Gov’t payout due for parents per Komeito proposal

March 3 , 2020

Following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decision to close schools nationwide to slow the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced that it will fully reimburse companies up to 8,330 yen per day for paying salaries to parents or guardians who had to take time off from work to care for their children. The program covers both permanent and temporary hires over a period starting from February 27 and ending on March 31.

A full reimbursement as provided above is a rare event given that under the standard terms of the government’s employment adjustment subsidy, larger firms are entitled to receive 50% while smaller businesses receive 66.6%.

The ministry’s decision comes after Komeito first lobbied for a similar program on February 27.