Work-Life Balance
Basic Approach
The Hitachi High-Tech Group is advancing work style reforms, including the prevention of excessively long working hours and the development of various leave systems, so that each employee can work with a sense of purpose and fulfillment while also achieving a balance with childcare and other responsibilities, in response to changes in social structure due to the declining birthrate and an aging population, as well as diversifying lifestyles.
Initiatives
Working Style Reform Initiatives
To realize more productive ways of working, each department is working to effectively utilize working hours and promote more focused work styles, thereby drawing out the abilities of each employee and aiming to enhance organizational capabilities. Furthermore, in addition to reducing total working hours, we aim to maximize organizational and individual performance by promoting autonomous and flexible work styles, pursuing happiness and well-being for employees in both “work” and “life.”
| FY | Initiatives |
|---|---|
| FY2015– | Challenge 20-20 Roll out activities aimed at realizing more productive ways of working and improving productivity Each workplace devises ways to effectively utilize working hours and promote more focused work styles, thereby aiming at drawing out the abilities of each employee and enhancing organizational capabilities. |
| FY2016 | Hitachi High-Tech Group Work Style Reform Declaration ※1 Top management announces the “Work Style Reform Declaration” internally and externally Strengthen momentum for the initiatives and accelerate and advance work style reform across the Hitachi High-Tech Group |
| FY2019– | Active 20-20 (Phase I) In addition to existing initiatives, promote efforts to create a company where employees can work with energy and enthusiasm, with a focus on each employee’s “happiness” Strengthen measures to achieve well-being and promote hybrid work |
| FY2022– | Active 20-20 (Phase II) In addition to reducing total working hours, designate “diverse work styles,” “communication,” and “physical and mental health” as priority areas and maximize organizational and individual performance to achieve employee happiness and well-being in both “work” and “life.” |
| FY2025– | Continuously promote initiatives that support individual success and organizational growth by achieving employee well-being |
※1
Hitachi High-Tech Group's Working Style Reform Declaration
- Top management will take the lead in working style reform.
- Managers will implement thoroughgoing time management and carry out transformation of our awareness of these matters.
- Specifically, we will engage in the following three areas:
- ①Promote greater efficiency by reviewing business processes, thoroughgoingly implementing no-overtime days, and curbing in-house email at night and on holidays.
- ②We promote the use of flexible work arrangements such as flextime and telecommuting to increase flexibility in working hours and locations.
- ③Promote the systematic use of annual paid leave, and increase opportunities for broadening perspectives and experience.
Enhancing Work-Life Balance Support Programs
To support our employees in achieving a better work-life balance, we are striving to develop and disseminate programs for employees who need to care for children or sick relatives, taking into account legal reforms as we do so. We expanded eligibility for home telework, work in satellite offices, and spot remote work to all employees, and with regard to flextime work, we are encouraging hybrid work, which enhances worksite and time flexibility and enables employees to independently select their own working style such as independently selecting work hours within a certain timeframe according to how busy their work is (employees can also select to have three days off per week by setting a non-working day). In addition, we have been implementing the Childcare Full Support Project in the second half of FY2020 to achieve 100% rate of taking childcare leave by male employees with the objectives of promoting empowerment of female employees by eliminating existing notions regarding the division of labor between the sexes, enhancing engagement by maintaining a good work-life balance, and preparing for the risk of separation due to the need to provide family care. In FY2025, the childcare leave uptake rate among male employees reached 100%, and use of childcare leave or spousal childbirth leave has expanded.
General Employer Action Plan Pursuant to the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children
| Category | Program Name | Outline |
|---|---|---|
| Working Hours | Flextime | No core time. Employees can independently set their working hours within a certain timeframe according to how busy their work is (employees can also opt to have three days off per week by setting a non-working day) |
| Diversification of paid leave system | Paid leave can be taken in one-day units, half-day units, and hourly units. | |
| Short working hours | Shortened working hours are available for the period until a child graduates from elementary school (or, if the child has a disability or requires medical care, until graduation from elementary, junior high or senior high school, special support school, vocational school, or university), for family care (including nursing equivalent to caregiving), or for career development reasons, as described below. 7 hours, 6.5 hours, 6 hours, 5 hours, 4 hours (Actual daily working hours for full-time staff: 7 hours 45 minutes) Note: "5 hours" and "4 hours" are in cases of special circumstances recognized by the company. |
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| Restriction of / Exemption from overtime work and late-night work | Upon application by an employee bringing up a child who is not yet attending elementary school (under special circumstances, employees whose children have not yet graduated from elementary school are also eligible) or an employee providing nursing care for a family member (including care equivalent to nursing care), we implement the following arrangements (length of time required between not less than one month and no more than one year, with no limit on the number of applications):
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| Home telework, satellite office work, spot remote work | All employees eligible regardless of childcare or caregiving | |
| Short work week | Employees who have a family member requiring constant caregiving and employees requiring ongoing medical treatment may be able to work four days or three days per week if certain conditions are met. Note: A three-day week is in cases of special circumstances recognized by the company. |
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| Work-interval | Provision of 10-hour intervals between work periods from the perspective of health maintenance. | |
| Initiative to resolve issue of assignment to distant location unaccompanied by family | Permission to work from home or other such remote location granted only in cases where doing so will satisfy operational requirements as well as expense requirements and where the employee wishes it. | |
| Leave of Absence for Family Support | Maternity leave | Period of 8 weeks (14 weeks for a multiple pregnancy) prior to the expected birth date to 8 weeks after giving birth |
| Leave of absence for childcare purposes | Length of time required, up to a maximum of three years in total until the child finishes his or her first year of elementary school It can be taken in segments. |
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| Paid leave for childcare purposes | Five days per child until the child turns one-year old. Can be combined with conventional childcare leave and applied to the first five days. | |
| Spousal childbirth leave | For employees who have a spouse or same-sex partner due to give birth within eight weeks, or in the case of multiple pregnancy within 14 weeks, and also employees who have a spouse or same-sex partner who has given birth not more than eight weeks previously, five days of leave per childbirth when requested for the purpose of childbirth by their spouse or same-sex partner. | |
| Fertility treatment leave | For employees who have a spouse or same-sex partner and who intend to return to continue their work following leave for fertility treatment, leave for the necessary period of time up to a maximum of one year in total per circumstance. | |
| Leave of absence for nursing care purposes | Length of time required, up to a maximum of one year in total per circumstance giving rise to the need for nursing care It can be taken in segments. (includes care equivalent to nursing care) |
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| Sick/Injured family care leave | Seven days/year | |
| Sick/Injured childcare leave | Seven days/year per child until elementary school graduation | |
| Annual short-term nursing leave | Five days/year per person receiving nursing care | |
| Leave for spouse’s transfer | These leaves may be taken multiple times, for a minimum of six months in principle and up to a cumulative total of three years, to accompany a spouse or same-sex partner on a domestic or overseas transfer. | |
| Congratulations/Condolences leave | 3 to 7 days, depending on the circumstances | |
| Work-Life Balance Subsidies | Subsidies to support work-childcare balance | Subsidies for various childcare services until the child finishes the third year of elementary school, available to single-parent employees raising a child and employees when both of the child’s parents are working. The following amounts are provided per child (per year): Before entering elementary school: 100,000 yen During first to third years of elementary school: 50,000 yen |
| Subsidies to support work-nursing care balance | A subsidy of up to 100,000 yen per year for the portion of fees for services covered by the long-term care insurance system to be borne by the patient, nursing care taxi fees, etc., available to employees personally providing nursing care to a family member in Japan (regardless of whether living together or not). | |
| Support allowance for establishing a work-care balance system | For employees who personally provide care for family members residing in Japan (regardless of whether they live together or separately) and meet the eligibility requirements, the company will provide reimbursement—up to a maximum of 300,000 yen—for out-of-pocket expenses for home renovations as specified by the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, as well as key money and initial fees associated with moving into a care facility. |