "know the details" of the Part-Time and Fixed-term Employment Law answered that they could explain most of the differences in treatment, while only 45.1% of the companies answered that they did not know the details.

Efforts to eliminate differences in treatment

The report also summarizes what we have done so far and what we plan to do in the future to eliminate unreasonable differences in treatment between regular, full-time employees and other workers.

Of these, the following initiatives were selected by a greater percentage of respondents as those that they plan to implement in the future.

*Introduction of retirement benefits and review of calculation methods for retirement benefits, etc.

*Introduction of various allowances and review of calculation methods, etc.

*Review of the system and utilization of dispatched workers

In addition to reviewing basic wage calculation methods and factors, it is necessary to be aware of the above points in future efforts.

The survey provides information on trends in wages, bonuses, benefits, and leave systems, so why not use it as a reference for future initiatives?

Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, "Results of a Survey on the Utilization of 'Part-Time' and 'Fixed-term' Workers: Company Survey.
https://www.jil.go.jp/institute/research/2021/207-1.html

Consider a personnel system that anticipates longer tenure

 

The age of 100 years of life

The Survey on "Career Development and Employment Management Issues in the Era of 100 Years of Life" conducted by the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILP) includes some points that can be helpful when taking action in anticipation of longer service periods.

Treatment when promotion to management positions is no longer expected

Regarding the treatment of full-time employees who are no longer expected to be promoted to managerial positions, the highest percentage of 77.9% said they would continue to work without promotion or advancement. This was followed by treating them as specialists equivalent to managers (34.4%) and rating them as employees equivalent to managers (30.5%). The above percentages are for small and medium-sized companies, but the trend is similar for large companies.

Personnel system for career development and its effects

Regarding human resource systems such as the goal management system and career interviews, the "mentor system" seems to be particularly effective for younger employees up to age 39.

It seems that the introduction of the system is generally less effective for older employees, and in particular, the self-reporting system is less effective or even counterproductive in some cases (60 years old and above) compared to younger employees, but the system for "participation in social contribution" seems to be effective.

The most common human resource development benefits of "social contribution participation" activities such as volunteering are the opportunity to come into contact with society's values (69.5%), the expansion of external networks (48.6%), and the acquisition of new perspectives (37.0%). The trend is similar for both large and small companies.

Handling of concurrent and side jobs

44.0% of SMEs prohibit concurrent or second jobs in their employment regulations. On the other hand, 32.3% of the respondents answered that they have no regulations. It is important to consider your company's policy so that you do not panic in case of emergency.

Enforcement of the Revised Law Concerning Stabilization of Employment of Older Persons

The revised Law Concerning Stabilization of Employment of Older Persons will come into effect on April 1. It includes a provision that makes it an effort obligation to secure employment for employees until the age of 70. Although it is an obligation to make efforts, we should prepare for it on a planned basis.

Support system for secondment by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare

◆Support system for secondment

Companies that are temporarily downsizing their operations due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection are taking steps to use "secondment" (sometimes called "employment sharing" or "employee sharing") with companies that are short on labor in order to maintain employment for their employees.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has also introduced measures to support the efforts of such secondment for the purpose of maintaining employment at Corona Damages, which are introduced below.

◆What is secondment?

The so-called secondment refers to the process by which a worker, while maintaining some kind of relationship with the company from which he or she is transferred, enters into a new employment contract relationship with the company to which he or she is transferred, and continues to work for a certain period of time. The term "enrolled secondment" refers to a worker who signs an employment contract with both the company from which he/she was seconded and the company to which he/she was seconded.

◆Subsidies for stable industrial employment

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) provides support for both the company from which the employee is transferred and the company to which the employee is transferred.

This subsidy is for employers who have been forced to temporarily reduce their business activities due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection, and who wish to maintain the employment of their workers through secondment. This subsidy was newly established on February 5, 2021.

The program subsidizes a part of the expenses required during the secondment, such as wages, education and training, and labor management coordination expenses, to be borne by the secondment employers and destination employers (secondment operating expenses). In addition, subsidies are also provided for measures required for the establishment of the secondment, such as the cost of preparing work rules and secondment contracts, education and training conducted in advance of the secondment by the originating employer, and the maintenance of equipment and supplies for the acceptance of the secondment by the destination employer (initial expenses for secondment).

Please keep in mind that this is a subsidy to maintain employment, so it is assumed that the employee will return to work at the original place of business after the secondment period is over.

◆Matching system

Other support measures include a matching system by Industrial Employment Stabilization Center of Japan. The Center provides free matching services for companies that have temporarily over-employed due to the effects of the new coronavirus and wish to utilize on-the-job secondment with companies that are short on manpower in order to protect the employment of their employees. (The Center has offices in 47 prefectures throughout Japan and provides consultation services to companies.)

Knowledge of the materials and effectiveness of masks for preventing new coronavirus infection in the workplace

 

State of emergency declared again in 11 prefectures

On January 13, Japanese government declared a state of emergency in Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Aichi, Gifu, Tochigi, and Fukuoka, following the three prefectures of Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, and Saitama.

According to the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Countermeasures for Infectious Diseases of the New Coronavirus on January 5, countermeasures are mainly focused on eating and drinking places, based on a paper published in the British scientific journal Nature, etc. However, it is also said that "there is a risk of rapid spread of infection nationwide," and it is necessary to implement thorough infection prevention measures widely.

What is the preventive effect of wearing a mask?

Hand disinfection, wearing masks, and ventilation are recommended as infection prevention measures, but the preventive effect of masks depends on the material used.

The results of an experiment published last October by the Toyohashi University of Technology show numerical changes when wearing a mask (non-woven fabric, cloth, or urethane), a face shield, and a mouth shield.

According to the results of the same experiment, the amounts of discharged droplets out of the body can be reduced to about 20% with non-woven fabric and cloth, but 50% with urethane and 90% with a mouth shield. As for the amounts of droplets inhaled, non-woven fabrics can reduce droplets to about 30%, while urethane can reduce droplets to 60-70%, and face shields and mouth shields have no effect on small droplets.

What is the relationship between vocalization and droplet volume?

In addition, in response to the problem of infections caused by Karaoke, eating, and drinking, experiments are being conducted to see how the expiratory flow rate changes when talking, shouting, singing, eating, and drinking.

　According to the results of the experiment, the amounts of large droplets increase about 10 times more in Karaoke and loud conversations than in normal conversations, and the momentum of the droplets increases about 1.5 to 2 times. In addition, the distance that the droplets can reach is increased by about 1.5 times, so it is necessary to keep a sufficient distance between people and to ventilate sufficiently because the number of small droplets is also doubled.

To prevent infection in the workplace

On January 8, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) asked labor-management organizations and economic organizations to cooperate in the active use of telework, prevention of infection in the workplace, and strengthening of health management. For the sake of your company's business continuity, please take proactive measures to prevent infection in the workplace.

More companies are using telephone answering service providers

 

The "telephone answering service" is attracting attention in the Corona disaster

Due to the spread of the new coronavirus, many companies have introduced telework, but companies with few employees and departments that answer a lot of phone calls face the problem of having to come to work to answer the phones. In addition, answering the phone requires interruption of the original work, which reduces productivity.
To solve these problems, more and more companies are using "telephone answering services".

Features of Telephone Answering Service

A telephone answering service, also known as a secretarial service or telephone secretarial service, is a service in which an outside operator listens to incoming office calls on your behalf and takes them to the person in question. If the operator is unable to take the call, he or she will contact you by phone or email (the method of contact varies depending on the service company, but chat, line, etc. are also available). This also allows you to keep a record of the contents.

In addition, since operators who have received education and training in telephone answering are available, it can also improve the image of the company.

How do you choose the right service company for your needs?

Currently, there are many telephone answering service companies, and the services they can provide vary from company to company. For example, in the case of law profession offices and real estate companies, legal terms and industry knowledge are required, so there are services where operators specializing in the industry are available. There are also companies that can provide services outside of business hours, such as at night or on holidays.

There are also other services that provide mail order product explanations, take orders on behalf of customers, and even handle complaints.

Note that the cost of using a telephone answering service varies depending on the number of calls per month and the number of operators. When considering the use of this service, it is necessary to compare the content of the service, the quality of the operators, and the cost to find the service that best suits your needs.

Outing Privacy is a tort

 

◆What is outing?

Outing refers to the act of another person revealing a secret related to sexuality (such as being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or having gender identity disorder) to those around them without the consent of the person concerned. For example, if a person who has been told by the person in question that he or she likes him or her tells a third party that he or she is homosexual, or if a person who has been consulted by the person in question says that he or she is actually a former man (or woman), it is outing without the consent of the person in question.

◆If you do outing

In The person who has been outed will suffer deeply. If the outing is done in the workplace, it can lead to not only resignation but also mental illness such as depression, harassment trials, and in the worst-case scenario, even death. In fact, there have been trials on the issue of outing, and the high court ruled that outing is "a serious violation of personal rights and the right to privacy, and an unacceptable act" (Hitotsubashi University outing case). There was also a report that a company apologized to its employees and paid a settlement for the damage caused by outing.

◆Measures are the duty of employers

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Guidelines for the Prevention of Power Harassment also clearly states that outing, or revealing to other workers sensitive personal information such as a worker's sexual orientation, gender identity, medical history, fertility treatment, etc., without the consent of the worker in question, constitutes power harassment. In other words, employers are obliged to take measures to prevent such harassment. Specific preventive measures include clarification, dissemination, and enlightenment of policies in the workplace, development of a consultation system, prompt and appropriate response to problems when they occur, and development of a system to protect privacy. Respecting diversity and building an environment where employees can work with peace of mind will lead to the development of your company.