1. Introduction
In Japanese workplace culture, employee benefits are not just a part of compensation; they play a crucial role in supporting the lives of employees and their families and maintaining a balance between work and personal life. For international students aiming to join Japanese companies, these attractive benefits often serve as a significant deciding factor. This article explains the types of benefits provided by Japanese companies, their features, and how they impact employees' careers, with a focus on international students.
Japanese companies offer extensive benefits rooted in a corporate culture aimed at long-term talent development and enhancing employee loyalty. Benefits extend beyond salaries and bonuses, offering support across all aspects of employees' lives, such as health management, childcare support, and housing assistance. This comprehensive support allows employees to contribute to their companies with peace of mind over the long term, building mutual trust between the employer and the employees.
Although the salary levels at Japanese companies might seem lower compared to Western companies at first glance, the overall compensation is competitive when considering the various allowances and supports provided by extensive benefits. These benefits, which include health insurance, corporate pensions, housing allowances, and commuting subsidies, help reduce living costs for employees, thereby often increasing their disposable income. Thus, the allure of Japanese companies goes beyond simple salary comparisons.
Given this context, the benefits systems at Japanese companies transcend merely "comfortable working conditions," offering an environment that is genuinely rewarding to work in. This article will discuss the unique features and attractions of these benefits.
2. Types of Benefits
Japanese companies provide a diverse range of benefits to maintain the well-being of employees and their families and balance work and life. Below, we categorize and explain these benefits with specific examples.
Health and Safety:
It is common in many Japanese companies to offer benefits not only to employees but also to their families. Examples of health-related benefits available to employees' families include:
Medical Insurance: Most companies in Japan provide medical insurance for all employees, ensuring access to appropriate medical care in case of illness or injury. Often, these plans cover the entire family, including spouses and children.
Annual Health Check-ups: Conducted yearly to monitor employees' health and detect any issues early. Some companies also offer these check-ups to employees' families.
Mental Health Support: Stress management training and counseling services are available, emphasizing the importance of mental well-being.
Unique health management and support initiatives:
DeNA's Chief Health Officer (CHO) Room: A specialized department supporting employees' health with active health promotion programs*1.
SCSK's Health Exciting Mileage: A system that converts health-related activities into points that influence bonuses*2.
CyberAgent's Massage Room: Offers up to four free massages per month provided by professional masseuses*3.
Work-Life Balance:
The emphasis on work-life balance has progressed among Japanese companies, especially post-pandemic. Many companies have adopted new working styles, such as flextime and remote work, as alternatives to traditional work arrangements.
Flextime System: Allows employees to choose their own work hours, facilitating a work style that suits their lifestyle.
Remote Work Support: Helps balance home and work life by supporting work from home.
Long-term Leave System: Makes it easier to take extended leaves for reasons such as maternity, paternity, and caregiving.
Unique work-life balance initiatives:
LINE Yahoo's Sabbatical Leave: Allows employees with over ten years of service to take extended breaks for self-renewal or skill upgrading*4.
Itochu's Morning Shift Work: Aims to improve employee efficiency and work-life balance with a "morning shift system," offering incentives similar to late-night shifts and providing free breakfasts for employees arriving before 8 AM*5.
Career Development
Internal and External Training Support: Many Japanese companies offer various trainings to improve professional skills and leadership abilities.
Certification Assistance: Supports expenses and study time for obtaining job-related qualifications.
Financial Support
Commuting Allowance: Assists with employees' commuting costs.
Housing Support: Offers rent subsidies and company housing to reduce housing costs.
Bonus and Retirement Benefits: Rewards based on performance and provides retirement benefits for long-term service.
Student Loan Repayment Programs: Some companies repay the student loans that employees took out during their college years*6.
Unique housing support initiatives:
CyberAgent's Rent Subsidy: Provides rent subsidies under the "Two-Station Rule," applicable within commuting distance*3.
Life Stage Accommodation Programs
Childcare and Education Support:
Parental Leave: Available to both men and women to secure necessary time for child-rearing during the early stages.
Support for Women's Careers:
Promotion of Women's Active Participation: Increasingly, companies are expanding systems such as leaves for fertility treatments and part-time work arrangements to support women in balancing careers and family life.
Assistance with Fertility and Egg Freezing Costs: Some companies partially subsidize the costs of fertility treatments and egg freezing, reducing the financial burden of reproductive healthcare.*7
Support for the Elderly:
Re-employment System: Provides opportunities for employees who wish to continue working after retirement, offering an environment where people can thrive regardless of age.
Post-Retirement Life Support: Advises on life planning after retirement and enhances retirement benefit systems to ensure a stable post-retirement life.
Other Unique Benefits
Many Japanese companies have introduced unique benefits. Here are some examples:
GMO Internet's Synergy Cafe: A cafe available 24/7 within the company, offering free drinks, bread, and a lunch buffet. On Friday nights, it transforms into a bar where employees can enjoy free drinks and snacks*8.
Geocodes' Soccer Leave: Special leave granted during international tournaments like the World Cup or Olympics, with additional leave depending on the progress of the Japanese team. The company also covers accommodation and taxi fares for late-night or early morning games*9.
Yumemi Inc.'s 10% Rule: Allows employees to dedicate 10% of their work hours to projects not related to client work, such as lab activities, service development, or volunteer work, promoting service development and technological advancement*10.
Sunnyside Up's Heartbreak Leave: As the name suggests, employees can take leave after a heartbreak, applicable even if the object of affection is a fictional character. This policy also supports the mental health of employees who support two-dimensional and three-dimensional characters*11.
3. Unique Aspects of Japanese Corporate Benefits
The primary reason Japanese corporate benefits garner attention is their design focused on supporting employees' long-term career development and overall well-being. This approach remains attractive even when basic salaries are lower compared to foreign companies, significantly impacting employees positively.
Cultural Background of Benefits
Design Based on Long-term Employment: The corporate culture in Japan traditionally emphasizes long-term employment, which is supported by comprehensive health insurance and retirement benefits. This encourages employees to stay with a company long-term, supporting career stability.
Investment in Employee Education and Skill Enhancement: Japanese companies actively recruit for potential rather than immediate skill, focusing on individual growth opportunities. They support employees' personal and professional growth through regular training programs, certification assistance, and support for attending external seminars.
From these perspectives, Japanese corporate benefits are not just part of employment terms but function as a strategic tool to enhance employee loyalty and contributions to the company by promoting long-term well-being for employees and their families.
4. Conclusion
This article has detailed the impact of Japanese corporate benefits on employees and their families' lives. The comprehensive benefits system in Japanese companies enables employees to enhance productivity at work and lead fulfilling private lives. Here, we reaffirm the importance of benefits and why they are a crucial consideration in career choices.
Roles of Benefits
Benefits play a central role in helping employees balance work and personal life, particularly in areas like health management, family support, and educational support for career development.
These systems not only increase employee satisfaction but also directly contribute to improving corporate productivity.
Importance in Career Choices
A workplace with comprehensive benefits becomes an attractive option for employees.
Good benefits motivate employees to stay with a company long-term, supporting the sustainability of their careers.
Ultimately, the quality of benefits offered by Japanese companies holds significant value for both employees and the company. By properly evaluating and choosing these, employees can secure the best working environment for themselves and their families.
Jelper Club will continue to enhance support for people from diverse backgrounds to build careers in Japan. If you have any questions about job hunting in Japan or careers in Japan, feel free to share them actively on "Thread."
Sources and Notes
１.「従業員とともに」（DeNA）：https://csr.dena.com/jp/cho-office/
２.「健康関連4つの施策」（SCSK株式会社）：https://www.scsk.jp/corp/csr/professionals/health/measure.html
３.「福利厚生」（株式会社サイバーエージェント）：https://www.cyberagent.co.jp/sustainability/info/detail/id=26074
４.「働き環境」（LINEヤフー）：https://www.lycorp.co.jp/ja/recruit/workplace/
５.「朝方勤務」（伊藤忠商事株式会社）：https://www.itochu.co.jp/ja/about/work_style/case01/index.html
６.「社員の奨学金を肩代わり、1000社超す 人材確保に新手」（日本経済新聞）：https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC073A90X01C23A1000000/
７.「卵子凍結、企業で支援広がる メルカリやデロイトなど」（日本経済新聞）：https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC230NT0T20C22A5000000/
８.「GMO 福利厚生『シナジーカフェ Yours』とは?」（Wantedly）：https://www.wantedly.com/companies/gmo-media/post_articles/376781
９.「日本代表を一丸となって応援、予選突破で「サッカー休暇」を発令！」（GEO CODE）：https://www.geo-code.co.jp/media/press/20140610.html
１０.「ゆめみオープンハンドブック」（ゆめみ）：https://yumemi.notion.site/cfc9c58ef5ce43a5bdb9b9311e565365
１１. 「32 BENEFITS」（株式会社サニーサイドアップの失恋休暇）：https://www.ssu.co.jp/corporate/32rule/
(Editor: Jelper Club Editorial Team)
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