Government also planning to recognise firms that push women's participation in workplace
Employers in Japan may soon be able to disclose their measures that support women in the workplace in a new law that will be introduced by the country's Health Ministry, according to reports.
The ministry said it is planning to introduce the women's professional life promotion law, which will cover businesses that have at least 101 employees, The Mainichi reported.
Under the legislation, these firms will be encouraged to create "general employer action plans" that will outline their efforts to support women's health at work, such as:
According to the report, disclosure of the information will be voluntary to ensure the protection of employees' privacy.
These action plans will then be published on Health Ministry-operated websites and other platforms to make the information available to the public.
In addition to disclosing action plans, the ministry said it is also considering the introduction of a new certification that will recognise companies that push women's participation in the workplace.
The ministry said these measures are expected to be included in a draft report that will be presented by a subcommittee of the Labour Policy Council.
These initiatives add to Japan's growing measures to improve women's participation in the workplace. Last month, the Labour Ministry also proposed a policy that will mandate all unlisted firms with 101 or more employees to disclose their ratios of women in management positions.
These efforts come to boost women's participation in the workforce, as well as ensure that the challenges they face are addressed.
In October, a recent survey from the Health Ministry revealed that working women across Japan are earning significantly less than their male counterparts. A poll last year also found that 44% of working women in the country have chosen to go to work while in pain from menstruation.
