Promoting Work-life Balance
In accordance with the basic policy on D&I, INPEX promotes work–life balance, aiming to create an environment where all employees can work and demonstrate their full potential in a way that befits their lifestyles.
In line with this objective, we established a group-wide flextime work scheme in April 2019, which was previously limited to employees with childcare and nursing-care responsibilities. We also introduced work-from-home arrangements for office-based staff in April 2020. Core time was eliminated from the flextime work policy in April 2021, and the policy was extended to cover all employees at domestic operating sites. In addition to providing paid leave in half-day units, we continue to encourage employees to take consecutive days off during summer and to recommend dates for taking paid leave. These measures aim to give employees time for physical and mental refreshment.
To reduce overtime work, Wednesday is designated as a work–life balance day in Japan, where employees are encouraged to go home early. If an employee’s overtime continuously exceeds a certain number of hours, the supervisor and the HR Division will communicate with the employee to understand the situation, jointly identify problems, and figure out solutions.
As a further measure to promote diversity and individuality, in FY2018, the company introduced a year-round casual business dress code to make the work environment even more motivating for employees.
Support for Child Raising and Nursing Care
INPEX supports work–life balance for employees who are either parenting or providing care to family members, and has created a comprehensive support framework that goes beyond the legal requirements. Examples include: payment of full salary for the first five days of childcare leave; payment of 20% of salary during childcare or family-care leave2; and payment of salary during sick/injured childcare leave or nursing-care leave for up to five days per eligible child3. Moreover, employees can take leave during working hours regardless of the reason.
Parenting and family care are important life events for employees. To support work–life balance for employees in these positions, we have created a flexible work regime. This includes flextime without core time, as well as work-from-home arrangements, which have now become well established. The scheme offers a high degree of flexibility, allowing employees with parental or nursing-care responsibilities to work at different times of the day and for shorter periods by combining the shortened work hours program with flextime.
On top of these system-related initiatives, effort has also focused on shaping positive attitudes through a training program established in 2017 for managers with staff who are raising children, to ensure proper follow-through at the managerial level. Male employees are encouraged to participate in parenting via information posted on the intranet that explains the benefits and workings of the parental leave system. As a result of these efforts, the percentage of males taking parental leave has maintained a high level in recent years, rising to around 54% in the 12 months to December 2021. In accordance with the revision of the Child Care and Family Care Leave Law, we are promoting understanding of the Law by holding in-house briefings on its contents.
Schemes to remotivate employees returning to work from childcare leave include: discussion meetings prior to resuming work to help minimize mental anxiety; and a personal development program that can be used by employees interested in improving their skills while on leave. Those who return to work prior to their child’s first birthday can take two 30-minute nursing breaks per day, with pay, up to the day before the child turns one year old.
To assist employees raising children, there are childcare support arrangements for children up to the age of three. In addition, we have an agreement with a company-led nursery school to give enrollment priority to the children of company employees, and we have also signed up with a childcare service provider.
In recognition of these initiatives to balance work with child-rearing, the Tokyo Labor Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare rated INPEX highly over the FY2018-2020 period as a company that supports parenting, awarding us the next generation certification known as “Kurumin” for a fourth time.
INPEX also supports a balance of work and care responsibilities by flexibly applying rules relating to care leave for those with elderly parents, even if they are not officially certified care recipients.
2 In Japan, the law allows employees to take childcare leave up to the day before a child’s first birthday (and up to the child’s second birthday if childcare facilities cannot be used and the company agrees). A person who is not a child’s main caregiver may also take childcare leave up to the day before the child’s first birthday. During childcare leave, the public employment security office pays 67% of regular monthly salary as childcare allowance during the first 180 days, and 50% thereafter.
3 A maximum of 10 days if there are two or more eligible children.