①Employers must, with regard to an employed worker who takes care of a child from three years of age until starting elementary school, take two or more of the measures set forth in the following items, based on an application from the worker, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

②When the employer takes the measure set forth in item (iv) of the preceding paragraph pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the leave prescribed in that item may be obtained in units of less than one day as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare by persons other than those prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as employees whose scheduled working hours per day are short.

③The provisions of paragraph (1) (limited, with regard to a worker set forth in item (iii), to the part pertaining to item (iv) of the same paragraph; the same applies hereinafter in this paragraph) do not apply to a worker who falls under any of the following items and who is set forth as a person for whom the measures pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) are not taken, under a written agreement between the employer and either a labor union, if any, organized by a majority of workers at the place of business where the worker is employed or between the employer and a person who represents the majority of the workers when there is no labor union organized by the majority of workers at the place of business where the worker is employed.

④When an employer intends to take the measures pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), the employer must hear in advance the opinion of a labor union organized by a majority of workers at that place of business, if any, or, when there is no labor union organized by a majority of workers, the opinion of a person who represents the majority of the workers.

⑤Employers must, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, inform a worker who takes care of a child under three years of age of the measures taken by the employer pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) (hereinafter referred to as "applicable measures" in this paragraph and paragraph (7)) and other particulars specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, within a period specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as appropriate for the worker to determine which of the applicable measures to select, and must conduct interviews or take other measures specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in order to confirm the intention of the worker regarding an application relating to the applicable measures.

⑥The provisions of Article 21, paragraph (2) and paragraph (3) apply mutatis mutandis to cases where the measures specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare under the preceding paragraph are taken. In this case, the term "an application under the provisions of the same paragraph" in paragraph (2) of the same Article is deemed to be replaced with "the applicable measures prescribed in Article 23-3, paragraph (5)"; the term "who filed that report" is deemed to be replaced with "who is subject to the applicable measures"; and the term "arising on or after the date of birth of the child" is deemed to be replaced with "arising".

⑦Employers must not dismiss or otherwise treat a worker disadvantageously on the grounds that the worker has filed an application relating to the applicable measures, that measures have been taken for the worker pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), or because of the content of an intention confirmed pursuant to the provisions of Article 21, paragraph (2) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the preceding paragraph.