October 29, 2026
PHC Corporation
PHC Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President, Representative Director: Nobuaki Nakamura; hereinafter "PHC"), a subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; TSE Prime: 6523), is pleased to announce that it has received the Kurumin Certification, formally known as the Certification of Standard-Compliant General Employer, from Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. The certification recognizes PHC as a company that actively supports employees who are balancing work and childcare under the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children.
Background on Certification
PHC is committed to creating a workplace where all employees can successfully balance work and family responsibilities.
In fiscal year 2025, PHC updated its internal systems to ensure alignment with Japanese laws regarding pregnancy and childcare leave, and communicated these updates through brochures and other internal communications including e-learning programs to deepen employee understanding of their parental leave rights.
Following these initiatives, PHC maintained a 100% parental leave uptake rate among eligible female employees during the period from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026. Over the same period, the uptake rate among male employees rose substantially from 3% to 59%.
Future Initiatives
PHC has set targets under its General Employer Action Plan for Japan for the period from April 2026 to March 2029, including maintaining a 100% parental leave uptake rate among female employees and increasing the uptake rate among male employees to 70% or higher.
In addition, we will continue fostering a workplace culture that supports work-life balance by expanding assistance for teams covering for absent colleagues and sharing experiences of male employees who have taken parental leave. Through these efforts, we aim to encourage greater utilization of parental leave and longer periods away from work for childcare.
Overview of Certification
| Date of Certification |
July 6, 2026 |
| Certification Category |
Certification of Standard-Compliant General Employer (Kurumin Certification) |
| Applicable Action Plan Period |
April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2026 |
| Male Employee Parental Leave Take-up Rate |
59.1% in FY2025 / 27.0% average over the action plan period |
* Because the action plan period covered by PHC’s certification application qualified for transitional measures, the company was assessed under the previous Kurumin Certification criteria. Under those criteria, a parental leave take-up rate of 10% or higher among male employees was required.
Reference: Work-Life Balance Support Portal (https://ryouritsu.mhlw.go.jp/hiroba/search_dtl.php?cn=42591#actionplan ) (available in Japanese only)
Contact Information:
Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Department
PHC Holdings Corporation
+81-3-6778-5311
Email: phc-pr@gg.phchd.com