Leave Isn’t Just For Birthing People
Japan is known for many things—excellent food, cherry blossoms, bullet trains, Pokémon, and more. But did you know it also has one of the world's most generous paid parental leave policies? The East Asian country offers four weeks of paternity leave that can be extended up to fifty-two weeks, completely separate from the fourteen weeks offered for mothers, which can also be extended up to a year.
How much paternity leave do men in the United States get? ZERO. Employers looking to bolster their benefits packages have begun to offer multi-week paternity leave, typically maxing out at four weeks. A year is completely unheard of. Most employers do not offer any leave for new fathers, requiring people to take their hard-earned vacation or sick days. Those without benefits are forced to take unpaid time off or work more to allow their partners to be with their newborns or to afford high childcare costs.
Japan has a notoriously workaholic culture, contributing to declining birthrates. In an attempt to reverse this trend, the Japanese government has implemented these generous leave policies to ease the burden on working parents. Japan realizes that, as the third-largest economy in the world, it must ensure its population can sustain the demands of raising children to maintain its global standing.
Still, in both Japan and the United States, men are often resistant to taking leave for fear of how it might be perceived in the workplace and how it could ultimately affect their careers. Co-workers or leaders might interpret them as not being committed to the job or weak because of the traditional belief that raising a child should primarily fall to the mother. These concerns have led to only 14% of Japanese men taking leave, again pushing the burden back onto mothers.
It’s hard to say if other countries will follow suit, especially in the US where the Supreme Court and several states have rolled back reproductive rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The rollback of these rights highlights a broader cultural resistance to supporting families comprehensively, including through generous leave policies. However, Japan has provided a template for supporting men taking paternity leave. Just 2% of Japanese men took leave in 2013 versus 17% in 2022, showing a concerted effort to destigmatize this practice. There is still a long way to go until men feel comfortable taking advantage of these programs. Perhaps removing the distinction between maternal and paternal leave is one way to reduce the stigma around men taking leave around the birth of a child.
In addition to the existing policies, new changes are on the horizon. Aeon, one of Japan’s largest retail companies, has announced an enhanced parental leave policy starting in 2024. This policy will allow employees, regardless of gender, to take up to one year of paid parental leave. This progressive move is expected to set a precedent for other companies in Japan, encouraging a more balanced approach to child-rearing responsibilities.
Moreover, beginning in 2025, the Japanese government will introduce new changes to the national paid leave policy. These changes aim to further increase the flexibility and accessibility of parental leave for all working parents. The revised policy will offer additional support and incentives for both mothers and fathers to take leave, addressing some of the barriers that currently prevent men from fully utilizing their leave entitlements. This is part of a broader strategy to combat the country's declining birthrate and support work-life balance for its citizens.
As Japan continues to adapt and improve its parental leave policies, it provides an important case study in how governments and corporations can work together to support families. By learning from Japan's example, other countries can explore ways to create more inclusive and supportive environments for working parents.
