Work-life Balance

Fundamental Approach

In order for employees to be healthy and fully exercise their abilities, we encourage them to strike a work-life balance. We take measures to facilitate environment where employees can easily take paid time-offs and to avoid long work hours.

Results in FY2023

Usage rate of paid leave: 86.4%†

*Figures marked with “†” have been guaranteed by an independent assurance provider for the values included in our Integrated Report.

Support Raising Next-Generation Children Initiatives

Establishment of Hulic’s Onsite Childcare Nursery Facility

In 2014, we opened the Odenma Fureai Childcare Nursery inside the Hulic Head Office Building to promote a more employee-friendly work environment in which our employees can raise children while working. To make this childcare nursery more accessible, employees using this service are allowed to drive their cars to work and park them in the Head Office Building’s parking lot free of charge. In addition, this childcare nursery is not only available for the employees but also for certain children^* of neighboring residents, with the intention of contributing to reducing the number of children on nursery waiting lists in the local community.

*Conditions for use applied to neighboring children differ from those applied to employees.

Link: Odenma Fureai Childcare Nursery website (in Japanese only)

Diagram of Hulic's Next Generation Nurturing Support Program

Details of Next Generation Nurturing Support Program

System	Details
Special childcare leave/Childcare leave	Possible to take leave until a child becomes 4 years old. In case of taking a short-term childcare leave, it is possible to use the first month as a "paid special childcare leave". A male employee who took a childcare leave once within 8 weeks after childbirth is allowed to take the leave again within the period when childcare leave is still available.
Reduced working hours/Limits on overtime work	Employees who have reared a child in or younger than the third grade of elementary school can reduce work hours not exceeding two hours per day in units of 30 minutes,if they wish.
Exemption of overtime work	Employees who have reared a child in or younger than the third grade of elementary school can be exempt from overtime work, if they wish.
Staggered work hours	Employees can ask to change the time that they start work (standard working hour starts at 9 am) to either 8 am or 10 am.
Job-return system	An employee who retired due to marriage, childbirth, childrearing, and nursing care, etc. can return to work under the same working conditions as at the time of retirement.
Celebration money on auspicious occasions (marriage,childbirth)	A special payment for marriage of 100,000 yen is given to employees regardless of their service years. A special payment for childbirth is given to employees: 100,000 yen for the first child, 200,000 yen for the second child, and 1,000,000 yen for the third child and thereafter.
Childcare Center Subsidy System	Subsidize part of the childcare center fee until a child enters elementary school. A monthly payment is up to 30,000 yen for one child. (This amount applies not only to the first child, but also the second child and thereafter.) Subsidy for extended daycare nursery hours.
Subsidy for costs associated with caring for a sick child	Up to 5,000 yen is paid per day per child, for a maximum of 5 days per month, until the child reaches the end of the third year of elementary school.
Company daycare nursery inside the Hulic head office building	Hulic has established nursery facilities at its Head Office for employees. Both monthly and temporary childcare services are available at the facilities. Employees using these services may drive to work and park their cars at the Head Office Building.
Babysitter Program	When an employee use services of a babysitting business operator which has a corporate contract with Hulic Group, the entire enrollment fee of 21,000 yen, the annual fee of 10,500 yen, as well as the monthly fee up to 15,000 yen per child are subsidized, in addition to the provision of discount tickets and coupons.
Subsidy for the cost of Kids’ Club	Up to 50,000 yen is paid per month for a child until the end of his/her third year of elementary school.
Child care leave (Previous nursing care leave was incorporated in childcare leave.)	It is applicable during the period from when a female employee found out her pregnancy to when she takes maternity leave in the case it is difficult to work due to pregnancy complications, etc. It is applicable when it is necessary for an employee (regardless of gender) to nurse a sick child younger than fourth graders or to participate in the events of nursery school or elementary school. Child care leave is available for up to 10 days (in case of one child) or up to 15 days (in case of two children or more) a year and can be taken in one-hour increments.
Work from home system	Possible to work from home for the purpose of childrearing or nursing care and this system can be used in full days or half days.
Leave for childbirth of spouse	Possible to take three days off in the case of childbirth of spouse (paid).
Next-Generation Support (Infertility Treatment)	50% subsidy for out-of-pocket expenses for medical treatment (after insurance coverage). 10-day special leave (paid) can be taken for treatment in addition to paid leave in one-hour increments.
Childcare mentor program	With this program, support from human resources and other mentoring staff is available (for all employees) following pregnancy and childcare leave for one year after returning to work.

TOPICS

Platinum Kurumin Certification

Based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children, we have received Platinum Kurumin certification in 2020 from the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare as a Company that supports employees in raising the next generation at a distinctive level. We also received Kurumin certification for the third time (in 2010, 2017 and 2020).

Diverse Work Styles

Work from home (eligible for employees providing childcare and nursing care)
Introduction of staggered workdays
Employees (including managers) can start work one hour earlier or later if they want to.
Improving the Efficiency of Business Processes and Internal Promotion
We check the usage status of paid leave and implementation status of No Overtime Day as appropriate, in addition to create a holiday calendar for each employee, and hold discussions on working style at each department. In addition to time management using computer logs, etc., we work to reduce long working hours and promote the systematic use of paid leave by monitoring working hours, etc. through the Risk Management Committee and internal promotion according to guidance and advice through the Health Committee.
As a result of various initiatives, the usage rate of paid leave remained high.
Promoting the Use of Plus-one Paid Leave and Consecutive Paid Leave
Promoting the use of paid leave before and/or after Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays, and the use of 3 day holiday and one-week holidays once a year respectively.

Efforts to Support the Security of Employees and their Families

There is nothing better than for all employees to be healthy every day. However, if something unexpected happens to one of our employees, we will support the employee and his/her family through the systems listed below. We wish that such preparations for this possibility will lead to the creation of a secure and comfortable company for employees.

System	Details
Support for the bereaved, etc.	When an employee who died while in office or retired due to disability has children, and his/her unemployed spouse who rears the children wants to work at Hulic Co., Ltd. or its group companies, the job opportunity is offered.
Support for the bereaved, etc.	When an employee who died while in office or retired due to a disability has children younger than 22 years old, a scholarship of 150,000 yen a month is paid per child. (According to the application for extension, it is possible to pay for up to one year.)
Condolence money	When an employee dies or becomes disabled while in office, condolence money or a special solatium is paid to the bereaved family or the employee. In the case of a death, condolence money up to 10 million yen is paid. In the case of a disability, a special solatium equal to the amount of condolence money is paid. This payment is different from condolence money according to the contents of the"accident compensation rules".
Congratulatory or condolence payments	If, while in office, an employee or his/her spouse, child, or parents dies, 20,000 yen - 200,000 yen is paid.
Congratulatory or condolence payments	If, while in office, a house in which an employee lives is damaged by natural or accidental disasters, 100,000 yen - 1 million yen is paid to an employee who owns his/her house, and 50,000 yen - 500,000 yen to an employee who does not have his/her own house, depending on the scale of damage.
Special solatium for injuries and diseases	When an employee, while in office, is hospitalized for five consecutive days or longer due to disease and injury from a freak accident, special solatium for hospitalization is paid for up to 120 days.
Special solatium for injuries and diseases	When an employee dies while in office, condolence money of 100,000 yen is paid to a recipient designated by the employee in advance.

Hulic Head Office Tour for Families

Every year since 2013, we have held the Hulic head office tour for our employees and their families. The purpose of the tour is to have employees’ families understand the Company by providing them an opportunity to visit the workplace. We also aim to promote creating comfortable workplaces which values families by having the entire company rediscover that each employee has a cherished family. In the tour conducted in 2024, employees served as a tour conductor to the onsite workplace, also explaining environmental technologies installed in the Hulic Head Office Building. After the tour, participants had be divided and had lunch at THE GATE HOTEL TOKYO by HULIC and THE GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON by HULIC.

Participants exchange children’s name cards
At our Head Office Reception

Supporting Employees in Striking Balance between Nursing Care and Work

We provide various types of support for our employees to allow them to manage both work and nursing care when a family member of the employee is in need of care^*. The time required for nursing care and the degree of seriousness vary depending on individual cases. Therefore, we believe that improving environment of the whole workplace is indispensable. Based on this notion, we raise awareness in the workplace so that support from the co-workers is easily available to employees managing both work and nursing care. Furthermore, we have established the Regulations for Supporting the Combination of Nursing Care and Work.
As part of these initiatives, the nursing care paid leave was changed in 2021 to enable paid time off in one-hour increments from the beginning of work hour and throughout the day until the end of work hour.

Summary of Program to Support Employees in Striking Balance between Nursing Care and Work

System	Summary	Non-Eligible Employees	Allowable Days and Frequency
Family care leave	Employees are allowed to take days off for nursing regular care. (Employees are paid 100 percent of their regular salaries before taking leave for the first one month 50 percent of their regular salaries for up to total of two years.)	Employees such those who have worked for our company for less than one year or those whose predefined weekly working days are two days or less per week.	For a family member who is currently in need of care, employees may take family care leave three times over the period of two years (Family-care leave can be taken two times or more up to a total of two years.)
Days off for family care	Can be taken on daily or hourly for nursing care and other care of the target family (paid leave)	-	10 days can be taken regardless of the number of target family members (10 days can be taken in one-hour units)
Reduced working hours	For nursing care, employees are allowed to reduce their daily regular working hours by up to two hours with a unit of 30 minutes.	Those who have less than two working days per week, etc.	No restrictions on number of times of use or time of use.
Reduced working hours of family care	Employees may set days-off up to two days a week.	Those who have less than two working days per week, etc.	-
Restriction of work in excess of statutory working hours	Overtime hours of more than 24 hours in a month and 150 hours in a year are exempted.	-	The frequency of applying for this system is not restricted.

*A family member who is in need of care is defined as a spouse, father/mother, child, spouse’s father/mother, grandfather/grandmother, brother/sister, or grandchild who requires constant nursing care for over two weeks due to a reason such as injury, disease, or physical or mental disorder.