Obligation to work
Summary
●Current situations
〈Issue①〉Childcare leave
・It is difficult to take childcare leave.
・There is a big difference between men and women.
〈Issue②〉Gender gap
・There is a gender pay gap（Japan is the largest of the G7）
→The “Act on the Promotion of Female Participation and Career Advancement in the Workplace” was established.
→The Mothers Hello Work and the Mothers Corner was installed throughout Japan.
〈Issue③〉Long working hours
・As a general rule, it is set to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week.（But there is no penalty even if you do not obey the rule）
→“Work Style Reform Law” was established.
●Laws
・Act on Childcare Leave, Caregiver Leave, and Other Measures for the Welfare of Workers Caring for Children or Other Family Members（Child Care and Family Care Leave Act）
→To create an environment where employees can continue working without leaving their jobs during childcare, long-term care, etc.
・Gender Equality In Employment Act（Act on Securing, Etc. of Equal Opportunity and Treatment between Men and Women in Employment）
→This law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender.
・Labor Standards Act
→It sets minimum standards for working conditions.
・Act on Employment Promotion etc. of Persons with Disabilities
→This law stipulates the prohibition of discrimination, and it is based on normalization.
●International comparisons
・Germany
→The government prohibits working more than 10 hours a day.
・Brazil
→Earned vacation time（They can take up to 30 consecutive days off in a year.）
・America
→Flexible work（They can decide where and when to work.）
・Sweden
→More than 90% of both men and women take childcare leave.
●Prospects
〈AI〉
・It is supposed to take on most of the existing work.
〈Telework〉
・This is a work style which is attracting attention now due to the coronavirus. You can work anywhere, such as at home.
〈Work style reform〉
・A reform aimed at a society that enables diverse work styles.
・It corrects various problems such as long working hours, gender discrimination, and wage disparity.