The government plans to introduce a new system from next fiscal year in which managers employed by the central government will be evaluated on how much they encourage their male subordinates to take parental leave, aiming to have male national public servants take more than one month of such leave, The Yomiuri Shimbun recently learned.
The system is aimed at creating workplace environments in which employees can take parental leave without the issue being left up to the workers themselves.
A policy under the new system will require managers to inform male subordinates expecting a child of the importance of taking part in childcare and to recommend that they take more than one month of paternity leave within one year after their baby is born. Managers will also be required to draw up plans for their subordinates to take leave.
The policy stipulates that senior officials at the rank of deputy director general or higher who oversee managerial employees be evaluated based on whether they have made efforts to create a workplace environment that makes it easier for young employees to take parental leave.
According to the Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs, 12% of male national public servants took parental leave in fiscal 2018 and about 30% of those took more than one month of leave.
The government believes that factors such as concerns about income, busy jobs and workplace atmosphere are preventing employees from taking parental leave.
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