Naris Cosmetics achieves record-high male parental leave rate of 77.8%

Naris Cosmetics Co., Ltd. (Representative: Hiroyoshi Muraoka; Head Office: Fukushima-ku, Osaka) announced that the parental leave uptake rate for male employees reached a record high of 77.8% in fiscal 2025 as part of its efforts to create an employee-friendly working environment. Of those who took leave, 85.7% opted for long-term leave of three months or more (total days in cases of split leave). Ahead of Father's Day on June 21, the company is reporting on its initiatives to date.

A corporate culture where even young managers can easily take parental leave Naris introduced its maternity and parental leave system in 1985, when the Equal Employment Opportunity Law was enacted. Although pre-natal leave does not apply to men, the system was designed from the beginning so that parental leave and other systems could be used regardless of gender. However, the first male employee took parental leave in 2007, and the number of users began to increase after the launch of the "Childcare and Nursing Care Support" program in 2016. At the launch, the company thoroughly educated managers in addition to informing employees. The company strived to foster an atmosphere where desired employees could take leave positively, regardless of managers' lack of knowledge or whether their department had previous experience with such leave.

While the annual number of eligible male employees at Naris is less than 10, meaning uptake rates tend to fluctuate by year, the rate has recently stabilized at a high percentage, reaching a record 77.8% this time. 85.7% of users opted for long-term leave of three months or more, and over 40% were managers. There are also examples of employee couples taking leave simultaneously. A notable feature of fiscal 2025 is the increase in employees combining multiple systems—such as post-natal father's leave and parental leave—to take leave in multiple segments. About 40% of users take leave flexibly according to their work schedules and family circumstances. The head of recruitment in the HR department, who took parental leave for the first time, commented, "As the person responsible for recruitment, I want to understand the feelings of new and young employees who will join our company and build an environment where they can work with peace of mind."

Increase in male parental leave users deepens mutual understanding among employees Most cases of parental leave at Naris are for long periods. Employees seem to experience the difficulties of housework and childcare firsthand, while also increasing their respect for working mothers. An employee who took leave with their spouse commented, "The time spent with my child during their rapid growth was irreplaceable. I am grateful to my supervisor who gladly agreed and to my colleagues who followed up on my work, and I feel like following up on them after I return." For a company that manufactures and sells daily necessities such as cosmetics and toiletries, the company believes that understanding not only their own usage but also the position of having family members use them provides many hints for development and marketing.