Japan to subsidize 100% of salaries at small companies

Apr 25, 2020 | News On Japan

Apr 25, 2020 (Nikkei) - Japan is working on a subsidy to ensure that temporarily idled small-business employees receive 100% of their wages during the current state of emergency, Nikkei has learned.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to use an existing employment adjustment subsidy, which helps enterprises seeing no choice but to temporarily lay off workers continue to pay them, at least in part.

As things stand, laid-off workers at companies that have halted operations are entitled to at least 60% of their regular pay. The government shoulders up to 90% of this to keep them from being dismissed outright, with the company chipping in the other 10%.

Many employers try to save money by sticking to the 60% minimum and asking the government to pay 90% of it.

The offer will be more generous going forward. If small companies -- those in the service sector with up to five workers and manufacturers with up to 20 -- are asked by the central or local government to temporarily shutter operations, and they apply for the employment adjustment subsidy, the government will shoulder the full cost as long as the businesses pay 100% of last year's wage levels.

With companies not having to pay anything out of pocket, most will choose the 100% option, the government figures.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and other localities across Japan have asked restaurants and other businesses to close or shorten hours during the health crisis. The central government's financial support aims to maintain the income levels of workers in these industries.

The subsidy program's parameters will cover 3 million companies and about 10 million employees.

Typhoon No. 18 Threatens Okinawa as More Tropical Systems Form

A very strong Typhoon No. 18 is approaching the Daito Islands and is expected to move toward Okinawa's main island and the Amami Islands, while two other typhoons and a new tropical depression are active across waters south of Japan and near Southeast Asia. As of 3 a.m. on August 24, Typhoon No. 18 was over waters south of Japan and moving west-northwest at 30 kilometers per hour. As of 9 p.m. on August 23, Typhoon No. 18 was moving west-northwest at 30 kilometers per hour over waters southwest of the Ogasawara Islands.

Kyoto Expands Night Tourism

Kyoto is stepping up efforts to capture Japan's growing nighttime economy, with Toei Kyoto Studio Park extending its hours to 9 p.m., a new theater drawing visitors near Kyoto Station and nighttime tours expanding in Gion as the city seeks to encourage tourists to stay out longer and explore more areas after dark.

Taiwanese Woman Accused of Pouring Oil on National Treasure

A 39-year-old woman from Taiwan has been arrested on suspicion of pouring an oil-like liquid on the national treasure Buddha Footprint Stone at Yakushiji Temple in Nara in April, police said.

Death Row Inmate Executed for Deadly Pachinko Parlor Fire

Japan executed 58-year-old death row inmate Sunao Takami on August 21 for setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Osaka in 2009, killing five people and injuring 10 others, in the first execution carried out under the Takaichi administration.

Japan to Abolish Cool Japan Fund

Japan's government is moving toward abolishing the Cool Japan Fund, a public-private investment vehicle created to support the overseas expansion of Japanese anime, food culture and other industries, after its cumulative losses reached 54 billion yen.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

High-Priced Mountain Left Unused for 27 Years

Aichi Prefecture is seeking private-sector ideas for a vast mountain property in Nishio that has remained unused for 27 years after the prefecture spent 5.5 billion yen to buy the land for a project linked to the construction of Chubu Centrair International Airport.

Death Row Inmate Executed for Deadly Pachinko Parlor Fire

Woman Arrested Over Poisoned Muffin

A 46-year-old woman employed at a chemical-related company has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly giving a muffin containing the designated deleterious substance acrylamide to a 30-year-old male acquaintance in Kyoto, police said on August 22.

Another Accident on Kobe's Notorious Hill

Another serious accident has occurred on a steep, prolonged downhill stretch of Prefectural Route 95 in Kobe, where authorities have repeatedly warned drivers about the risk of brake fade, a potentially dangerous loss of braking power that can affect ordinary passenger cars as well as large trucks.

Nepalese Student Found Dead in Fukuoka River

A Nepalese vocational school student found dead in a river in Fukuoka city had multiple injuries on her arms believed to have been sustained while trying to protect herself, leading police to suspect she was attacked repeatedly with a strong intent to kill.

Princess Aiko Makes First Visit to Shiga

Princess Aiko made her first visit to Shiga Prefecture on August 21, touring facilities previously visited by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, viewing exhibits at the Lake Biwa Museum and trying the Paralympic sport of boccia for the first time.

Questions Raised Over Police Interrogations After 16-Year-Old Girl's Death

A 16-year-old girl who repeatedly insisted she was innocent died months after an 18-day detention and interrogation left her suffering from an eating disorder and severe psychological trauma, while other people have come forward alleging troubling investigative practices by the same police station.

Four Workers Killed After Being Struck by Spacia X Train in Tochigi

Four workers were killed after being struck by the limited express train Spacia X while carrying out vegetation-clearing work at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on August 20, prompting an investigation by the Japan Transport Safety Board.

< 2 3 4 5 >