Hello, this is EggU.
When you think about a future with children, one of the things that makes you anxious is probably the timing of your maternity leave.
Companies have systems in place to support child-rearing, such as maternity leave and childcare leave, and there are many experienced mothers and fathers who actually make use of these systems, but you may have many concerns, such as what you need to be careful of if you actually take maternity leave, and when you can start taking maternity leave in the first place.
Basic information about maternity leave
The maternity protection provisions of the Labor Standards Act stipulate the following:
Maternity leave: Pregnant women can take maternity leave from six weeks before their due date (14 weeks before in the case of twins, etc.) . This is permitted by law and can be taken at the woman's request.
Maternity leave: Companies are not allowed to employ female employees for eight weeks after giving birth (this is a compulsory leave). However, if a doctor gives permission and the employee wishes, they can return to work six weeks after giving birth .
In addition, if a pregnant woman requests it, the nature of her work may be changed (to other lighter work).
Anyone who violates these regulations will be punished with imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to 300,000 yen .
It is important to be aware of these regulations and plan accordingly.
Reference: Maternal health management measures for working women and maternity protection regulations (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/koyoukintou/seisaku05/01.html
How much can you consult with your workplace about how to work while pregnant?
When considering taking maternity leave , one thing that comes to mind is length of employment. For example, after changing jobs, some people may think , "I wonder if it's difficult to ask for maternity leave until I've worked there for at least three years..."
In conclusion, there is no requirement for length of employment for maternity leave , so if a female worker is planning to give birth, she can take maternity leave even if she has been with the company for less than a year.
Also, even before taking maternity leave, if the effects of pregnancy make it difficult to perform normal duties, the pregnant woman can request to have her shifted to other lighter work. There are examples such as, "My morning sickness symptoms were so severe that, although the company culture requires me to come to the office five days a week, I was switched to remote work until my health stabilized ," and "As we worked on event-related initiatives, I was removed from physical work related to venue preparation and standing work ."
Know your present and think about your future together
In this way, by discussing your individual circumstances with your company or superiors, you can spend your pregnancy working in a way that suits you.
However, there may be some things that you can't think of on your own, such as not knowing how to consult with your company or whether there are any things you should be careful of when consulting with them.
EggU wants to support women who have such concerns.
EggU combines an at-home egg testing kit with online counseling with a specialist (midwife or nurse) . Learning about your current body through the test kit can be an opportunity to face your future career and life. After that, the counselor will provide individual support to help each woman take the first step toward choosing the career and life that best suits her, in addition to caring about her body .
EggU counselors also include career coaching experts. You can ask the counselors about common issues that arise when supporting women's careers. The career coach's column, " Thinking from a career counselor's perspective! Strategies for balancing pregnancy, childbirth, and work, " is also popular. Please give it a read.
