"I'm Busy After Work Too"... Discontent Grows Among Unmarried and Single Employees in Japan Over Unequal Workload

Singles Work an Average of 5.6 Extra Hours per Month

"Childcare Leave Burden Shifted onto Unmarried Employees," Say Dissatisfied Workers

In Japanese workplaces, conflicts are arising as the workload resulting from parental and caregiving leave is disproportionately shifted onto unmarried and single employees.

A survey conducted in Japan found that employees who took on the workload gaps for family care workers worked an average of 5.6 more hours overtime per month than other employees. Getty Images

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on September 7, the parental leave uptake rate among men in Japan surpassed 50% for the first time last year, reflecting an expansion of support systems for child-rearing households.

However, the resulting work burden and regional transfers are primarily falling on single employees. A recent survey by the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, found that in 60% of companies, most transferees answered they were 'single.'

A survey by the private think tank Persol Research Institute revealed that employees taking on the workload of family caregiving staff work an average of 5.6 more hours of overtime per month compared to other employees. Among respondents, 42.6% expressed dissatisfaction with having to take on extra work, and 69.2% said that corporate support to address such workload gaps was insufficient.

Changes in household structure are further fueling these complaints. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the proportion of single-person households increased from 18.2% in 1986 to 35.4% in 2025. In contrast, the proportion of typical households consisting of a couple and their children fell sharply from 41.4% to 24.3% during the same period.

A citizen is holding a child while looking at baby bottles. This is a stock photo unrelated to the article. Photo by The Asia Business Daily Database.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun noted that while the lifestyles of workers have changed significantly, society’s systems have not kept pace. The article emphasized the need to update the work environment and institutional frameworks to account for a diversity of life choices. Experts also pointed out, “It is not that single employees are opposed to support for parenting itself, so it is urgent to introduce flexible work arrangements and establish tangible compensation systems that allow everyone to benefit.”

Some companies have already begun to take action. Daiwa Lease grants bonuses to colleagues who fill in for parental leave employees. SS Pharmaceutical reportedly pays a 100,000 yen (approximately 860,000 won) allowance to employees covering these duties. Partition manufacturer Komani has introduced a policy to reflect such support for colleagues on parental leave in the semiannual personnel evaluation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.