Employers must not, in cases where a worker who is taking care of a child before starting elementary school and who does not fall under any of the following items makes a request in order to take care of the child, make the worker work in hours between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. (referred to as "late-night" hereinafter in this Article and Article 20-2); provided, however, that this does not apply to cases where the request would impede normal business operations:
事業主は、小学校就学の始期に達するまでの子を養育する労働者であって次の各号のいずれにも該当しないものが当該子を養育するために請求した場合においては、午後十時から午前五時までの間（以下この条及び第二十条の二において「深夜」という。）において労働させてはならない。ただし、事業の正常な運営を妨げる場合は、この限りでない。
a worker employed by the employer for a continued period of less than one year;
当該事業主に引き続き雇用された期間が一年に満たない労働者
a worker who has a person specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, such as a family member who is living in the same household with the child, and who can normally take care of the child during late-night subject to the request; or
beyond what is set forth in the preceding two items, a person specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as a worker for whom there are reasonable grounds for the request not being granted.
前二号に掲げるもののほか、当該請求をできないこととすることについて合理的な理由があると認められる労働者として厚生労働省令で定めるもの
A request pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph must be made, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, with regard to a continued period where an employer must not make a worker work late-night (limited to a period between one month to six months; referred to in paragraph (4) as "limited period"), by making clear the first day thereof (referred to as the "scheduled start date of the limited period" hereinafter in this Article) and last day thereof (referred to as "scheduled end date of the limited period" in paragraph (4)) on or before the day one month prior to the scheduled start date of the limited period.
In the event that there are reasons specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as to why the worker comes to cease childcare subject to the request, such as the death of the child, on or before the day preceding the scheduled start date of the limited period after the request was made pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), the request is deemed as having not been made. In this case, the worker must notify the employer without delay to the effect that those reasons have occurred.
第一項の規定による請求がされた後制限開始予定日とされた日の前日までに、子の死亡その他の労働者が当該請求に係る子の養育をしないこととなった事由として厚生労働省令で定める事由が生じたときは、当該請求は、されなかったものとみなす。この場合において、労働者は、その事業主に対して、当該事由が生じた旨を遅滞なく通知しなければならない。
In cases where any of the circumstances listed in the following items occurs, the limited period ends on the day on which the relevant circumstance occurs (or, in cases where the circumstance set forth in item (iii) occurs, the preceding day):
on or before the day preceding the scheduled end date of the limited period, there are reasons specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as to why the worker comes to cease childcare subject to the request pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), such as the death of the child;
on or before the day preceding the scheduled end date of the limited period, the child subject to the request, which has been made pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), reaches the stage of starting elementary school; or
on or before the scheduled end date of the limited period, a period of leave pursuant to the provisions of Article 65, paragraph (1) or (2) of the Labor Standards Act, a period of childcare leave, a period of parental leave, or a period of caregiver leave has begun with regard to a worker who has made a request pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1).
The provisions of the second sentence of paragraph (3) apply mutatis mutandis to cases where there are reasons specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare provided for in item (i) of the preceding paragraph.