Article 23Measures including the Shortening of Prescribed Working Hours

①Employers must, with regard to an employed worker who takes care of a child under three years of age, but who does not take childcare leave (excluding workers specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as workers whose scheduled working hours per day are short), take measures to shorten scheduled working hours that make it easier for the worker to take care of the child while continuing working (referred to as "measures to shorten prescribed working hours for childcare" hereinafter in this Article and Article 23-3, paragraph (1), item (iii)), upon application from the worker, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; provided, however, that this does not apply to workers who fall under any of the following items and who are set forth as persons for whom measures to shorten prescribed working hours for childcare 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:

③Employers must, with regard to an employee who take care of applicable family member requiring caregiving but has not taken caregiver leave, take measures to shorten prescribed working hours for the period of at least three consecutive years or other measures to make it easier for the worker to take care of the applicable family member requiring caregiving while continuing working (referred to as "measures to shorten prescribed working hours for caregivers" in this Article and Article 24, paragraph (3)), upon application from the worker, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; provided, however, that this does not apply to workers who fall under any of the following items and who are set forth as persons for whom measures to shorten prescribed working hours for caregivers 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 these workers when there is no labor union organized by the majority of workers at the place of business where the worker is employed.

④The period referred to in the main clause of the preceding paragraph starts from the day requested by the worker as the day for starting the use of the measures to shorten prescribed working hours for caregivers.