"Maternity Leave" for Grandmothers

Monday, October 16, 2006 Posted: 06:31 PM JST

Dai-Ichi Mutual Life Insurance Co. has adopted a unique system to support child-rearing, allowing experienced female workers to take ""maternity leave" when their grandchildren are born.

The company has a total of approximately 46,000 female workers (approximately 40,000 engaged in sales activities, and 6,000 in desk work), and of whom more than 16,000 are aged 50 or over. The new system is a response to their request to support the care of newborn grandchildren by taking some time of day-off.

The system of "leave for the birth of grandchildren" would allow future grandmothers to take a maximum of nine consecutive holidays, a combination of special holidays and annual paid holidays, around the expected delivery date. "It is rare for a company to launch maternity leave for grandmothers," commented the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in the Yomiuri Shimbun.

Keywords: national_news

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