Work-Life Balance
Work style reform
In 2021, our company formulated a "Work Style Reform Declaration" with two pillars: "Promoting comfortable remote work" and "Creating new value with tools that adapt to change," with the aim of improving productivity and fostering autonomous talent. Since then, we have been promoting work style reform while exploring the optimal form, with the goal of improving productivity through a review of work processes, maintaining physical and mental health, and improving work-life balance.
- Promoting policies to diversify workplaces and working hours.
- Remote work system (implemented in 2024)
By moving away from location-constrained work styles, we can attract and retain talented individuals who live in remote areas. - Remote work from family residences both domestically and internationally (implemented overseas in 2023 and domestically in 2024).
We aim to improve work-life balance by creating an environment where employees can choose the work style that best suits them. - Flexible working hours for part-time employees (implemented in 2023)
This system allows part-time employees to choose their working hours flexibly, enabling them to balance work and private life and work efficiently. - Addition of part-time work options (implemented in 2026)
We have made it possible to choose a shorter work schedule not only by reducing the working hours by two hours from the regular schedule, but also by reducing them by one hour, allowing for more flexible work arrangements.
- Remote work system (implemented in 2024)
- Review and revision of policies
By reviewing the work style policies we have implemented so far, we will identify challenges and proceed with revisions and consideration of further measures to move towards our desired future state.
Optimization of working hours
For our company, optimizing the total actual working hours of our employees has become a particularly important issue in recent years. However, the important thing to remember when addressing this issue is that we must not simply aim to reduce working hours.
The true aim is to foster the growth of all employees into autonomous individuals through these initiatives, thereby promoting physical and mental health, work-life balance, and diversity.
As part of our efforts, we have established work rules that include setting fixed working hours, prohibiting late-night work and overtime exceeding 5 hours per day, and ensuring a 10-hour work interval. We also continue to encourage each employee to take stock of their own tasks and think not about "what to reduce," but rather "what to focus on."
Furthermore, we regularly conduct educational videos on working hours and work rules, as well as quizzes for all employees of the group, to ensure that everyone is thoroughly aware of and adheres to proper working hour management practices.
Starting in June 2025, a new rule to prevent excessive working hours will be established, which will, in principle, prohibit working overtime for more than a certain amount of time, in order to further reduce the risk of health problems.
Relationship with labor unions
Providing excellent products and services to contribute to society is a major mission for both management and employees. Based on mutual trust and cooperation, each party fulfills their responsibilities and strives to create a better workplace.
Furthermore, as a forum for labor-management communication, we hold labor-management consultation meetings four times a year at both the individual business unit level and the company-wide level. These meetings provide an opportunity for active exchange of opinions on various issues, such as the company's situation and improvements to the working environment, and for the formation of labor-management agreements.
Niterra Group Labor Union
| Niterra WORKERS' UNION Participation rate |
100% (As of March 31, 2026) |
|---|
Activity results for fiscal year 2025
Period: October 2025 to September 2026
Central Labor-Management Consultative Meeting held 4 times
Activity plan for fiscal year 2026
Period: October 2026 to September 2027
Central labor-management consultation meetings are scheduled to be held in November 2026, and in February, May, and August 2027.
Creating an environment where diverse talents can thrive
As part of creating an environment where diverse talents can thrive, our company is committed to supporting work-life balance. In recent years, we have particularly focused on increasing the rate of male employees taking childcare leave, actively implementing initiatives such as sharing stories of employees who have taken leave at internal forums, conducting work-life balance strategy seminars, and holding exchange meetings for employees with children. As a result, the rate of male employees taking childcare leave in fiscal year 2025 is projected to reach 82.56%.
We revised our previous system of reduced working hours, which was previously only available for childcare or elder care reasons, to a system with no specific requirements. In October 2023, we also revised the system to allow employees on reduced working hours to work flextime, thereby expanding the range of work options available to our employees.
Furthermore, the flexible working hours system no longer has a core time, and from April 2022, it became possible to take leave in hourly increments, making it even more flexible to work.
Furthermore, starting in February 2024, we have introduced a remote work system that enables employees to continue working even from remote locations where commuting is difficult. Employees who need to change their place of residence or for whom changing their place of residence is difficult due to family circumstances (caregiving, childcare, etc.) can now work from a residence far from their workplace.
Various systems
| Systems, etc. | Overview |
|---|---|
| Flexible working hours system | Within the total working hours for the month, you can decide your start and end times. |
| Hourly leave system | You can take paid leave in one-hour increments, regardless of the reason. Taking time off during the day is also permitted. |
| Side job system | You can consider our company's work as your "main job" and, in accordance with the rules, be employed by another company or work as a freelancer. |
| Systems related to remote work | Remote work is possible from your home, our company's satellite offices, or family residences both domestically and internationally. Allowances are provided based on the number of days worked remotely from home. |
| Remote work system | It is possible to work from your home in a remote location, designating it as your designated place of employment. |
| Region-specific work system | There are no transfers, and it is possible to work only in the region where the company's branch is located at the time of application. |
| Re-employment system for employees who resign due to their spouse's job transfer | If you resigned due to your spouse's job transfer, you may be eligible for re-employment. |
| Special unpaid leave for infertility treatment | It is possible to take special leave (unpaid leave) when you need to visit a clinic for infertility treatment. |
| Special leave for prenatal medical appointments | You can take one day of special leave every four weeks from week 12 to week 23 of pregnancy, one day every two weeks from week 24 to week 35, and one day every week from week 36 onwards. |
| Measures to alleviate commuting difficulties for pregnant and postpartum women | If commuting congestion is physically demanding, and with guidance from an industrial physician or other professional, and upon the employee's request, it is possible to start work later or leave work earlier in one-hour increments (up to two hours per day). |
| Measures concerning the work of pregnant women and new mothers | If long working hours become a physical burden, and with guidance from an industrial physician or other professional, and upon the employee's request, it is possible to start later or leave earlier in one-hour increments (up to 2 hours per day). |
| Measures concerning rest for pregnant and postpartum women | If long working hours become physically demanding, and with guidance from an industrial physician or other professional, and upon the employee's request, the employee may be granted a change of duties and exemption from overtime, night work, and holiday work. |
| Maternity leave | You can take leave starting 17 weeks before your due date, or 8 weeks from the day after delivery. You can also take leave in two separate periods until your child turns one year old. |
| Childcare leave upon birth (commonly known as "postpartum paternity leave") | Men and women who meet the requirements, such as adoption, can take up to four weeks of leave within eight weeks of the child's birth. This leave can also be taken in two separate periods. |
| Childcare leave | You can take leave from the time your child is born until the day before their first birthday. |
| Extension of childcare leave period | If you are unable to enroll your child in a daycare center, or if it becomes difficult to care for your child due to the death, injury, or illness of the spouse who is raising the child, you can extend your leave of absence until the end of April after your child turns two years old. |
| Setting limits on overtime hours for those raising children or caring for elderly family members. | Employees can request exemption from overtime exceeding 2 hours per day, 24 hours per month, and 150 hours per year due to childcare or elder care responsibilities. |
| Part-time work (for childcare) | Due to childcare responsibilities, it is possible to reduce working hours by one or two hours from a requested date until the end of the sixth grade of elementary school. This can also be combined with flexible working hours. |
| Part-time work (caregiving) | Due to caregiving responsibilities, it is possible to reduce working hours by one or two hours from the requested date until the caregiving period ends. This can also be combined with flexible working hours. |
| Part-time work (other) | Regardless of the reason, you can reduce your working hours by one or two hours from your desired date to a pre-set date. This can also be used in conjunction with flextime. |
| Childcare and family care leave system | Employees who are raising a child who is in the final year of elementary school (6th grade) or who have a family member (within two degrees of kinship) who requires care are eligible to take special leave in one-hour increments (unpaid) when childcare or nursing is necessary. |
| Special paid leave for medical appointments for employees with disabilities. | Employees with disabilities who have registered their disability with their company can take special paid leave once a month if they need time off for medical appointments such as examinations or consultations. |
| Donor leave system | To accommodate the necessary hospital visits and hospitalizations for bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplants, prospective donors can take up to 10 days of paid special leave. |
Various seminars (FY2025 results)
Work-Life Balance Strategy Seminar
This seminar aims to help participants strategically plan and prepare for their careers after returning to work from childcare leave.
A key feature of this program is that it targets a wide range of generations, including employees of our group and their partners who are currently on childcare leave or are planning to take childcare leave, as well as future parents and workplace supervisors.
Networking event for employees with children
This is a networking event aimed at creating a platform where employees with children can exchange information.