1. The Client's Situation
The client company was considering introducing a staggered work-hours system for all employees in order to enhance the flexibility of its organizational operations, and it requested advice on whether government subsidies could be utilized in the course of implementing the system. In particular, having operated a staggered work-hours system since October 2025, the company needed a review of whether the system qualified for the Ministry of Employment and Labor's flexible work incentive and of the timing and procedures for application. In addition, concerns were raised that the subsidy might not be paid if administrative requirements such as revision of employment contracts, the method of attendance management, and the actual usage requirements were not satisfied during the introduction of the system. Accordingly, the client requested advice from Your Legal Team to review the operational structure of the system and to determine the possibility of applying for the subsidy.
2. Your Legal Team's Advice
Your Legal Team first reviewed the criteria of the Ministry of Employment and Labor's "Flexible Work Incentive (staggered work hours during the child-rearing period)" system and advised that the client could be eligible for support if it qualified as a priority-support target enterprise or a mid-sized enterprise. We also organized the key requirements and advised on points to note in operating the system, such as: the staggered work-hours incentive for the child-rearing period applies only to workers with children aged 12 or under or in the sixth grade of elementary school or below; the prescribed working hours must be at least 35 and no more than 40 hours per week; and the change in commuting time must be at least 30 minutes. In addition, we proposed a method of revising the rules to specify the staggered work-hours types in employment contracts and internal regulations, and explained the need to establish an electronic or mechanical attendance management system. Finally, we organized the administrative procedures, including the exclusion period for applying for the incentive, the application procedure, and the quarterly (three-month-unit) application structure, so that the client could review the actual feasibility of applying for the subsidy.
3. Outcome
Through the advice, the client was able to review the operational structure of its staggered work-hours system to conform with the system's requirements, and to clearly confirm whether government subsidies could be utilized and the timing for application. In particular, by checking in advance the requirements that are easy to overlook in practice, such as revision of employment contracts and the method of attendance management, the client was able to prevent administrative risks that could arise during the future subsidy application process. Through this, the client could expect to secure the stability of system operation along with the possibility of easing the burden of labor costs. Your Legal Team provides practice-oriented legal advice ranging from the design of corporate HR and labor systems to the utilization of government subsidies and the revision of employment contracts and internal regulations.