Table of Contents

• Parenting Manga “Teleworking for a Change of Heart”
• Teleworking for Family and Work! How to start using it now!

Parenting Manga “Teleworking for a Change of Heart”

Profile
Eiichi
After working for a design company in Tokyo, he became a freelance illustrator. He is a hard-working father who creates animation, manga, and illustrations, including winning the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival’s International Short Film Showcase Division Excellence in Animation Award.

Teleworking for Family and Work! How to start using it now!

GMO Ad Partners, Inc.

　GMO Internet Group, an Internet-related business, introduced telework for 4,000 employees in Shibuya, Osaka, and Fukuoka on January 27, 2020 to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection. We spoke with Mr. Sayama of GMO Ad Partners’ Recruitment Strategy Department, Mr. Yoshitomi of the Human Resources & General Affairs Department, and Mr. Terayama to find out how the introduction of telework has affected their operations and whether employees have more time to spend with their families.

The introduction of teleworking, for which much preparation had been made, went smoothly, and events with employee participation were also conducted via teleworking.

　Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, we have conducted telecommuting drills once a year in anticipation of a contingency that would require the introduction of telework, and have repeatedly made improvements each time, so the transition to telework has been smooth.

　We also have a culture of valuing face-to-face communication among our partners (employees). Therefore, when conveying important messages as a company, we provide a place where all employees can gather, even if they are teleworking, and convey them with words and facial expressions.

　The regular monthly meetings attended by all employees, the initiation ceremony held in April, and the subsequent training for new employees are all conducted via telework.

　In addition, we encourage employees to consciously use online tools to communicate not only at work, but also in chatting and drinking sessions in order to resolve the lack of communication.

Smoothly accommodate working schedule due to school closures. We want you to spend more time with your family.

　Many employees feel that they have more time to spend with their families because they do not have to commute. They seem to spend more time not only taking care of their children but also doing household chores, such as eating lunch with their children during their lunch break and spending time with their children’s homework, or cooking dinner after work.

　In addition, since March, some families needed to take care of their children during weekday days due to requests from educational institutions to close schools. Accordingly, we received a variety of requests, including requests for flexible working hours. Therefore, we have asked each individual to take free time to take care of their children during their free time during working hours, and as a company, we support their working style so that they can balance telework and family life.

　Even after the new coronavirus outbreak is under control, we will continue to shift to a new business style that allows employees to work from home one to three days a week, in addition to their office work, so that they can spend more time with their families.

FB Management Inc.

　FB Management provides management consulting services specializing in long-established family business enterprises, where the family of the founder has been in business for more than 100 years and is responsible for the management of the enterprise. We asked Mr. Sato, an executive officer, about the response of the well-established company to the introduction of telework and what changes he has seen in its employees.

Long-established companies also realize the benefits of telework

　Many of our clients are well-established companies with a history of more than 100 years. For example, one client originally had no need to shift to digital because the president was able to run the company with little or no computer use. There are also companies that answer the phone for most of their communications and do not use email or chat. I believe that in many other places, the digital shift had not progressed due to various factors such as the nature of the business and corporate culture.

　However, the April 7 declaration of a state of emergency has triggered an impression that, depending on the type and type of business, established companies have shifted to digital at a rapid pace. For example, more companies have introduced chat tools and online conferencing systems to support telework.

　I have many opportunities to speak with the presidents of various companies, and I have heard many of them say, “We can almost complete our work through online meetings. It seems that they have realized that there are no major problems with communication using digital tools.

　In addition, as the company shifts to digital, employees become more digitally literate, and there have been examples of reduced wasted travel time, increased work efficiency, and reduced work hours. There have also been benefits in employees’ home lives, such as being able to use their free time to do things at home.

It may be no surprise that companies that had already set up a telework environment before the outbreak of the new coronavirus infection were able to make a smooth transition to a telework environment. On the other hand, those companies that had set up a telework environment in a hurry in response to the declaration of a state of emergency also seem to have realized the benefits of doing so, and it seems to have led to an improved life/work balance for their employees.
For companies and individuals who think teleworking is difficult, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government offers a variety of support services, which are introduced at the end of this article.

Telework practices.
Interview with Mom and Dad

Yusuke Okamura (pseudonym, age 35)

　Yusuke Okamura (pseudonym), who works for an advertising agency and is a father of two boys, ages 6 and 2, told us about the changes in his family life, including childcare and housework, since he started teleworking from late February.

Grasping the rhythm of life and balancing work and family

　Until now, I had almost no time to spend with my children on weekdays due to long work hours in addition to a two-hour round-trip commute to and from work. My wife, who works shortened hours, took care of all the childcare and housework during the week, and I only had time to do them on my days off. I was placing a heavy burden on my wife.

　However, becoming a teleworker gave me more time to physically be in contact with my family. Therefore, my wife and I have clarified the division of roles, and I have taken on the role of childcare, as I am not good at housework. For example, I have been able to reduce the burden on my wife by spending more time at the park with the children during the weekdays and eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner together.

　On the other hand, on the business side, I was at a loss as to how to use my time. For example, it was difficult to concentrate when children were nearby. Gradually, I was able to find a rhythm in my life and now I am able to efficiently balance my work and family life.

　I am happy to have more time to interact with children and taste their growth on a daily basis. Also, being in contact with my children helps me switch between work and private life. I would like to continue teleworking in the future and make an effort to gradually help my wife with the housework that she has left to me.

Yuka Nagata (age 27)

　Ms. Nagata works for an IT venture company and is raising a 3-year-old girl. We spoke with her mainly about how she uses her time in a day to juggle childcare, housework, and work.

Ensure a good balance between childcare, housework, and work by discussing and creating rules for couples.

　In our household, both my husband and I started teleworking around the beginning of March due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection. My husband works in the study and I work in the living room while taking care of our daughter, who is 3 years old and very hands-on at the time, so in the beginning of remote work, it was difficult to make progress in our work due to the unfamiliar situation. To be honest, there were more and more disputes with my husband.

　However, after many discussions, we decided to share childcare responsibilities, such as having my husband watch our daughter during his breaks and when I have meetings. Now he does the housework, such as making meals, and we are able to live a successful telecommuting lifestyle while taking care of each other.

　It is also recommended that couples dare to stagger their meal times. By doing so, they can take turns taking care of the child at their respective meal times. It is also a good idea to plan naptime so that the children can go to bed earlier, and to be physically active during the day. By doing so, couples can spend time together after the children go to bed or work.

　Even in unfamiliar situations, we have been able to successfully overcome them by discussing and creating rules together as a couple.

Many teleworking families were pleased to have more time to participate in household chores and childcare.
The roles of housework and childcare will differ depending on the job duties of each couple, the ages of their children, and other circumstances. Couples should communicate with each other and aim for a good balance between work and home life in a way that suits them.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Supports Introduction of Telework

　Finally, we introduce the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s policy of supporting companies that promote telework.

Tokyo Telework Promotion Center Information

　The Tokyo Metropolitan Government, in cooperation with the national government, operates the Tokyo Telework Promotion Center, which provides one-stop support for the introduction of telework.

　The center’s “Experience Corner” introduces many systems and tools necessary for telework, such as security tools, communication tools, and labor management tools, and allows visitors to compare and study them. In addition, case studies of companies that have introduced telework, information on subsidies, related books, pamphlets, etc. are available for visitors to gather a variety of information on telework.

　You are free to browse around the center, but if you make a reservation in advance for the “Telework Experience Tour,” the concierge will guide you through the best tools to meet your challenges.

Experience Corner

　In addition, the Center regularly holds “Telework Introduction and Utilization Seminars” and also holds “Telework Experience Seminars” at various locations in Tokyo, where participants can actually operate equipment and experience a simulated day in the life of a teleworker. We also hold “matching events” between companies that have introduced telework and people who want to work telework. (*Seminars and other events may be conducted online to prevent the spread of new coronavirus infection.)

Trial Seminar

Telework Introduction and Utilization Seminar

　*Part of the Center’s operations are subject to change due to measures to prevent the spread of new coronavirus infection. Please check the website before visiting the center.

◎For more information, click here.

https://tokyo-telework.jp/

Take advantage of the TOKYO Telework App!

　The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has created a smartphone application for obtaining information necessary for the introduction and practice of telework. The application provides useful information for promoting telework, such as introduction of examples of telework practices, introduction of support measures, and applications for seminars and other events useful for introducing and utilizing telework and reforming work styles.

◎For more information, click here.

https://tokyo-telework.jp/lp/2002app/index.html

This is the best way to experience telework!

　In FY2020, the “Telework Introduction Model Experience Project” was newly introduced to support companies considering the introduction of telework.

　When telecommuting is introduced, terminals and equipment with telework tool sets installed are loaned free of charge so that employees can experience teleworking in a simplified manner.

◎For more information, click here.

https://tokyo-telework.jp/lp/try2020/index.html/