①In the event that a worker files a report to their employer on the pregnancy or childbirth of that worker herself or that worker's spouse or any other fact specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as being equivalent thereto, the employer must inform that worker of the childcare leave systems and other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as prescribed by Order of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and conduct interviews with that worker or take other measures specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to confirm the intention of that worker in the application for childcare leave.

②In taking the measures set forth in the preceding paragraph, employers must, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, confirm the intention of the worker regarding conditions of employment specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as conducive to improving circumstances, arising or expected to arise on or after the date of birth of the child pertaining to the report under the provisions of the same paragraph due to the physical or mental condition of the child or the family circumstances relating to childcare of the worker who filed the report, that constitute an impediment to the worker's balance between working life and family life.

③In determining the conditions of employment for a worker whose intention has been confirmed pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, employers must give consideration to that intention.

④When a worker reports to the employer that an applicable family member has come to require caregiving by the worker, the employer must, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, inform the worker of the system for caregiver leave, systems or measures specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as conducive to balancing work and caregiving (hereinafter referred to as "systems, etc. for balancing work and caregiving" in this Article and Article 22, paragraph (4)), and other particulars specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 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 for caregiver leave and an application relating to the use of systems, etc. for balancing work and caregiving (referred to as "application for systems, etc. for balancing work and caregiving" in the same paragraph).

⑤When a worker reaches the beginning of a period specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as appropriate and effective for informing the worker of the system for caregiver leave, systems, etc. for balancing work and caregiving, and other particulars specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in order to deepen the worker's understanding of and interest in the utilization of the system for caregiver leave and systems, etc. for balancing work and caregiving, such as the fiscal year containing the day on which the worker reaches 40 years of age, the employer must, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, inform the worker of those particulars within that period.

⑥Employers must not dismiss or otherwise treat a worker disadvantageously on the grounds that the worker has filed an application under the provisions of paragraph (1) or (4), or because of the content of an intention confirmed under the provisions of paragraph (2).

①Beyond what is provided for in paragraph (1), paragraph (4) and paragraph (5) of the preceding Article, employers must, with regard to childcare leave and caregiver leave, endeavor to specify the following particulars in advance and take measures to make them known to workers (including informing any worker who becomes pregnant or whose spouse becomes pregnant, or who gives birth or whose spouse gives birth, or who takes care of an applicable family member, at the time of learning about that fact):

②As prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, employers must, in cases where a worker files an application for childcare leave or an application for caregiver leave, endeavor to clearly notify the worker of the treatment for that worker concerning the particulars listed in all items of the preceding paragraph.

①An employer must, for the purpose of smooth implementation of application for childcare leave, take any of the following measures:

②Employers must take one of the measures set forth in the following items in order to ensure that applications for caregiver leave are made smoothly.

③Beyond what is provided for in the preceding two paragraphs, employers must, for the purpose of smooth implementation of applications for childcare leave, applications for caregiver leave, and smooth return to work in following the childcare leave and caregiver leave, endeavor to take necessary measures with regard to the assignment of workers and other employment management at a place of business where workers who take childcare leave or caregiver leave are employed, and the development and improvement of the vocational ability of workers who are taking childcare leave or caregiver leave.

④Employers must take one of the measures set forth in the following items in order to ensure that applications for systems, etc. for balancing work and caregiving are made smoothly.

An employer with over 300 continuously employed workers must publicly announce information that is specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as on the status of childcare leave taken by workers employed by that employer at least once a year, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

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:

②Employers must, if they decide not to take measures to shorten prescribed working hours for childcare with regard to an employed worker set forth in item (iii) of the same paragraph who takes care of a child under three years of age pursuant to the provisions of the proviso of the preceding paragraph, take measures equivalent to the system of childcare leave for the worker, or one of the measures set forth in the following items, upon application from the worker, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

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.

Employers must not dismiss or otherwise treat a worker disadvantageously on the grounds that the worker files an application pursuant to the provisions of the preceding Article or that measures are taken for the worker pursuant to the provisions of the same Article.

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.

①Employers must, with regard to an employed worker who takes care of a child before starting elementary school, endeavor to take measures to grant short-term leave which the worker can use for purposes related to childcare based on an application from the worker (other than short-term leave for sick/injured childcare, etc., short-term leave for caregiver, the leave prescribed in Article 23-3, paragraph (1), item (iv), and leave which is granted as annual paid leave pursuant to the provisions of Article 39 of the Labor Standards Act, including short-term leave which allows a worker to prepare for childcare after childbirth) and take necessary measures respectively in accordance with the system or measures provided for in the following items in accordance with the category of the worker listed in those items:

②Beyond what is provided for in the preceding paragraph, employers must, with regard to an employed worker who takes care of a child under three years of age (excluding a worker prescribed in Article 23, paragraph (2)) and who does not take childcare leave, endeavor to take necessary measures in accordance with measures for working from home, etc.

③Employers must, with regard to an employed worker who takes care of a family member, endeavor to take necessary measures in accordance with the system of caregiver leave or short-term leave for caregiver or measures to shorten prescribed working hours for caregivers by giving taking into consideration the period, the frequency for care.

④Beyond what is provided for in the preceding paragraph, employers must, with regard to an employed worker who takes care of an applicable family member requiring caregiving and who does not take caregiver leave, endeavor to take measures to make it easier for the worker to take care of the applicable family member requiring caregiving while continuing working, by having the worker engage in working from home, etc. based on an application from the worker.

①Employers must, with regard to conduct at the workplace toward an employed worker concerning the use of childcare leave, caregiver leave, or other systems or measures prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on childcare and caregiving for family members, provide counseling services to the worker, improve the system necessary for appropriately handling the matters, and take necessary employment management measures so that the employee does not suffer any disadvantage in their working conditions.

②Employers must not dismiss or otherwise treat workers disadvantageously on the grounds that the worker has sought the counseling services referred to in the preceding paragraph or has told the truth when cooperating with the employer in providing the counseling service.

①The national government must endeavor to take measures, such as publicity and educational activities, to deepen the interest and understanding of employers and the general public with respect to prohibited conduct as prescribed in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article that is harmful to the working environment and other issues attributable to that conduct (referred to as "issues with childcare leave-related conduct" hereinafter in this Article).

②Employers must endeavor to deepen the interest and understanding of workers with respect to issues with childcare leave-related conduct, give necessary consideration, such as providing training programs, to ensure that those workers pay necessary attention to their conduct towards other workers, and cooperate with the measures taken by the national government referred to in the preceding paragraph.

③Employers (or officers of corporations) must endeavor to deepen their interest and understanding of issues with childcare leave-related conduct and pay necessary attention to their conduct towards workers.

④Workers must endeavor to deepen their interest and understanding of issues with childcare leave-related conduct, pay necessary attention to other workers, and cooperate with the measures to be taken by their employers referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article.

Employers must take into consideration the circumstances surrounding childcare and caregiving for family members in making a change to the assignment of an employed worker which results in a change in their workplace, if such a change would make it difficult for the worker to engage in childcare and caregiving for family members while continuing to work.

Employers must, with regard to a person who resigned due to pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, or family care (hereinafter referred to as a "former employee who resigned due to childcare"), endeavor, as necessary, to implement special measures to promote re-employment (measures in which the relevant employer, in the recruitment and hiring of a worker, gives special consideration to former employee who resigned due to childcare, and who notified the employer, in resigning, of their intention of being re-employed when they are able to work again; the same applies in Article 30) and other measures equivalent to the ones above.

The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare is to, with regard to measures to be taken by employers pursuant to the provisions of Articles 21 through 25, Article 26 and the preceding Article and other measures to be taken by employers to help balance working and family life for workers who engage or will engage in childcare and caregiving for family members, specify and make public the particulars required for the guidelines in order to promote appropriate and effective implementation of the measures.

Employers must, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, endeavor to appoint a person who takes charge of appropriate and effective implementation of the measures set forth in Article 21, paragraph (1), paragraph (2) and paragraph (3) of the same Article (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 23-3, paragraph (6)), Article 21, paragraph (4) and paragraph (5), Articles 21-2 through 22-2, Article 23, paragraphs (1) through (3), Article 23-3, paragraphs (1) through (5), Article 24, Article 25, paragraph (1), Article 25-2, paragraph (2), Article 26 and Article 27 and other measures for the work-life balance of workers who engage or will engage in childcare and caregiving for family members.