Regarding childcare and nursing care, we have established a support system exceeding the legal obligation and is implementing various support measures so that both male and female employees can continue working during times they are needed at home, including from pregnancy to childbirth, for childcare, and for nursing family members.

In particular, by making it mandatory for male employees to take the paid leave portion (3 days) of childcare leave and for managers to encourage male employees to take leave and to confirm the employees' wishes regarding childcare leave (4 weeks or more) with the aim of achieving a "father's childcare leave rate of 100%," we are working to spread understanding in order to foster an organizational culture in which it is normal for both men and women to take childcare leave.

More specifically, full-time employees may take up to three years of childcare leave, up to nine years of partial childcare leave (12 years if the baby has a disability ) and up to one year of nursing care leave. In October 2018, the Japan Post Group also started partly paying for childcare leave, allowing employees on fertility treatment to take leave and rehiring employees who retired due to cancer treatment.
apan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance obtained the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Platinum Kurumin Certification for excellently supporting the raising of children.

Employees that are women may take a total of 14 weeks of maternity leave before and after giving birth. (If they are full-time employees, they can be paid during that time.)

With regard to employee healthcare treatment, we are taking steps to improve work environments and a work-life balance, including the enhancement of sick leave, the leave system, and the leave for infertility treatments so that employees can continue working with peace of mind.
In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, as further promotion measures, we will implement measures to improve the work environment by deploying initiatives to deepen the understanding of such conditions as menopause, by sharing basic information on menopause at the workplace, raising awareness of the poor physical health that may afflict this generation, and improving the health literacy of those employees who are themselves suffering from menopause.

To help employees to balance work and childcare, the Japan Post Group organizes seminars titled Think with your Partner about Balancing Childcare and Work, which employees, etc. can attend during childcare leave with their partners and children.

The seminars feature lectures called Let's Find Your Favorite Moments in Work and Childcare! by an outside specialist invited to discuss topics such as workstyles and career development in childcare years. In addition, attendees study in groups and share thoughts and findings about their attitudes toward work and childcare, tips for balancing work and childcare and the joy and anxieties of caring for children with each other. At the end of the seminars, our internal childcare-related support programs are introduced and guidance on the use of our welfare services is given.

To help employees to balance work and nursing care, the Japan Post Group organizes Seminars on Working while Providing Nursing Care. For the seminars, outside speakers are invited to explain the administrative and other services available to employees who have to take care of a family member or relative while continuing to work. Furthermore, during the seminars, information is shared about internal systems for supporting nursing care and welfare services.

Videos from the seminars have been made available for viewing since 2021 so employees can watch and learn from them at any time.

Japan Post joined the IkuBoss corporate alliance, run by Fathering Japan nonprofit organization, in January 2017 and organizes internal training sessions to increase employees' understanding of IkuBoss around the country.

The Japan Post Group is affiliated with the IkuBoss corporate alliance run by Fathering Japan nonprofit organization and, based on the idea that ensuring that all employees continue to be energetic and happy is important, strives to develop attractive "IkuBosses^*" who respect their subordinates' work-life balance, produce good results at work and are capable of enjoying their own work and private life.

• *IkuBosses are bosses who are willing to respect their subordinates' and colleagues' balance of work, childcare, nursing care and their personal lives and to understand the circumstances arising from this balance. (Excerpt from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website)