King Jim Achieves 120% Male Parental Leave Acquisition Rate, Earns 'Platinum Kurumin' Certification as an Excellent Childcare Support Company

King Jim Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Miyoko Kimura) has obtained the special 'Platinum Kurumin' certification from the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare as an excellent childcare support company.

'Platinum Kurumin' is a certification awarded to companies that implement higher-level initiatives among those recognized as 'childcare support companies' (Kurumin certification) based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising the Next Generation of Children*1. Since acquiring 'Kurumin' certification in 2017, our company has been committed to supporting employees in balancing work and childcare. This time, our efforts to create an environment where each individual can maintain a desire for growth and demonstrate their abilities according to their life stage have been recognized, leading to the 'Platinum Kurumin' certification.

*1 A law enacted to address the rapid decline in the birthrate and to create an environment where children, who will bear the burden of the next generation, can be born and raised healthily.

King Jim will continue to aim to be an organization that maximizes work motivation by enabling each employee to enrich their own lives and choose a more flexible work style that suits them.

■ Key Initiatives

① Promoting Male Parental Leave Acquisition – Rate Increased from 50% to 120%
By combining system development with individual follow-up and fostering a supportive workplace culture, we significantly improved the acquisition rate in a short period. Specifically, 5 days of parental leave were made paid, and individual encouragement was provided during a spouse's childbirth to promote acquisition, increasing the male parental leave acquisition rate from 50% to 120%. Furthermore, by sharing examples of male parental leave acquisition both internally and externally, we have created an environment where it is easier to take leave.

*The male parental leave acquisition rate is calculated as 'number of men who took leave ÷ number of men whose spouses gave birth' within the fiscal year.

【Employee Voice】
"Through one month of parental leave, I was able to experience firsthand the daily growth of my newborn child. Also, I was able to focus on family matters such as caring for my wife before and after childbirth, taking my older child to and from kindergarten, and making lunch boxes, and I was glad to have more time with my family."

② Support for Continued Employment through Work-Life Balance Support Systems – Average Annual Paid Leave Taken: 12.6 Days
We have set the eligibility for reduced working hours and overtime restrictions until a child completes the third grade of elementary school, providing support to overcome the 'first-grade elementary school wall'*2, which dual-income families often face. In addition, we have systematically established an environment that allows employees to continue working throughout the childcare period, not just through 'temporary considerations,' by introducing flexible work styles such as telework and staggered hours, and promoting planned acquisition of annual paid leave.

*2 A problem where dual-income families often find it difficult to balance work and childcare due to changes in daily routines and the occurrence of long holidays, triggered by a child's entry into elementary school.

③ Support for Mid- to Long-Term Career Development – Female Manager Ratio Increased Approximately 5-fold in 5 Years
We revised our personnel evaluation system and promotion criteria to enable promotion and advancement based on ability and performance, regardless of whether parental leave was taken. We also established promotion criteria that can appropriately reflect long-term differences in treatment due to parental leave in evaluations. Furthermore, we support career development through systems to ensure that employees, regardless of gender, can continue to demonstrate their abilities and thrive after returning to work. Through these initiatives, the ratio of female managers has increased approximately 5-fold over the past five years, reaching 13.8%.

■ List of King Jim's Work-Life Balance Support Measures
Based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising the Next Generation of Children, we are implementing the following measures, focusing on work-life balance support for work and childcare:

- Expansion of work-life balance support systems for childcare and nursing care (beyond legal requirements)
- Promotion of male parental leave acquisition
- Suppression of long working hours and promotion of leave acquisition
- Flexible work styles (telework, staggered hours, etc.)
- Establishment of support systems before/after leave and upon return to work
- Awareness reform and manual development for managers