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　Six months have passed since the introduction of the "FAMO Support" childcare support system, which was extended to male employees in September 2010, and Works Applications Co. (1) The company has been working to improve its parental leave rate. This is an increase of approximately 50 percentage points from the 21% rate for the six months immediately prior to the introduction (March to August 2010). Three of the male employees who took the leave chose to take the newly established "half childcare leave," working only two days a week while spending the rest of the time on childcare, and are making efforts to balance work and childcare in this new way of working.
　In April 2011, companies with more than 1,000 employees will be required to disclose the percentage of male employees taking childcare leave, and companies are expected to encourage employees to take childcare leave. WAP has long been committed to providing an environment in which each employee can freely choose how to work, not only for childcare, but also for other stages of life.

Supervisors take the initiative in taking leave, making it easier for everyone to take time off.

　During the six-month period from September 2010 to February 2011, seven out of ten eligible male employees (employees who had a child during the period) took childcare leave. The ages of the employees varied from their 20s to 40s. One took less than one month, three took between one and three months, and three took more than three months. two of the employees who took less than three months may extend their leave. During this period, 100% of women took maternity leave, bringing the overall rate to 89%. Of the seven men who took the leave, four were managers or other executives. In the department responsible for system development, there were cases where both direct supervisors and subordinates applied for maternity leave at the same time. The proactive approach of supervisors in taking time off has created an environment in which the entire department is more likely to take time off.
　Three of the male employees who took the leave opted for the newly added "semi-childcare leave" option, which was renewed in September. One of these men, in his 30s, took a month of childcare leave, followed by an additional month of half parental leave. While he wanted to have as much time as possible to watch his child grow up and raise him, he was concerned about the burden on his work place by taking a longer leave. By reducing the number of hours I work and balancing work with childcare, I feel that I have been able to prepare myself for the outlook on my future life and have greatly reduced the burden on my body and mind.

Please contact us at so that we can arrange an interview with the employee himself/herself if desired. Works Applications Public Relations [email protected]

FAMO Support" to support employees with children regardless of gender

　The WAP FAMO support system was renewed in September 2010. The name is an abbreviation of the English phrase "father and mother," and provides support for employees with children regardless of gender. Not only have we added men to the program, but we have also enhanced the support measures. In response to a request from an employee who wanted to work a little while on childcare leave to ensure a smooth return to work, we have established a new semi-childcare leave system. This is expected to make it easier for employees to adjust their work schedules and take more time off.
　FAMO Support Leave, which can be used in the event of a child's illness or injury, was previously five days per year per child, but five days per year will be added regardless of the number of children. In addition, employees who return to work after taking maternity and childcare leave for a total of six months or more will receive a return bonus of 10% of their annual salary before the leave after one year of service.

WAP FAMO Support System Details

Return-to-work bonus	10% of the employee's annual salary prior to the absence
Semi-childcare leave	Can be taken within the range of 12-20 hours/week
FAMO Short-Time Work	(4-8 hours/day may be taken until graduation from elementary school)
FAMO support leave	The following is granted annually until graduation from elementary school Number of children x 5 days (paid) + 5 days (unpaid)

*Some employees are not eligible.

About Works Applications

Works Applications was founded in 1996 as an ERP package vendor in Japan. With innovative solutions such as no-customization and free version upgrades, we have supported the growth of our customers, mainly major Japanese companies. Believing in the potential of each individual, we aim to be a "growth engine" that maximizes the value of companies and individuals, and we will continue our pursuit of turning "work" into "creation" and making "work" fun.

*Company names, product names and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
*The information in this release is current as of the date of publication, and is subject to change or withdrawal without notice. Please be aware that the forecasts and other forward-looking information in this release are based on uncertainties and may differ from actual results.