TOKYO -- The Japanese health ministry is planning to introduce a new measure encouraging companies supportive of working women's health to disclose their efforts, such as allowing employees to take "period leave" and setting up consultation desks, to make the information available to the public.

Under the women's professional life promotion law, businesses that have at least 101 employees are required to create "general employer action plans." The ministry aims to encourage companies to include these health-related efforts in their plans, which will then be disclosed on platforms such as health ministry-operated websites. These measures are expected to be included in a draft report that will be presented this month by a subcommittee of the Labor Policy Council, an advisory body to the health minister comprising representatives from labor and management.

The efforts envisioned to be featured in the action plans include; measures to improve health literacy in the workplace, the enhancement of leave systems to address diverse needs such as menstruation and menopause, and the establishment of consultation services for health-related concerns. To support this, the guidelines for drafting action plans will be revised to list these initiatives as examples of information that companies may voluntarily disclose.

In their action plans, businesses publish various numerical data and targets regarding issues such as gender wage gaps and the percentage of women in management positions. Since health support involves protecting the privacy of employees, companies will not be required to disclose numerical targets or data in this area. Instead, the ministry will allow companies to voluntarily disclose the systems they establish to support women's health.

The ministry also plans to introduce a new certification to recognize businesses that actively promote women's health, in addition to the existing certificate given to companies that pushes efforts to advance women's participation in the workplace.

(Japanese original by Aya Shiota, Lifestyle, Science & Environment News Department)