일본의 일･돌봄 실태 및 법제도 현황과 효과

Present Condition of Work-Care Balance in Japan and Legislative Efforts for it and Its Effectiveness

The number of people who are in need of elder care has been sharply increasing in Japan. The Japanese Long-Term Care Insurance System started in 2000. For people who are 65-years old or over, the number of people accepted to the Long-Term Care System was 2,977,000 in 2001 and 4,696,000 in 2009. These numbers refer only to those who are eligible for the Japanese Long-Term Care System. Therefore, it is assumed that there are more families who are having trouble obtaining elder care compared to the above numbers, since some people may not use the Long-Term Care System or may not be accepted despite applying for the system. In order to understand the situations and legislation in Japan, Germany, and Korea from the perspective of comparative research, this paper will indicate the actual experiences of Japanese workers with respect to family elder care (Ⅱ). Then, this paper will explain an outline of the Law Concerning the Welfare of Workers Who Take Care of Children or Other Family Members Including Child Care and Family Care Leave, which is the legal system reconciling family care and work in Japan (Ⅲ). In particular, focusing on unemployment due to family elder care, it is important to examine the future tasks that the law must handle (Ⅳ). To solve the problems related to unemployment due to family elder care, first, it is imperative to establish via labor contracts both an employer’s obligation toward an employee who is taking care of a senior family member and the rights of the employee. Second, there is a need for a system—developed by both social insurance and employers—to economically support employees who are engaged in family elder care. Third, there must be a system in place to help those who have left the labor force because of family caregiving to re-enter the labor market; such a system will require legal backing.