Japanese cosmetics business Shiseido has launched a postpartum service to provide support to employees with children under three months old.
From this month, employees at Shiseido and its partner firms will be able to access housework and childcare assistance by licensed, qualified postpartum care professionals. It is available from the first week after the birth of a child and lasts for three months.
The service, which is provided by Kangaroom+, aims to assist the organisation’s 17,000 female employees with their physical and mental health and support them in their return to work, while also helping its male staff to learn about childcare and encourage them to take paternity leave. This is part of Shiseido’s efforts to create a work environment where all employees can be their authentic selves and design their own career paths.
Emiko Ashida, deputy chief people officer at Shiseido, said: “At Shiseido, we are committed to our people-first philosophy, recognising that our human resources are our most valuable assets. We are promoting our diversity and inclusion initiative to inspire every employee to work with vigor and passion, creating new value in the process, in pursuit of our mission.
“Our new postpartum support service will be beneficial to our female employees during the delicate period of maternity leave and childcare leave, where both their mental and physical wellbeing are of utmost importance. It provides them with the opportunity to take time for themselves to focus on their mental and physical self-care. Our commitment is to ensure that this new initiative contributes to the wellbeing of all our employees on maternity leave and childcare leave.”
Shiseido also offers comprehensive childcare support through childcare provider Kodomology. This includes in-person and online training programmes for new mothers and fathers, in-person and online seminars on balancing work and childcare, and a sitter service for temporary early morning care.