#Japan #Tokyo #Spice Factory #HR's SDGs #Prenatal Leave

Spice Factory's Achievement in Supporting Working Parents

Recently, Spice Factory, Inc., renowned for its digital transformation initiatives, garnered prestigious recognition at the HR's SDGs Award 2025 held on June 27th at Tokyo Big Sight. The company received the highest accolade in the "Making Work Enjoyable" category for its innovative Prenatal and Parental Leave System, which effectively addresses real-life challenges faced during pregnancy and childbirth.

Understanding the Challenges in Pregnancy and Parental Leave

Pregnancy often brings substantial physical and mental burdens for expectant parents. Existing legal frameworks fail to address critical issues during this period, leading to complications like reduced childcare leave benefits due to absenteeism. Notably, many pregnant women are compelled to attend work despite feeling unwell during pregnancy to avoid being marked absentee, which could affect their financial support during maternity leave.

In response to these challenges, Spice Factory, with a workforce average age in their mid-30s and over 40% female employees, recognized the urgent need to ensure that pregnancy and childbirth do not hinder career progression. In an era of government-imposed policies aimed at countering declining birth rates, such as the expansion of paternity leave, Spice Factory is taking a pioneering stance to mitigate deficiencies in childcare leave support.

Overview of the Prenatal and Parental Leave System

Introduced in July 2023, Spice Factory's Prenatal and Parental Leave System provides a special paid leave of up to 20 days before the statutory prenatal leave period. This initiative is designed to address issues that existing policies cannot handle, such as medical examinations related to pregnancy and necessary family preparations.

Key Features of the System:

• - 20 Extra Paid Leave Days: Employees can utilize up to 20 special paid leave days.
• - Inclusive for Partners: The program is accessible not only to pregnant employees but also to partners whose companions are expecting.
• - Support for Medical Appointments: Includes leave for accompanying prenatal check-ups and household assistance.
• - Preventing Absenteeism: Aims to avoid absenteeism and ensure benefits are not diminished during childcare.

In addition to structural support, Spice Factory fosters a supportive company culture. They have launched a dedicated parenting channel on the internal communication tool, Slack, facilitating information sharing among employees. Furthermore, an easily accessible childcare guidebook and preemptive consultations by HR staff help alleviate anxiety regarding leave use, making the program more readily accessible.

Significant Results from Implementation

The results from the implementation of the program have been telling:

• - Utilization Rate: 66.7% among eligible employees.
• - Overall Childcare Leave Rate: 85.7% of employees have taken childcare leave.
• - Male Childcare Leave: Hitting an impressive 83.3% participation, significantly higher than the national average of 30.1% reported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
• - Average Duration of Leave: Male employees took an average of 121.6 days, exceeding typical periods of 1-3 months as noted in standard demographics.

These figures not only demonstrate the successful uptake of the program but also signal a shift in workplace culture towards more inclusive practices in the IT industry, enabling both men and women to invest the time required in the upbringing of their children. The initiative has also been highlighted by notable media outlets, including the Nikkei and HuffPost, and by February 2025, Spice Factory was registered as a Tokyo Sustainable Work Company.

Insights from Ayano Ryugo, CSO

Ayano Ryugo, Chief Sustainability Officer at Spice Factory, expressed: "We aim to change the perception that having and raising children is a risk in the workforce. Our focus on both systems and cultural facets is essential to drive this change. Creating an environment where such a system is easily usable is crucial. This award recognition affirms that our efforts are transcending internal boundaries and contributing to augmenting personal choices and changing societal views."

About the HR's SDGs Award

The HR's SDGs Award is dedicated to shining a light on human capital initiatives that foster sustainable companies and support individual growth. This year’s edition evaluates various sectors based on six goals announced by One HR in May 2019, with awards given for best practices promoting happiness for organizations and individuals alike.

Spice Factory's Honored History

Spice Factory has continually earned recognition in areas of workplace innovation. Notable accolades include:

• - Runner-up at the 4th WOMAN's VALUE AWARD in 2021.
• - Certification as a Great Place to Work in Japan for the 2024 edition.
• - Ranked in the Wantedly Awards 2024 BEST 100.

As a catalyst for digital transformation, Spice Factory aims to propel organizations, including government, into a new age of agility and customer-centricity. Their mission states, "We strive to improve the world pixel by pixel," illustrating their commitment to challenge societal issues while creating impactful business and innovation avenues.