Tokyo, JAPAN – Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd. held a roundtable discussion for employees raising children on March 12th, utilizing a hybrid format combining the company’s headquarters meeting room and web participation. The discussion included employees expecting the birth of their child soon, those currently on childcare leave, those actively raising children, with 35 participants including employees and their children taking part in the event.

Participants
Front Center : Eiji Yonezawa / CEO, President of OC Global

This roundtable discussion is regularly held as a forum for information exchange among employees in the child-rearing generation, aiming to alleviate concerns and questions for those returning from childcare leave. In this session, participants were divided into teams based on nationality (foreign employees), fathers, and mothers. Each group had the opportunity to consult with experienced parents, share information about parenting, and address individual concerns. By consistently organizing these discussions, the network of employees in the child-rearing generation expands, fostering an environment where colleagues exchange information in their daily lives, and support those balancing work and parenting.

It is worth noting that our recent childcare leave uptake rate is 75% for men and 100% for women. The company implements various work systems tailored to different lifestyles, such as partial exemption of core hours in the flextime system, short-time work, telecommuting, and remote work for employees in distant locations. OC Global is committed to creating a working environment where all employees, regardless of gender or age, can thrive.

Dad Team
Dads on paternity leave also participated.
Balancing parenting and work is not a challenge exclusive to women.

Foreigner Team
Employees working overseas participated through the web.
Information on public childcare support measures, which might be less clear for foreign nationals, was also shared.

Mom Team
Waiting for nursery school placement, searching for after-school care,
the challenges of starting first grade, the hurdles of third grade,
and the obstacles of fourth grade – the worries persist no matter how old your child gets.

OC Global supports all employees in realizing diverse lifestyles by providing a well-maintained working environment and opportunities for information exchange among the staff (SDG 8).