The period of medical treatment for persons infected with the new coronavirus has been shortened.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced in its September 7 administrative communication to local governments, "Review of Medical Treatment Period for Patients with New Type Coronavirus Infection," that the medical treatment period for patients infected with new type coronavirus will be reduced from the current 10 days in principle to 7 days. This change became effective on the same day. The contents of this administrative communication are as follows.

◆If symptoms are present, within 7 days

For symptomatic patients who are positive for new-type coronavirus infection, the cancellation can be made from the 8th day if 7 days have passed since the onset date and 24 hours have passed after the symptoms have abated.

However, until 10 days have passed, there is still a risk of infection, and therefore, the government requests that people check their own health condition by taking their temperature, avoid contact with high-risk individuals such as the elderly, unnecessary visits to high-risk facilities, use of high-risk places, and business meals, etc., and to take thorough voluntary measures to prevent infection by wearing a mask, etc.

In addition, for those who are currently hospitalized (including those admitted to an elderly care facility), the cancellation will be possible from the 11th day if 10 days have passed since the onset date and 72 hours have elapsed since the symptoms abated (unchanged from the previous version).

◆ Asymptomatic to 5 days

In the case of asymptomatic cases, as in the past, the treatment can be lifted on the 8th day if 7 days have elapsed from the date of specimen collection. In addition, if the test kit on the 5th day shows a negative result, the patient can be released on the 6th day.

However, until 7 days have passed, the risk of infection remains, and the government asks that people check their own health status, such as by taking their temperature, avoid contact with high-risk individuals such as the elderly, unnecessary visits to high-risk facilities, use of high-risk places, and business meals together, as well as wearing masks, and take other voluntary measures to prevent infection.

◆Restrictions on curfew also eased

As for refraining from going out during the recuperation period, symptomatic patients may go out as long as 24 hours have passed after the symptoms have abated. As for asymptomatic patients, they may go out only for a short time when going out or in contact with others, not use public transportation when traveling, and go out as little as necessary, including grocery shopping, provided that they take thorough voluntary infection prevention measures such as always wearing a mask when going out and in contact with others. 

Even if the release of the recuperation period is shortened, basic infection prevention measures must continue to be taken.

Encourage those who have health checkup findings to take medical examinations!

◆"Encouragement of medical examinations" with many advantages for businesses

Are you just being made to undergo a medical checkup?

For workers who are found to be in need of reexamination, need close examination, or need medical care, it is appropriate for employers to "identify workers who are eligible for a secondary health checkup, recommend that they receive a secondary health checkup, and encourage them to submit the results of the secondary health checkup, which has been evaluated by a physician regarding the diagnosis category, to the employer. (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, "Guidelines for Measures to be Taken by Employers Based on Health Examination Results"). There have been cases in which companies have been charged with violating their duty of care for safety because they failed to make this medical examination recommendation, so caution should be exercised.

In addition, workers' health risks are reduced if they receive medical care before their illnesses become serious. If workers can continue to work in good health for a long period of time, it will lead to higher corporate productivity and, ultimately, better business performance.

Recently, many companies do not recommend medical examinations from the viewpoint of personal information protection and privacy, but the company should definitely be proactive in this regard..

◆Methods of recommending medical examinations

Although it is sometimes possible to verbally encourage the patient to seek medical attention, it is generally recommended that the recommendation to seek medical attention be made in writing. Examples of such documents are available on websites, etc., and it is advisable to prepare them with reference to them.

https://www.kyoukaikenpo.or.jp/~/media/Files/osaka/kensin/2021/jyusinkansyo_bunsyo.pdf

◆Actions to be taken when some workers do not receive medical examinations after being recommended to do so

It is possible that workers do not receive medical examinations even after being recommended to do so. From the viewpoint of the duty of care for safety, it is important to leave evidence that the company was doing its best to fulfill its duty, just in case. For example, it is important to record what kind of medical examinations were recommended by the company, and for what reasons the workers refused to receive them.

Minimum wage will be raised by 31 yen from October 2022

A subcommittee of the Central Minimum Wage Council (an advisory body to the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare) met in Tokyo on the afternoon of August 1 to discuss the minimum wage increase for FY2022. The committee summarized the guideline, which is 961 yen per hour as the national average. This is an increase of 31 yen from the current average and the largest increase since the current system was adopted in FY2002. Against the backdrop of soaring prices, the rate of increase is 3.3%. The new amount will take effect in October.

The standard increase was divided into four ranks, A to D, depending on the economic situation of the region. Six prefectures including Tokyo in A increased by 31 yen, 11 prefectures including Kyoto in B increased by 31 yen, 14 prefectures including Fukuoka in C increased by 30 yen, and 16 prefectures including Tottori in D increased by 30 yen.

As a result, the minimum wage in Tokyo will be 1,072 yen starting this October.

The minimum wage is the lower limit of wages applicable to all workers. The minimum wage is based on the Minimum Wage Law, and companies that pay less than the minimum wage are subject to fines. Currently, the national average is 930 yen, and in recent years, with the exception of FY2020, the increase has been about 3% over the previous year. The increase in FY2021 was 28 yen, and in FY2022, in light of the sharp rise in prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and other factors, adjustments continued among representatives of labor and management, as well as experts, for an increase even higher than this.

The minimum wage is revised every fiscal year, taking into account the cost of living and wages in each worker's region and the ability of companies to pay.

Revision of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "Q&A on the Payment of Injury and Sickness Allowance for New-type Coronavirus Infections".

◆The "Q&A on the Payment of Injury and Sickness Allowance for New Coronavirus Infections" has been revised. 

For example,

Q: If an insured person is unable to work due to the aftereffects of a new type of coronavirus infection contracted for reasons other than work-related injury, will he/she be entitled to receive sickness benefits?

A: May be eligible for injury and illness benefits.

Q: Is it necessary to attach a "certificate of accommodation and home treatment" issued by a public health center, etc. when applying for an injury and illness allowance?

A: With regard to "accommodation and home treatment certificates," it is not appropriate to uniformly request such a certificate from insurers (the entities operating the health insurance business), as they are taking measures such as simplifying the administrative burden on medical professionals and public health centers.

If the insured did not visit a medical institution for unavoidable reasons and cannot attach a doctor's opinion, the insurer will pay the injury and illness allowance if the insured is deemed unable to work due to medical treatment by stating so in the application form and attaching a document from the employer certifying that the insured was not engaged in labor for medical treatment during the relevant period.

Q: If a "certificate of accommodation and home treatment" is submitted as a document related to an application for the provision of injury and illness benefits, can this be treated as a doctor's opinion?

A: A "certificate of accommodation and home treatment" certified by a physician, etc. who conducted the medical treatment, not by a person in charge at a local government or health center, etc., may be handled as a physician's opinion letter.

Q: If I contracted a new type of coronavirus infection overseas and cannot attach a physician's opinion, what should I use to determine the period of inability to work?

A: In cases where the insured person did not visit a medical institution for unavoidable reasons and cannot attach a doctor's opinion, the insurer will pay the injury or illness allowance if the insured person is recognized as being unable to work by stating so in the application form and attaching a document from the employer certifying that the insured person did not work for medical treatment during the relevant period.

About reference checks

 

1. What was the period of time you worked together with the applicant, and what position did he/she hold?

2. What were the main duties and responsibilities carried out by him/her?

3. How would you assess his/her performance in the job?

4. How would you describe his/her attitude to work?

5. What are some of his/her major project achievements?

6. How would you describe his/her organizational skills? How does he/she work under pressure/handle stress?

7. Given the opportunity, would you like to re-hire him/her?

◆What is Reference Checking?

　Reference checking is a part of the hiring process in which the hiring company verifies the authenticity of a candidate's background. The reference checks are conducted with the candidate's current or former supervisors to verify the candidate's background and accomplishments as indicated by the candidate during the selection process. This reduces the risk of mismatches after the hiring process.

In Japan, an increasing number of companies are introducing this system in mid-career hiring situations, where the impact of mismatches is significant. The method differs from company to company, but in many cases, with the consent of the job seeker himself/herself, the company will ask for references, and the company confirms the references directly by phone or in writing.

◆Difficult to detect a mismatch only by interviewing

　According to the "Survey of Awareness and Actual Conditions Concerning Reference Checking (HR Managers)", conducted among businesspersons nationwide who belong to human resources departments, 78.3% of respondents answered "difficult" when asked if they think it is difficult to identify talented people who will play an active role during their company's hiring interviews. Reference checks can complement these difficulties. According to the survey, 75.5% of companies that have introduced reference checks have "realized" a reduction in mismatches in hiring.

◆Gauging the advantages and disadvantages of implementation

　On the other hand, some say that reference checks are time-consuming and costly, and that they cannot guarantee the authenticity of the references' answers. It is necessary to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of reference checks and make a comprehensive decision on whether to conduct reference checks. One approach is to start with cases where the impact of mismatches is particularly large, such as hiring for managerial positions or for immediate employment. For example, "I hired someone, but they were not the right person for the job. We want to prevent mismatches for sure next time.” Companies that have this in mind may want to consider introducing this system.

Record 629 cases of mental illness at work in FY2021, the third consecutive year of increase

 

  According to the workers' compensation situation in FY2021 announced by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on June 24, there were 629 cases of depression and other mental disorders caused by strong stress from work.

  This was an increase of 21 cases from the previous fiscal year and a record number for the third consecutive year. The most common cause was "power harassment by superiors" (125 cases).

  Other than power harassment, the common causes were "change in work content/volume" (71 cases) and "experiencing or witnessing an accident or disaster" (66 cases). Looking at the number of certifications by age group, those in their 40s accounted for the largest number of 200 cases.

  The number of cases certified in relation to new coronavirus infection rose to 18. The number of suicides and attempted suicides decreased by 2 cases to 79. The number of applications for workers' compensation for mental disorders also increased by 295 cases to a record high of 2,346 cases.

The 3-day weekend system

◆Government is also pushing for the introduction of a 3-day workweek

A three-day workweek system with three days off per week. Creating an environment in which employees can work comfortably, such as by preventing employees from leaving the company due to childcare or nursing care needs or by allowing time for self-development (skill improvement), will also increase the attractiveness of the company when hiring. Major companies such as IBM Japan, Yahoo Japan, Mizuho Financial Group, and Uniqlo have introduced this system.

In the "Basic Policies for Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2021", the government also stated, "With regard to the selective three-day workweek system, we will promote the introduction and spread of the system in companies by collecting and providing good examples, since it can be used for childcare, nursing care, volunteer work, and dual employment in rural areas.”

◆How to operate

There are three main patterns of operation: (1) income decreases as the number of work days decreases, (2) hours worked on work days increase and income remains the same, or (3) hours worked on work days remain the same and income remains the same. Many companies seem to adopt (1).

◆Is keeping the level of income a key to retention?

According to a survey by the job-transfer information site "Mynavi Jobchange," approximately 60% of respondents answered that a three-day workweek was "not possible" because of the "workload" and "labor shortage" reasons. In addition, nearly 80% of respondents "do not want to use" the 3-day workweek if their income would decrease in proportion to one less day of work. By age group, respondents in their 20s "want to use" the system even if their income is reduced (slightly less than 30%), higher than other age groups, indicating a tendency for a higher percentage of respondents to prioritize holidays over income.

As for measures to introduce a three-day workweek, responses such as "improving operational efficiency," "changing the mindset of upper management," and "increasing manpower" were raised, and it appears that the key points are to improve productivity and reduce manpower shortages.