Building an Environment where Childcare Leave can be Taken at Any Time. Initiatives to Promote Work and Childcare Balance

First, please tell us why you took childcare leave and how long you took it for.

I took three months of childcare leave upon the birth of my second child.

With my first child, I had no sense of the need to take childcare leave and did not take it, but with my second child, I considered the option of taking childcare leave as a man, and since my wife was also working too, I made the decision to take the leave.

I took 10 months’ leave for my first child and 13 months for my second child. When my first child was born, I wanted to return to work as soon as possible, so I decided to return within a year. In both cases, I took childcare leave in conjunction with maternity leave.

At YKK AP, although the rate of childcare lave uptake by eligible female employees was 100% in FY2023, we believe that there are issues to be addressed in terms of promoting women’s advancement from the perspective of long-term career development.

With respect to men, meanwhile, although the uptake rate is high, the issue remains that some men have yet to take advantage of it.

When we surveyed male employees about taking childcare leave, the first and second most common reasons for wanting to take childcare leave but not being able to do so were work-related. The most common reasons given were "it would interfere with my work" and "it would increase the workload on my colleagues."

Fukuroi-san, you took three months of childcare leave. What were your concerns when you took the leave?

I too was concerned about the extra burden it would place on the members of my division.

My childcare leave came in the same year I was transferred to a new department, and I was worried about it needing to be explained to customers in areas I was unfamiliar with, and about handing over responsibilities within the company. In addition, because the department I had transferred to was small, I had to hand over most of my duties to the branch office manager, which I felt guilty about.

The branch officer manager coordinated work with the relevant departments and also made various efforts to reach out to our customers, which helped win the understanding of colleagues and customers, and allowed me to take the leave with peace of mind. I am sure it did put an extra burden on the branch office manager, but I am grateful that during my childcare leave, they did not contact me about work and took care of my duties.

It must have been very reassuring to have your supervisor take the initiative in creating an environment where you felt comfortable taking leave.

Could you tell us about what happened after you returned to work?

When returning to work after leave, there are challenges in terms of job fulfilment and the working environment. When you have a child, you will have to balance work and childcare, and I think this changes the way you think and feel about job fulfilment and the working environment.

Since it is common for women to take childcare leave in conjunction with maternity leave, I imagine there was little opposition to you taking the leave itself, but did you have any concerns about returning to work?

When I had my first child, the timing of my return to work was just when the Kanagawa Division was being newly established, so I wasn’t able to envision the work I would be doing after returning, and that made me nervous. In reality, however, it was rewarding to be involved in the business of setting up a division from scratch.

With my second child, I wanted to balance work and childcare, as well as keep a good handle on my work, so I also used my experience with my first child to achieve a good mix between the two.

The fact that, despite some uncertainties, you were ultimately able to draw on the experience for your career is very encouraging.

YKK AP has a "Support System for Balancing Work and Childcare" to help employees manage work and childcare after returning to work from leave.

This includes the ability to adjust working hours, such as shorter hours, staggered hours, and flextime. In addition, "Children’s Nursing Leave," which can be used for sudden illnesses or school events, allows employees to take off 15 days per year in either one-day or hour increments until the end of the child’s sixth grade.

In addition, the Work Shift Institute’s "Warm-up Program for Returning from Childcare Leave — A Place for Moms and Dads to Connect — Petit MBA for Childcare Leave" (hereafter referred to as, Petit MBA), which enables employees to acquire knowledge and maintain and improve their skills in preparation for career concerns during childcare leave, was introduced as a benefit program in 2023.

By incorporating these outside training programs, we have created opportunities to interact with and people from other companies and to develop deeper understanding. The goal is to provide support for those who want to study during childcare leave, as well as for those who are worried about the isolation and lack of social connections that can arise.

Hirata-san, you took part in the "Petit MBA" yourself. Can you tell us about your experience?

It was very rewarding!

It was my first time participating in a Petit MBA, and there was time for discussion among participants based on case studies, so I was able to learn while applying the lessons to my own circumstances. For example, in response to a scenario in which the main character is unable to work overtime after returning to work, causing issues within the company, the participants discuss what they would do in the position of the main character and the head of department. It was easy for me to imagine finding myself in that situation. This was not something I could take the time to think about when I was engaged in childcare, so it was a valuable opportunity in that respect too.

There are not many opportunities to hear from actual participants, as the person responsible for handling the program at YKK AP, I am very glad to hear that you found it interesting.

Since 2015, YKK AP has been conducting the "APWoman Career Development Program," our career development support program for female employees. The program provides support for participants’ long-term career development through various training programs such as career design training, in-house exchange events, and a mentoring system.

Hirata-san, you also participated in the "APWoman Career Development Program." Could you tell us a little about that?

My supervisor encouraged me to join the program and I have been participating since after my second spell of childcare leave. Since participants come from various departments and positions, it was refreshing to hear their thoughts on work and the careers they aspire to pursue, which are different from my own. Since there are many men in the division, there are no opportunities for all women to gather together, so my participation also allowed me to enjoy such an environment.

I hope that you will be able to continue working on this in your future career development.

Fukuroi-san, how do you balance work and childcare?

After taking childcare leave, I am more conscious of work-life balance. On days when I can come home early, I share childcare duties with my wife, such as bathing the children. There are times when you really can’t take your eyes off the children, like when my youngest tries to put their elder brother’s small toys in their mouth, so I feel it is important to have a system where my wife and I work together.

When children are that age, and they require constant supervision, it’s very important for parents to work together, isn’t it?

How did your family react to you taking childcare leave?

It was my wife who was most pleased with my taking childcare leave. Since giving birth is not the end of the process, but rather the beginning of a difficult period, I feel that during this uncertain period, it is important for couples to work together on childcare.

YKK AP established a childcare leave system in 1991 following the establishment of the Act on Childcare Leave, Caregiver Leave, and Other Measures for the Welfare of Workers Caring for Children or Other Family Members (Childcare Act). As of 2023, the uptake rate of childcare leave is 100% among eligible female employees, but 67.7% among eligible male employees. In 2009, the uptake rate of childcare leave among eligible male employees was 1.5%, so although the uptake rate has increased since then, it is still low compared to that for female employees.

On the other hand, about 80% of male employees in their 20s and 30s want to take childcare leave after the birth of their children, so we are trying to find ways to encourage them to do so.

As part of our efforts to establish a culture that makes it easy to take childcare leave, we offered a pregnancy experience to newly appointed department heads in 2024. The experience helped participants to appreciate the importance of understanding pregnant women and talking to their subordinates, such as giving appropriate consideration to pregnant colleagues and encouraging male colleagues to return home early for their pregnant wives and to take childcare leave. Participants commented that they had been made aware of various issues, such as the need to follow up with female employees and their own wives, and to review day to day operations.

Fukuroi-san, you mentioned that when you took childcare leave, you received support from those around you, but what did that involve exactly?

First I consulted with the head of the branch office about two to three months before taking leave. The branch manager then immediately approached all relevant parties, including the department manager. From there, we discussed the specifics of how my duties would be handed over. They also established a cooperative support system, such as making sure that the customers I dealt with were informed in writing and in person about how my period of childcare leave would be handled.

The customers were very understanding regarding childcare, and I am still able to balance work and childcare with everyone’s support.

It must be a great relief to have that kind of understanding from customers as well.

YKK AP endorses "IKUKYU.PJT," an initiative being undertaken by Sekisui House, Ltd. from 2024. This is an initiative to make Japan a society in which it is the norm for men to take childcare leave. YKK AP also hopes that its initiatives for encouraging male employees to take childcare leave will lead to a better understanding of men taking childcare leave across society as a whole.

I believe that working for a company that takes childcare leave seriously will lead to people holding more positive opinions about their work and the company. For my part, I felt a greater sense of gratitude to the company for their kindness and support, and a greater desire to make a contribution to the company.

In some departments, there may be no one to talk to, or people may find it difficult to talk to someone. What I want to see become more widespread is a culture where, rather than assuming that taking leave will be difficult because you’re a man or because you work in sales, everyone feels that they can readily take childcare leave. As such, I want to be proactive in offering support when my colleagues take childcare leave.

I believe that the example of people like Fukuroi-san, who has been able to balance work and childcare, will lead to an environment conducive to men taking childcare leave, even among sales staff, where the uptake rate is low.

At YKK AP, our goal is not to achieve a 100% uptake rate for childcare leave among male employees, but rather to create a culture in which it is taken as given that all men who wish to take childcare leave can do so.

Hirata-san, what was your experience?

When it comes to maternity and childcare leave for women, the idea of taking a year or so off has become well established in society, and because I was able to hand over my duties after I found out I was pregnant, the department had plenty of time to make arrangements.

There were times when I could not visit customers or attend meetings due to morning sickness, but my coworkers understood and helped me with my duties.

This kind of understanding makes for a pleasant working environment, doesn’t it?

Since I share childcare responsibilities with my husband, since 2024 I have been using flextime to accommodate picking up and dropping off my children, and that is something I am very grateful for.

In terms of balancing work and childcare, there will inevitably be things that you can and cannot do, such as having to take time off suddenly. But it is not only those who are raising children who have these kinds of constraints on their work. I hope that we can create an environment in which everyone working at YKK AP can do so in comfort.

It is sometimes said that balancing work and childcare will give you time management skills. I believe that the experience of raising children can be applied to work as well.

The word “diversity” means a wide range of differences, and we believe, as a matter of course, that everyone is, with their own set of values. At YKK AP, we will continue to promote diversity and inclusion that creates new value through mutual recognition and respect for individual differences.