NTT to grant staff marriage benefits to same-sex couples

Telecommunications giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. will extend its benefits for married couples to employees in same-sex partnerships in a move that could prompt other Japanese firms to follow suit.

Under the new system, same-sex couples will be allowed to use the marriage leave system and other perks. NTT will announce the program to the 250,000 staff members employed across its group companies and encourage those eligible to make use of it.

As the public profile of sexual minority rights increases, businesses in Japan have started working to create a comfortable working environment for their gay employees.

Foreign-affiliated companies such as IBM Japan Ltd. were the first to make such changes. NTT’s shift to a gay-friendly policy followed that of electronics giant Panasonic Corp., raising the likelihood that similar policies will be implemented by other companies.

To enable the program, NTT will broaden the interpretation of “marriage” and “spouse” in its labor regulations and other documents.

The benefits being extended to same-sex partners are marriage leave; condolence leave in the event of the partner’s death; congratulatory or condolence payments; and congratulatory or condolence telegrams sent under the name of the employee’s immediate manager.

Although NTT has previously granted those rights to some employees in same-sex partnerships at their requests, its latest move formalizes the program by putting it in writing and promoting it to all staff.

The company is also considering extending the benefits for same-sex couples to other areas such as care leave, which has already been extended to heterosexual employees with partners in common-law marriages.

(THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)