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Nursing Care Leave: Who Qualifies and What You Get

Learn how to take time off work to care for family members without losing your job under this Japanese employment scheme.

Nursing Care Leave provides employees with protected time off from work to provide care for family members.

Who it's for

This scheme is designed specifically for employees who find themselves needing to provide care for family members. If your role requires you to be present for the care of a relative, this provision is intended to help you manage those responsibilities alongside your professional life.

What you get

The primary benefit of this scheme is time off. It allows you to step away from your professional duties to attend to your family members' care needs. Most importantly, this leave is designed so that you can fulfill these caregiving duties without losing your employment or your position within your company.

What it costs you

There is no cost to you to access this leave. You do not need to pay a fee to your employer or a government body to qualify for this time off.

The catch to know

The most common point of confusion is mistaking this scheme for Nursing Care Insurance. It is important to remember that this is a labor-related provision for your time off work, rather than a financial or medical insurance product. While they share similar names, this scheme focuses on protecting your job status while you are away from the office.

How to apply

  1. Contact your employer or your company's human resources department to express your need for leave.
  2. Discuss the specific care requirements for your family member and the expected duration of your absence.
  3. Coordinate the specific dates you will be away from your work duties.
  4. Follow your company's internal administrative procedures to finalize the request and ensure your employment remains protected.