Social Diverse, Flexible, and Efficient Work Practices

Policy and Basic Mindset

UBE has put a work and vacation structure that encourages diverse work practices into place. We originally aimed for annual total working hours per person to be 1,900 hours by fiscal 2025, and successfully achieved this goal ahead of schedule in fiscal 2023. We will continue sharing monthly working hours data with all employees, aiming to encourage further reductions and strengthen such initiatives.

In April 2023, we rolled out a program that allows employees to take leave for non-occupational injuries or illness, nursing care, childcare, volunteer work, infertility treatment, personal and family anniversaries, and life events. Workers can use the program as a safety net when emergencies arise, making it easier for them to take annual paid leave.

To promote efficient work practices, we support employees in their continued use of telework and flextime hours, enabling them to maximize their performance in a flexible environment. That being said, as working online has become more widespread, we have begun noticing challenges related to communication. To address this, we are creating workplaces that encourage in-office attendance and promoting the use of cameras during online meetings to enhance workplace productivity while also maintaining psychological safety.

Management System

Human Capital Management Operation System
Human Capital Management Operation System

Targets and Performance

1. Paid Leave and Working Hours at UBE

  • Trends in Working Hours (UBE non-consolidated)
    Trends in Working Hours (UBE non-consolidated)
    • *Figures from fiscal 2023 onwards include employees at partner companies.
  • Changes in the number of annual paid leave days taken
    (UBE non-consolidated)
    Changes in the number of annual paid leave days taken (UBE non-consolidated)

2. Work-Life Balance

By actively adopting new programs to help employees balance their work and childcare or family care responsibilities, UBE has enabled flexible work styles and created more supportive workplaces.

(1) UBE Work-Life Balance Handbook

In October 2022, we published a handbook to help employees balance their professional and personal commitments. It presents support programs for balancing work with childbirth, childcare, nursing care, and medical treatment. It provides user-friendly information on these programs. We foster understanding among supervisors and peers by providing training for managers and opportunities for safety and health committee lectures.

UBE Work-Life Balance Handbook

(2) General Employer Action Plan Based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children

Furthermore, based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children, UBE has developed an action plan to help ensure an employment environment that allows employees to use their abilities to the fullest while both working and raising children.

Under the three-year action plan launched in fiscal 2022, UBE is working toward the following three goals:

  • Implementation of measures to support balance between work and family life
  • Implementation of measures to encourage work-style reforms
  • Expansion of social contribution programs related to raising the next generation.

(3) Main Work-Life Balance System

System Description
Maternity leave*1 Up to six weeks prenatal and eight weeks postpartum
Childcare leave Leave can be taken until the day before the child’s first birthday (or the child’s third birthday, in certain circumstances). The first fifteen days of leave are fully paid (total with childcare leave at childbirth and childcare leave).
Childcare leave at childbirth Employees can take four weeks of childcare leave within eight weeks of the birth of a child; four weeks may be divided into two.
Childbirth leave*2 Employees whose spouses have given birth can take four days of paid leave.
Childcare assistance allowance 20,000 yen/month per child for employees who are raising a child under 3 years old
Shortened working time The working hours of employees caring for children in elementary school or younger, nursing family members, seeing a doctor, and going to school can be shortened by up to two hours per day on request.
Flexible working hours Eligible for all employees except shift workers (no core time)
Shorted/flexible work hours Employees can use the shortened working time and flexible working hours systems together.
Child nursing leave Employees can take leave on an hourly basis to nurse children in the sixth grade of elementary school or younger. (Five days per child can be taken each year, up to a maximum of 10 days a year for two or more children.)
Family nursing leave Employees can take leave to provide nursing care for family members (up to a total of 365 days).
Family nursing short leave Employees can take leave on an hourly basis to provide nursing care for family members (up to a maximum of 5 days a year for one family member, 10 days a year for two or more family members).
Half-day annual paid leave Employees can take paid leave in half-day units
Hourly annual paid leave Employees can take paid leave in hourly units (up to 40 hours annually)
Accumulated leave Employees can accumulate up to 40 days of annual paid leave and use it to take time off for sickness/medical treatment, caregiving, fertility treatment, social and community contribution activities, volunteer activities, etc.
Life support leave Employees to take leave for personal injury or illness, nursing care, childcare, volunteer work, infertility treatment, personal and family anniversaries, and life events. (5 days are granted each year and can be accumulated up to a maximum of 40 days.)
Telework Employees can work from home as a means to improve work-life balance, raise productivity, and prepare BCPs.
Career restart Gives employees the option to resume their careers if they have to quit for reasons out of their control, such as marriage, giving birth, parenting, caregiving or spouse’s job transfer
  • *1Available for female employees
  • *2Available for male employees