Action Plan
NICT has formulated an action plan to realize a workplace environment where diverse talents can thrive.
Goals
Part 1: General Employers Action Plan (Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace)
Objective
This plan is formulated based on the "Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace" which aims to rapidly and strategically advance women's participation in the workforce.
The goal is to realize a rich and dynamic society where the rights of both men and women are respected, and which can adapt to rapid demographic changes such as declining birthrates and aging populations,
as well as the diversification of public needs and other socioeconomic shifts. To achieve this, the plan provides opportunities for female workers in their professional lives and promotes the development of a work environment that supports the balance between professional and family life.
Plan Period
April 1, 2021 – March 31, 2026
Goals, Initiatives, and Implementation Schedule
Goal 1: Increase the percentage of female employees in managerial positions to at least 7%.
Goal 2: Ensure that at least 12.5% (1 out of 8 members) of executives are women.
＜Initiatives＞
April 2021–
- •Promote female employees to managerial positions
- •Conduct training programs to support women's career advancement
Goal 3: Achieve a paid leave utilization rate of at least 50%.
＜Initiatives＞
April 2021–
- •Implement activities to encourage employees to take paid leave
- •Promote consecutive leave before and after Golden Week Holidays and the summer vacation period
Goal 4: Ensure that women account for 20% or more of the total hires for permanent research and permanent research technical positions.
＜Initiatives＞
October 2021–
- •Introduce female researchers and provide updates on diversity initiatives on the organization’s website
- •Establish a "Diversity Recruitment Quota" for hiring tenure-track researchers
- •Organize recruitment events for female students, featuring female researchers who explain their work and share insights into the appeal of pursuing STEM fields and research careers
Part 2: General Employers Action Plan (Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children)
Objective
This action plan aims to help employees fully utilize their abilities, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and create a more comfortable workplace environment.
Plan Period
Two years from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027
Goals
Goal 1: Achieve any of the following objectives within the plan duration.
(1) Ensure that at least 10% of eligible male employees have taken parental leave.
(2) Ensure that at least 20% of eligible male employees have either taken parental leave or utilized childcare-related leave systems, with at least one employee having taken parental leave.
Goal 2: Ensure that at least 75% of eligible female employees have taken parental leave, and at least 75% of eligible female fixed term employees have taken it.
＜Measures＞
April 2025 – March 2027
- •Encourage greater use of existing work-life balance support systems for childcare and caregiving by raising awareness and promoting active engagement through internal websites and other communication channels to raise awareness and actively encourage usage
- •Conduct work-life balance training to help employees better understand how to manage work alongside childcare and caregiving responsibilities
- •Managers should take a proactive approach to identifying employees eligible for parental leave and encourage them to utilize it
Goal 3: For full-time employees, excluding managerial and supervisory staff, the average monthly overtime over the entire planning period must be limited to 20 hours.
＜Measures＞
April 2025 – March 2027
- •Encourage timely departures on 'Regular Departure Days'—designated as every Wednesday and on payroll/bonus payment days—through internal websites or emails
- •Promote awareness among managerial and supervisory staff through training and other initiatives to support the reduction of overtime within their team
- •Strive to maintain optimal staffing levels in each department in accordance with their workloads
Goal 4: Develop a range of systems that empower employees to adopt more flexible work styles.
＜Measures＞
April 2025 – March 2026
- •Conduct a survey to better identify and understand employee needs
- •Gather employee feedback and suggestions on flexible work arrangements through town hall meetings and other communication channels
April 2026 - March 2027
- •Based on feedback from employee surveys and internal town hall meetings, we will review existing systems and, where necessary, implement measures such as the establishment or revision of policies to better support flexible work arrangements
