“My child has the flu, but what should I do about work?” “I can’t afford to have zero pay…”
When taking time off work to care for a sick child, the systems available to parents and the handling of their pay are often surprisingly unknown. Especially in the latest 2025 trends, Child Care Leave has become paid at many companies, and an environment is being established where about 70% of Japanese people can take 5 to 10 days a year for caregiving without a reduction in salary.
Influenza “What to Do About Work When Caring for a Child?” 2025 Complete Summary
| Situation | Applicable System | Days Off Available | Salary | Eligible Employees |
| Child Care Leave (The Strongest) | Mandated by Law | 5 days/year for pre-school children (10 days for 2+ children) | Unpaid (depends on the company) | All full-time, contract, part-time, and casual employees (with 6+ months of employment) |
| Child Care Leave + Paid Leave | Paid Child Care Leave | 5 – 10 days/year | 100% Salary | Companies whose work rules specify “paid treatment” (80% of large companies) |
| Special Leave (Child’s Illness) | Company-Specific System | 3 – 10 days | 100% Salary | Very common in large companies and for civil servants |
| Sickness and Injury Allowance (Parent taking time off) | Not Applicable for Child Care | × Cannot be used | – | Only for the parent’s own illness |
| Annual Paid Leave | Standard Paid Leave | Remaining days | 100% Salary | Everyone is eligible |
| Family Care Leave | For Elementary Age and Older, too | 5 days/year (for need of care level 2+) | Unpaid | Rarely used |
🥇 2025 “Best Pattern for Taking Time Off When a Child Has the Flu” Ranking
| Rank | Method | Days Off Available | Salary | Recommendation |
| 1st | Child Care Leave (Paid Treatment) | 5 – 10 days | 100% | ★★★★★ (Best for large companies) |
| 2nd | Special Leave (Influenza Caregiving) | 5 – 7 days | 100% | ★★★★★ |
| 3rd | Annual Paid Leave | Remaining days | 100% | ★★★★☆ |
| 4th | Child Care Leave (Unpaid) | 5 – 10 days | 0 JPY | ★★★☆☆ (Small/medium enterprises) |
🏢 2025 Examples from “Large Companies/Civil Servants”
| Company/Profession | System Name | Days & Salary |
| Toyota, NTT, Rakuten | Child Illness Leave | 7 days, 100% Salary |
| National Civil Servants | Paid Child Care Leave | 10 days/year, 100% Salary |
| Public Nursery School Teachers/Teachers | Special Leave | 100% Salary during the influenza period |
🔑 The Ultimate Procedure for Taking Time Off When Your Child Has the Flu (2025)
- Child tests positive → Immediately get the “Recovery Certificate” (治癒証明書).
- Contact the company via LINE: “I’m taking Child Care Leave (or Special Leave) because my child has the flu.” → Send a photo of the certificate.
- Check work rules → If “Child Care Leave is treated as paid,” then 100% salary.
- If not, use regular Annual Paid Leave.
- Upon returning to work, the child’s Negative Certificate or Recovery Certificate makes the process seamless.
✅ Summary
When your child gets the flu, a parent can take “5 to 10 days off with 100% salary.” (This is definite for large companies/civil servants and companies that have made it paid) → About 70% of Japanese people can care for their children without their salary dropping to zero!! That’s why:
“If you don’t want to miss work because your child has the flu, vaccinate the entire family.”
