Gender Gap Index 2023 - Japan ranks 125th

 

◆Almost unchanged from last year, record low ranking

In June, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released its Gender Gap Index, which quantifies the gender gap in each country in 2023. Japan's overall score was 0.647, almost unchanged from last year, ranking 125th out of 146 countries (the lowest in the G7 nations). Iceland ranked first with an overall score of 0.912.

The Gender Gap Index indicates the ratio of women to men and is calculated by calculating scores in each of the four areas of economy, education, health, and politics, which are then averaged and rated on a scale of 0 (full inequality) to 1 (full equality).

◆Low in economic and political areas

By sector, education (male-female ratio of literacy and school attendance) was high at 0.997 (47th), and health (gender difference ratio at birth and healthy life expectancy) was high at 0.973 (59th). However, the country's economy (gender ratio of labor participation rate, gender gap in wages for equal work, gender ratio of managers, etc.) was 0.561 (123rd), and politics (gender ratio of Diet members and cabinet members, etc.) was 0.057 (138th), which is low compared to other countries, indicating that there is a gender gap.

 ◆30% female board members by 2030

In June, the government announced the "Women's Version of the big-boned policy (Priority Policy for Women's Activities and Gender Equality)" in order to close the gender gap in the economic field. Prime Minister Kishida then set a target for companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market to appoint at least one female board member by 2025, and to increase the ratio of female board members to 30% by 2030. The plan also includes fostering and supporting female entrepreneurs and promoting the development of female digital talent and reskilling.

New treatment of foreign students' status of residence has been established

On July 6, the Immigration Services Agency announced the establishment of a new handling of status of residence, which will allow international students who have graduated from universities to stay within a certain period of time until they enter graduate school.

The new treatment is as follows

Outline

If an international student who has graduated from a university and will be entering a graduate school after the expiration of his/her current "College Student" status of residence, and if the graduate school he/she is entering pledges to keep in touch with the student at regular intervals and to contact the regional immigration office without delay if the student's admission is cancelled, the student may be permitted to change his/her status of residence to "Designated Activities" and stay until he/she enters a graduate school (but only for a period not exceeding one year after graduation). If the student pledges to contact the Regional Immigration Services Bureau without delay in the event of cancellation of admission, the change of status of residence to "Designated Activities" will be permitted and the student will be allowed to stay until admission (but only for a period not exceeding one year after graduation from the university).

Eligible person

Foreigners (this does not include students in special course, auditing students, non-degree students, and research students) who have graduated (or completed a graduate course) from a Japanese university (including graduate schools) under the School Education Law of Japan, and who wish to stay in Japan for the purpose of waiting in Japan (within one year after graduation) until they enter a graduate school they have decided to enter after graduation.

Submitted materials

(1) Documents proving the applicant's ability to pay all expenses during his/her stay in Japan

If a person other than the foreign student concerned is responsible for paying the expenses, a document that proves the person's ability to pay the expenses and a document that clarifies how the person came to pay the expenses.

(2) Diploma or certificate of graduation (or completion) from the university you attended immediately before

(3) Documents issued by the graduate school in which you plan to enroll that confirm the fact that you plan to enroll and the date of enrollment (e.g., letter of admission)

(4) A written pledge (see note below) stating compliance with periodic communication, etc., by the graduate school to which the student will be admitted to wait for admission to the school.

What measures are being taken by companies that are not experiencing labor shortages?

According to statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as of December 2022, Japan's population aged 15-64 decreased by 0.28% from the same month last year, or 208,000 fewer people. In addition, the number of people under 15 years old, who will be of working age, decreased by 293,000 over the same period. The total population has been declining at an accelerated pace since 2019, and as of May 2023, the total population is estimated to be 570,000 less than the same month last year.

◆What companies that do not have a shortage of labor are doing to address it

While many companies are increasingly feeling short-staffed following the lowering of the Infectious Diseases Act classification of the new coronavirus to 'category 5', the same as seasonal influenza, some companies are not short-staffed. According to the results of a survey conducted by Teikoku Databank, many companies cited the following measures as the main factors (multiple answers) for not having a labor shortage.

(1) Raise wages and bonuses (51.7%)

(2) Creating a comfortable work environment (35.0%)

(3) Extension of retirement age and rehiring of seniors (31.2%)

(4) Improved welfare benefits (26.6%)

(5) Fair and equitable personnel evaluation (22.0%)

A ' comfortable work environment' in (2) includes maintaining cleanliness, rest areas and an internal consultation service. In addition, (4) and (5) are measures to make the workplace a place where workers can feel a sense of personal growth and security.

◆Need for wage increase

In the midst of declining real wages due to soaring global prices, companies that are unable (or unwilling) to raise wages and bonuses will experience a decline in employee satisfaction and a sense of security, resulting in an exodus of talented personnel, a decline in competitiveness that will make it difficult to hire new employees, and even if they are lucky enough to hire new employees, they will not be able to afford to nurture them, resulting in early employee turnover.

As the old saying goes, "A man is a stone wall, and a man is a castle", the most powerful force supporting a company is the power of the people you trust. In order to develop as many employees as possible who trust the company, the company should take the initiative to change and show the way forward.

Workers' compensation for reprimand. Executive claims she was subjected to "workplace harassment."

On April 24, it was learned that a female executive in her 50s working for the Japanese subsidiary of Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch Group was certified by the Chuo Labor Standards Inspection Office (Tokyo) as having suffered a mental disorder due to persistent reprimands by a foreign female president who had been assigned to the Japanese subsidiary. The labor union to which the woman belongs, the Sogo Support Union, revealed the incident.

The woman claimed that she was subjected to workplace harassment by the president, who called her "stupid," "low level," and other abusive comments. She presented the recorded data and demanded an apology, but the Japanese subsidiary has not responded. The Japanese subsidiary admitted to the interview that it had received a workers' compensation certification, and responded that "the Labor Inspection Office has not certified it as workplace harassment" with regard to the president's words and actions.

According to the workers' compensation certification document, the woman joined Swatch Group Japan (Tokyo) in 2008 and was in charge of public relations.

She was severely scolded by the president, who took office in March 2021, over the budget for the public relations project, and in August 2021, her personnel evaluation was severely downgraded, and in September she developed an adjustment disorder. The union is calling for her resignation as she is not fit to be president.

May 24, 2023 Kyodo

Overtime is an important factor in choosing a new job

On May 8, 2023, En Japan Co., Ltd. released the results of a survey of 10,000 working adults on overtime work. The survey was conducted on "En Tenshoku," a comprehensive job site operated by En Japan, and responses were received from 12,940 users.

◆84% of respondents answered that presence or absence of overtime work and average hours of overtime work influenced their choice of career path.

In response to the question, "To what extent do the availability and average hours of overtime affect your choice of company when you are changing jobs? The most common response was "Very much" (49%), followed by "Slightly" (35%), for a total of 84% of the respondents.

By age group, more than half of those in their 20s and 30s responded "it affects me a lot" (55% of those in their 20s and 56% of those in their 30s), and when combined with "it affects me a little," 89% of those in their 20s and 88% of those in their 30s said it affects them a lot.

In terms of gender, 44% of men responded that it "greatly affects" their work, while 54% of women responded that it "greatly affects" their work, a difference of 10 points. It is clear that women consider overtime hours more important in choosing a company than men.

◆Overtime "is increasing" for 26% and "is decreasing" for 24%. Half of the respondents "No change".

"Over the past few years, have your overtime hours been increasing? Has it been decreasing?" 50% of the respondents answered "No change", accounting for half of the total. The "increasing trend" was 26%, and the "decreasing trend" was 24%, almost the same percentage.

By industry, the consulting/professional business industry had the largest increase in overtime hours at 36%, while manufacturers (machinery, electrical, electronics, etc.) had the largest decrease at 32%.

◆Reason for increase in overtime hours is "labor shortage", reason for decrease is "corporate overtime restrictions".

When those who responded that overtime work is on the rise were asked the reason for the increase, the most common response, at 75%, was "Due to insufficient staffing”. This was followed by "Due to increased workload" at 67%.

On the other hand, the most common reason given by those who responded that their overtime hours were "on the decrease" was "because overtime work has been restricted," at 42%.

◆Only less than 40% of respondents are aware of the overtime premium system.

When asked if they were aware that "the premium rate for overtime wages exceeding 60 hours per month will be increased to 50%," 39% of those working in small and medium-sized enterprises were aware (9% knew much about it, including the details, and 30% knew only an outline), which was less than 40% of all respondents.

A total of 80% of respondents (47% "very favorable" and 33% "favorable") expressed a favorable view of the hike. On the other hand, less than 10% said they "think the increase is not good" (1% think it is very bad and 8% think it is bad).

After childcare leave, subordinates went from 37 to 0. Amex ordered to pay compensation for "violation of Equal Employment Opportunity Law"

A woman who worked for American Express, a major U.S. credit card company, claimed that she was given no subordinates after her maternity and childcare leave ended, even though she was in charge of 37 subordinates. A woman working for American Express, a major U.S. credit card company, claimed that such treatment violated the Equal Employment Opportunity Law and other laws, and demanded compensation for damages from the company. 

The Tokyo High Court ruled that the company should be compensated 2.2 million yen, changing the Tokyo District Court ruling that dismissed the woman's lawsuit, stating, "This constitutes disadvantageous treatment prohibited by the Equal Employment Opportunity Law, abuse of personnel rights, and violation of public order and morals."

According to the ruling, the woman joined the company in 2008. She was promoted in the sales department for individual customers and became a department manager with 37 subordinates in January 2002. She took sick leave in February 2003 due to physical problems associated with her pregnancy, and then took maternity and childcare leave around the time of her delivery in July of the same year.

She returned to work in August 2004, but the team led by the woman had disappeared during her absence due to organizational changes. Although at the same managerial level, she was placed in a newly established post to develop new sales channels without subordinates and was instructed to make telephone sales calls.

The court ruled that "even a change in assignment that does not immediately result in economic disadvantage, if the quality of the work is significantly reduced and may affect career development, it constitutes treatment that has a disadvantageous effect." Such treatment for pregnancy, childbirth, or childcare leave would violate the Equal Employment Opportunity Law and the Child Care and Family Care Leave Law.

Asahi Newspaper

Rules on the Specification of Working Conditions to be Revised in April 2024

◆Additional matters to be clearly stated in the working conditions

Due to amendments to the Enforcement Regulations of the Labor Standards Law, the rules for clearly stating working conditions will change from April 2024. Specifically, new items will be added to the list of items that must be clearly stated when concluding or renewing a labor contract. Let's take a look at the new items to be added for each of the timing periods in which clarification is required.

1 At the time of conclusion of all labor contracts and at the time of renewal of fixed-term labor contracts

Explicit statement a: Scope of change in place of work and duties

The "scope of change" here refers to the location of employment and job duties that may change due to future reassignment, etc. For example, for a worker whose job description is limited, the scope of the change would be stated in addition to the description immediately after hiring.

sample description

place of work:

(Immediately after hiring) Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo (Tokyo Head Office)

(Scope of change) Tokyo metropolitan area

Duties to be performed:

(Immediately after hiring) Human resource

(Scope of change) Human resources, general affairs, and accounting operations

2 At the time of conclusion and renewal of a fixed-term labor contract

Explicit item b: Existence and details of renewal limits (total contract period or maximum number of renewals)

In addition, if the renewal limit is established or shortened after the initial labor contract is signed, the reason for the change must be explained to the worker in advance.

3 At the time of renewal of a contract for which the right to apply for indefinite conversion based on the indefinite conversion rule arises

Explicit statement c: Opportunity to apply for indefinite conversion; 

Explicit statement d: Working conditions after indefinite conversion

◆Review the working conditions notice.

Regarding the first item above, for every labor contract and every renewal of a fixed-term labor contract, it is necessary to clearly indicate the "scope of change" in addition to the place of employment and the nature of work "immediately after hiring". Please review the format of the working conditions notice to ensure that it complies with the revision. In addition, note that for workers on fixed-term contracts, it is necessary to provide a clear explanation based on the company's policy in accordance with 2 and 3 above.