What is the current status of male employees taking parental leave at SUNNY SIDE UP? A member who actually used the leave talks about the “reality” of taking parental leave and what he would like to work on in the future.

Hello! My name is Kanae Tamura, from the General Affairs and Human Resources Department of SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP Inc.
This is a sudden question but, do you know what day it is tomorrow on November 19?

Actually, it’s a very special day that combines “Good Parenting Day” and “International Men’s Day (※1).

(※1) What is International Men’s Day?

It is a day of commemoration to honor men who promote gender equality around the world, which is said to have started in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999.

Many of you must be wondering, “What is the status of parental leave for male members of SUNNY SIDE UP? 

As a father of two children, I interviewed a male member of SUNNY SIDE UP who took a month-long parental leave in September, and asked him about the “reality” of his experience.

Member Introduction

Ryoto Inakazu

Corporate Headquarters / General Affairs & Human Resources Department / Human Resources Development Group

—First of all, please tell us about your career history.

After graduating from university, I worked as a sales representative for a manufacturer. However, I became interested in nurturing people and creating an environment where people can grow, and I wanted to support companies that value “people” so I switched to a human resource development consulting firm. It was very rewarding at first, but every time a client would say to me, “You don’t have any HR experience, do you?” I felt frustrated that I was not really able to help the client to a full extent. So I decided that one day I wanted to work in human resource development at a business company, and from there I was fortunate enough to join the  SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP.

―What kind of work do you do now?

I am consistently involved in everything from the establishment of an education system to the creation of training curricula for the entire group, up to the point where I am on the stage myself. I am also responsible for a wide range of other tasks related to the mental care of our members.

―What made you decide to take the “parental leave” system?

(When my first child was born (at my previous job), I was almost unable to participate in childcare. As my child grew older, I felt more and more regret that I could not be there to watch him grow up. I decided that if we were to have a second child someday, I wanted to take the parental leave system and devote myself to supporting my wife and raising our child.

―How did you spend your time during your leave?

I took it for one month, but I spent a lot of time on childcare and of course on housework in general. I also had a lot more time to spend with my wife. My wife was also working full time and we hadn’t even had lunch together in a long time, so we were able to take time to talk about our future, family, and work.

―What was your wife’s reaction when you first told her about the parental leave?

My wife didn’t think I would be able to take parental leave in the first place. So she was surprised in a good way and said, “I was very grateful to have someone by my side to support me after childbirth.” I was dealing with housework and childcare on a daily basis, but work was always on the back of my mind, though (laughs).

―When you look back on your parental leave, what were some of the things you noticed?

It gave me a chance to take stock of my business operations. I had informed my supervisor and team members of my intention to take parental leave about six months before and had taken over the work, but it was a good opportunity for me to learn how much time and man-hours were being spent on what kind of work.

Another thing is that my motivation for work has increased considerably. I think it was because I had more time to think about new projects and tasks I wanted to take on after returning to work, and I also felt a renewed sense of gratitude to the members and the company for supporting me so that I could take the parental leave.

―Did you have any concerns?

I think it was the fact that I would be cut off from a lot of the information with everyone in the field. Of course, I am taking my leave to focus on childcare and housework, but I was worried about not receiving any information about work or losing communication with the members. Some members say they want to take a complete break from work during their leave, but I think everyone feels differently. If any of the members taking parental leave in the future feels a similar sense anxiety, I think it would be important to share information in moderation.

―How do you think you can apply this experience to your work in the future?

After taking parental leave this time, I realized the difficulties of taking over as well as the good points, improvements, and challenges. I also learned that “postpartum paternity leave(*2)” came into effect on October 1 of this year, and I think it is my mission, having actually take parental leave, to make good use of it and to communicate it to others.

(*2) What is postpartum paternity leave (officially, parental leave at birth)?

This is a new system established in October 2022, separate from the existing “parental leave” system. The leave period is “within 8 weeks after the birth of the child” and can be taken for up to 4 weeks (28 days). The deadline for requesting leave is two weeks prior to the leave. In addition, it is possible to take the leave twice in installments, but the company must be notified in advance.

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_27491.html

―What do you think should be done to make this system more user-friendly?

I think that each person has his or her own way of thinking and feeling about parental leave. Therefore, I think it is important to create opportunities to discuss child-rearing and the future on a regular basis, and to share our values with each other. As a first step, I would like to let everyone know what I have experienced. I hope this article will be a source of conversation for you. If any of you are wondering whether or not to take parental leave, please reach out to me!

―Can you take parental leave in installments?

That’s right. You can take in installments according to your personal schedule, so you can take it for a few days when your work is relatively settled, and then take it again for another period of time. I think it is important to inform people about this system as well, because I think there are some people who are not aware of it.

ーAny last words?

If you are not comfortable with taking a long period of time off, I think it is fine to take just a few days off. I still remember my wife saying to me, “I was glad that you decided to take a day off to spend time with your child, even if it was just for a day or an hour. If you think you might be able to take a few days off, I hope you will consider using this service.

Comments from a member of the Human Resources Department

I also noticed that some employees said that they would feel uneasy if they were completely separated from their workplaces when taking a large leave of absence, as in this case. I think it may be necessary to have a certain degree of connection with the workplace, while at the same time taking care of childcare during the leave. I would like to continue to be a company that listens to various opinions and makes effective use and management of parental leave.

What did you think? We will continue to actively communicate the company’s initiatives in the future, so please look forward to it!