Female Activation Promotion Project Team established

The "Female Activation Promotion Project Team" was established in line with the WLB activities within the Human Resources Department. The team develops measures to support female employees during their maternity and child-care period, by identifying their needs through interviews with female employees in key career positions.

Maternity and child-care related programs at Sumitomo Corporation

Attaching great importance to diverse values and lifestyles in personal WLB fulfillment, we offer various optional programs and are flexible and supportive in helping employees eliminate problems or concerns.

Support programs revised

We revised the child-care leave system in April 2005 to allow employees to take leave until their child becomes two years old, eliminating spousal requirements regulated by the Child Care and Family Care Leave Law. Additionally, employees may take paid leave to look after a sick child in half-day increments. We have also adopted a family-care leave system, which allows employees to take leave (up to 365 days in total) every time a family member becomes in need of care, and signed up for a support program for expatriate employees.
We will continue to encourage employees to take paid leave and work less overtime, so that not only employees with special problems but also many other employees can work actively without sacrificing their leisure time.

Click here for comments from employees who took child–care leave

In-House Daycare Center

In October 2008, “Triton Sukusuku Square” – an in-house daycare center – was opened in commercial premises next to our head office building. It accepts up to 28 children aged from 0 to 5 years. The nursery was set up to help improve employees' work-life balance, and is especially flexible in addressing the needs of employees who may be returning to work in the middle of the year, allowing them to use it until the following April, when municipal nurseries will accept their children. It also acts as a temporary nursery that parents can use in an emergency.

The nursery, which is managed by an external company, is staffed with professional nursery and nutrition staff. The spacious 200-square-meter room is partitioned into separate areas for each age group, and is brightly and freshly decorated in white with soft and odor-absorbing paulownia flooring. To make it easier for parents, we have an arrangement with Tomod's, a drug store operated by one of our group companies, to provide disposal diapers, baby formula and other delivery services. Parents no longer have to haul around extra clothes, diapers, etc. when taking their children to the nursery.

Click here for comments from employees using the company daycare center