To help all employees live without the stress of balancing work and personal life, and to support ambitious individuals in their career pursuits, we are committed to expanding our work-life balance initiatives. Our goal is to create a positive workplace environment where everyone recognizes the importance of balance and encourages one another in achieving it.
System and initiatives for work-life balance support
Balancing work and childcare
In addition to offering a maternity and childcare leave system that surpasses statutory requirements, we provide a range of training programs and systems within each company to support career development and ensure a smooth transition back to work for employees returning from childcare leave.
Balancing work and nursing care
We have implemented various systems to ensure you can continue your career with peace of mind while providing nursing care to a family member. Additionally, we are raising employee awareness by offering tools for balancing work and caregiving, as well as distributing books on long-term care.
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Creating an environment for all employees to thrive
At SMBC Group, we are committed to health management and workplace reforms to ensure every employee has the opportunity to fulfill their potential through strong productivity and enthusiasm for their work.
Balancing work and childcare
SMBC Group offers training and support systems to help employees balance work and family commitments. Additionally, we have developed a range of initiatives to facilitate a smooth return to work from maternity or childcare leave as part of career development. These initiatives include programs across Group firms to support men in participating in childcare.
Link to details in Sustainability Data Book
Major systems to support balancing work and childcare
We have introduced systems to provide economic assistance and other support to employees with pre-school children as part of creating workplaces that facilitate balancing work with childcare responsibilities.
Work-related systems
We have implemented systems to support a smooth return to work from maternity or childcare leave. These include childcare leave, leave to care for sick children, and flexible working practices.
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(Example: SMBC)
A flexible personnel system matched to each life stage
We have developed systems to align with each employee's life plan. We offer the flexibility to change an employee’s workplace if they move due to marriage or a spouse’s job transfer. Additionally, we rehire employees who left due to marriage, childbirth, childcare, nursing, or their spouse’s job transfer. We also allow temporary retirement for reasons such as a spouse’s job transfer or overseas study.
Partnership with a company-led childcare service provider
SMBC is partnering with NICHIIGAKKAN to develop and operate company-led childcare facilities in Tokyo and Osaka within bank-owned properties. These facilities provide childcare services to bank employees, as well as to local companies and residents. The partnership also extends to 90 additional company-led childcare facilities across Japan operated by NICHIIGAKKAN, offering further support to SMBC employees in their return to work.
Economic support for childcare
We offer allowances to assist employees with the costs of childcare outside of normal hours, including babysitting fees. Our subsidy system aims to reduce the burden of caring for sick children by providing economic assistance in various ways. For instance, employees can access babysitting services at discounted rates through contracts between the Group and babysitting agencies.
Major Initiatives to Balance Career and Childcare
Training and seminars
Training to support work-life balance
We have developed training programs on balancing career and childcare specifically for employees in managerial positions. These programs are designed to support employees planning to take maternity leave, those currently on childcare leave, and those who have recently returned from childcare leave. Additionally, consultations with supervisors are organized for employees who are either going on or returning from maternity and childcare leave.
Development of guidebooks
Each company has prepared a guidebook so that employees can use systems to prepare them for their life stages, and for families to cooperate as a team in raising children, we have created and distributed the Team Childcare Handbook, which makes it easy to understand important points, especially from the perspective of male participation in childcare.
Promoting male participation in childcare
In its efforts to promote participation in childcare among all male employees, SMBC Group aims to achieve a 100% male childcare leave utilization rate and to have eligible male employees take 30 or more days of childcare leave(*). As a Group, we encourage male employees to take advantage of short-term childcare leave and provide training for management to help create a workplace culture where everyone, regardless of gender, can be actively involved in childcare.
In FY2023, we endorsed the “Think about Childcare Day (September 19) Project” of Sekisui House Group. The SMBC Group is contributing to the project’s aim of creating “a society in which taking childcare leave is the norm.”
*Available until the child turns two years old.
Encouraging an understanding of work within employees' families
To help employees' family members gain a better understanding of their work, we organize events where children can visit their parents' workplace. Additionally, we encourage employees to take leave during the summer holiday season and promote leaving the office earlier in the summer months.
External evaluation and accreditation
Platinum Kurumin accreditation
SMBC, Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing, Sumitomo Mitsui Card, and SMBC Consumer Finance have all been awarded the "Platinum Kurumin" accreditation by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. This recognition highlights the high level of support for childcare provided by these companies.
External evaluation/accreditation
Balancing work and nursing care
At SMBC Group, our goal is to ensure that employees do not have to leave the company or sacrifice their careers when it becomes necessary to care for a family member. We have implemented a range of support systems for caregivers and provide opportunities for employees to access information about nursing care. Our aim is to create an environment where employees can continue to work with peace of mind while preparing for their caregiving responsibilities.
Major initiatives to balance work with nursing care for family members
(Example: SMBC)
We provide support to help employees continue working without giving up their career due to their nursing care responsibilities. The main support systems include nursing care leave and shortened working hours for these employees.
Systems to Support Work-Life Balance
at SMBC Group Companies
Major Initiatives to Balance Career and Nursing Care
Work and nursing care balancing course
We are developing e-learning tools for work and nursing care balancing courses, presented in a TV drama format to provide basic knowledge in an easy-to-understand manner. These courses cover "initial responses" for nursing care and key points for maintaining a balance between work and caregiving responsibilities. By extending these courses and disseminating information to all employees, we aim to improve literacy from an early stage, enabling them to effectively balance work and nursing care.
Guidebook production
We have created guidebooks on how to balance nursing care responsibilities with a career. At SMBC, a comprehensive book on this topic has been distributed to all employees. The book is divided into four sections: preparation, implementation, success stories, and advice. It is filled with useful information on balancing a career with nursing care responsibilities, including articles on nursing care in Japan, a checklist for preparing to provide nursing care, details of various support systems and nursing care insurance services, case studies of providing nursing care at home or through distant service providers, and relevant contact numbers for emergency situations.
Nursing care information website
In partnership with Internet Infinity Inc., a provider of various healthcare services, we have set up a nursing care information website. This platform offers valuable information for nursing care, search services for nursing care facilities nationwide, and bulletin boards for consultations with care managers.
Nursing care help desk established
We have established a help desk to offer consulting services on nursing care to employees and their family members. We handle a wide range of inquiries, such as introducing care managers, matching individuals with nursing care facilities, and assisting with nursing care insurance applications. Consultations can be conducted via telephone, email, or in person. Our goal is to create an accessible environment for employees and their families to seek guidance and support.