Around 40 percent of men in Japan feel awkward when they return to work after taking paternity leave, with many concerned about the increased burden on colleagues, a recent private-sector survey shows.

Respondents urged companies to cover staffing shortages and provide benefits for co-workers so employees can take paternity leave without hesitation, according to the survey by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co of 550 married men with children up to 6 years old.

Of the respondents, 33.4 percent took paternity leave for an average of 42 days. Of the 41.5 percent who felt uncomfortable upon their return, 23.9 percent said they felt "a little awkward," while 16.0 percent said they felt "awkward" and the remaining 1.6 percent felt "very awkward."

Asked about measures that would help men return to work without feeling awkward, 24.7 percent said companies should hire people to cover for their absence, while support allowances for colleagues and making paternity leave mandatory were both cited by 23.4 percent.

By size of company, 51.6 percent of men working in entities with 1,001 or more employees took paternity leave, compared with 26.2 percent in those with 1,000 or fewer.

"The effect of one person taking leave in a small or medium-sized firm is far greater than in a large company," said Yuichi Kodama, chief economist at Meiji Yasuda Research Institute.

"Public and private companies need to work together to reform workplace culture and work style," he added.

The survey was conducted online on Sept 4 and 5.

In fiscal 2023, a record 30.1 percent of employees took paternity leave, up 13.0 percentage points from the previous year, according to a government survey, as companies have been obliged since April 2022 to inform workers of the system and confirm whether they intend to use it.