The long-term care insurance system, introduced in 2000, has promoted the
socialization of long-term care and helped to reduce the burden on families
with elderly relatives who need long-term care. But while the purpose of the
long-term care insurance system is to provide a necessary and sufficient level
of benefits for elderly persons in need of long-term care, the system alone does
not necessarily meet all of their care needs. As a result, family care or services
other than long-term care insurance are required to complement long-term care
insurance services. The system of care leave based on the Child Care and
Family Care Leave Act was established as a preparatory period with the aim of
building a system for long-term care of family members in need of such care;
income guarantees during the care leave period are provided in the form of
care leave benefits from the employment insurance system. However, the rate
of care leave actually taken remains at an extremely low level, despite progress
by businesses in establishing related regulations. What is more important
is to create schemes for working formats, such as short working hour systems
or limits on overtime work, to assist workers in balancing everyday and continuous
employment with family care.
