Promotion of Work-life Balance
In accordance with its policy on DE&I, INPEX is promoting work-life balance, aiming to create an environment where all employees can work according to their individual circumstances while maximizing their abilities in a way that suits their lifestyle.
To support this objective, in April 2019, we established a Group-wide flextime work system, a system which had previously been limited to employees with childcare and nursing-care responsibilities. We also introduced work-from-home arrangements for office-based employees in April 2020. In April 2021, core time was eliminated from the flextime work system, and the system was extended to include employees at all Japan-based operational sites. In addition to allowing paid leave in half-day units, we continue to encourage employees to take consecutive days off during summer and set recommended 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 threshold, the employee’s supervisor and the Human Resources Unit will communicate with the employee to understand the situation, jointly identify problems, and devise strategies to address these problems.
As a further measure to promote diversity and individuality, we introduced a year-round casual business dress code to make the work environment even more motivating for employees.
Support for Childcare and Nursing Care
We support work-life balance for employees who are either parenting or providing care to family members, and have created a comprehensive framework to support lifestyle requirements. We offer statutory childcare leave to employees (maximum of 24 months), up to the day before the child’s first birthday, or up to the child’s second birthday if childcare facilities cannot be used and the Company agrees. We also exceed the legal requirement in paying employees their full salary for the first five days of starting childcare leave and 20% of their salary during childcare or nursing-care leave1. We also provide payment of salary during sick/injured childcare leave or nursing-care leave for up to five days per eligible family member2, which is again above the legal requirement.
Moreover, we have adopted flextime without core time so that employees can take leave during working hours regardless of the reason. To round out the flexible workstyles we provide, we also offer work-from-home arrangements, which have become well established within the Company. The scheme offers a high degree of flexibility, allowing employees with childcare or nursing-care responsibilities to work at different times of the day, as well as for shorter periods through the shortened work hours program with flextime.
In addition to these system-related initiatives, we have also focused our efforts towards fostering positive attitudes through an ongoing training program for supervisors overseeing staff with children. This aims to ensure diligent follow-up care by supervisors. We also encourage male employees to participate in parenting and share information on our intranet to advocate for the benefits of childcare leave for male employees and how the system works. As a result of these efforts, there is a growing trend in the percentage of males taking childcare leave. We seek to establish an environment that supports childcare leave and promote its understanding through actions such as holding internal briefings in alignment with the revision of the Child Care and Family Care Leave Law, as well as extending the eligibility of special leave for spouse’s childbirth (three days of paid leave) to encompass both pre and post-expected due dates, rather than solely after childbirth.
In order to help alleviate any anxiety employees retuning to work after childcare leave may have, we offer a personal development program to those interested in improving their skills while on leave and encourage participation in discussions prior to returning to the workplace. Those who return to work prior to their child’s first birthday, are entitled to two 30-minute nursing breaks per day (paid) until the child turns one year old.
To further assist employees with childcare responsibilities, we provide 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 our employees. We have also signed up with a childcare service provider.
Acknowledging these efforts, the Tokyo Labor Bureau has consistently praised INPEX since FY2012 as a company that supports its employees to balance work with childcare responsibilities. As a testament to our commitment, we have been awarded with the “Kurumin” next-generation certification four times.
We also support a balance of work and nursing-care responsibilities by offering flexible arrangements related to nursing-care leave for those with elderly parents, even if they are not officially certified care recipients as per the usual legal requirement.
1 During childcare leave, the public employment security office pays 67% or 50% of regular monthly salary as childcare allowance. Separate from this childcare allowance, we go beyond the legal requirement and pay 20% of an employee’s salary during childcare leave. In October 2022, we introduced measures in Japan aimed at encouraging male employees to further engage in parenting responsibilities. These measures included parental leave, allowing up to four weeks within the first eight weeks after childbirth, as well as the option to take this leave in up to two installments.
2 A maximum of 10 days if there are two or more eligible family members