Union pushes Japanese employer to recognize same-sex partners
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Members of the Sapporo Welfare Corporation’s labor union in Sapporo, Japan, proposed changes to the company’s employment rules, and the corporation approved them. The revised rules now define “spouse” as someone in a marital relationship regardless of gender, a change put into effect on April 1.
The corporation will accept a signed declaration, a partnership certificate from a prefecture, or a certificate of singleness as proof of the relationship.
The facility manager of a nursing home operated by the corporation expressed regret that the change hadn’t come sooner, noting some employees may have been denied benefits they deserved. An NPO called Rainbow Diversity surveyed 6,838 LGBTQ people and allies in 2024, finding that 65% want their employers to treat same-sex partners as spouses, while 53% report a lack of LGBTQ-inclusive policies at work.
