HR-ON-THE-GO: Japan HR News Roundup

In Japan, the childcare leave law only covers employed “workers,” which excludes Diet lawmakers from an official childcare leave system. It’s the first time a Cabinet minister has announced and followed through with paternity leave. With no precedents to follow, Koizumi admitted he was somewhat confused about how to go about taking paternity leave, but added that “the system will not change unless the number of male public servants taking leave increases.”

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/

While racial harassment — including slurs, jokes or the targeting of a person due to their race or ethnicity — is considered offensive and illegal in many countries around the world, awareness of the problematic phenomenon is still lacking in Japan.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/

Japan’s unique, long-held employment practices characterized by annual new graduate recruitment, lifetime jobs and seniority-based pay raises have helped support economic growth in the postwar period.

Heightened concerns over the new coronavirus outbreak has led many Japanese companies to make greater use of teleworking as a health measure, to prevent exposing their employees to the virus on public transport or in offices.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved bills to urge businesses to let employees work until age 70, as the country seeks to expand the working population to cover rising social security costs amid the rapid graying of society.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/

Companies in Japan are taking preventative measures to deal with the spread of the coronavirus. Some are telling their employees to work from home if they have recently been in China.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday revealed a plan to designate pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus as a special infectious disease, with the aim of making it possible to provide urgent treatment to patients using public funds.

The number of companies using esports events as a tool to deepen communication among employees is on the rise in Japan, with younger generations preferring such events to going on company trips or in-house sports festivals.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's most powerful business lobby on Tuesday called on member companies to review the country's long-held employment practices, including automatic pay raises based on seniority and service longevity, amid the need to attract talent in a competitive and fast-digitalizing economy. 

Source: https://mainichi.jp/