"Why not just let your husband support you?"—The Chain and Structural Background of Non-Regular Public Employee "Pregnancy Discrimination"

1. Introduction: The Shock of "Pregnancy Dismissal"

In June 2025, when AERA DIGITAL released a feature titled "'Why not let your husband support you?' Non-regular public employees' 'pregnancy dismissal'," the hashtag "#妊婦切り" quickly spread across social media. Testimonies from those affected and their supporters were posted in a flood. The article highlighted a case involving a female fiscal year-appointed employee who had worked for six years in a municipality in Hiroshima Prefecture. Just one month after applying for maternity and childcare leave, she received a notice of non-renewal stating that "continued employment is unnecessary."x.com

Similar cases have been confirmed nationwide, and FN News reported in a piece titled "Terminated after applying for maternity and childcare leave?" that similar incidents have surfaced in at least 10 municipalities.fnnews.jp

2. What Are Non-Regular Public Employees? Basic Knowledge of the System

2-1 Overview of the Fiscal Year-Appointed Employee System

• Year Introduced: Fiscal Year 2020

• Number of Employees: Approximately 743,000 (2023 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Survey)works-i.com

• Contract Period: Up to 1 year (end of fiscal year)

• Appointment Renewal: Essentially annual recruitment and selection ("zero-base renewal")
  
  

The system was originally established to correct disparities in treatment, but it harbors "structural vulnerabilities" that lead to termination of employment under the guise of single-year contracts. Gender statistics show that three-quarters of the employees are women, and the overlap of childbearing age with employment instability exacerbates the issue.roudou-navi.org

2-2 Comparison with Similar Systems Abroad

3. Case Study: The Reality of "Pregnancy Dismissals"

3-1 Case of Kitahiroshima Town, Hiroshima Prefecture

• A full-time appointed staff member with six years of service reported pregnancy → received a non-renewal notice one month later.
• The town explained it was due to "work attitude," but peer evaluation sheets showed high ratingsfnnews.jp.
• An application for relief was filed with the labor committee, but it was dismissed as the appointment period ended before the hearing concluded.

3-2 Trends Seen in Online Surveys

In a survey by the news site S-News Commons (356 respondents), 27% of non-regular public servants answered that they were not offered renewal due to pregnancy.s-newscommons.com

Common Points Emerging from Victims' Voices

1. Told "It's difficult to hand over work" right after pregnancy announcement

2. Supervisor emphasizes "No precedent for maternity leave"

3. Mentioning family circumstances with "Your husband should support you"
   
   

All of these statements could violate the Equal Employment Opportunity Act's prohibition on disadvantageous treatment due to pregnancy or childbirth, but the oversight system within the administration is vague, causing delays in rectification.

4. Loopholes in the Legal System

4-1 "Exemption from Application" of the Labor Standards Act and Supervisory Gaps

Local government employees are not directly guided by the Labor Standards Inspection Office, with internal audits and personnel committees taking the lead. However, there are few permanent consultation windows for part-time employees, significantly delaying rights relief.xn--alg-li9dki71toh.com

4-2 Limitations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Manual

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications clearly states in a Q&A that "Refusal to renew due to maternity leave application is not allowed"datu-chihoukoumuin.com. However, without penalties or monitoring mechanisms, many local governments prioritize "personnel cost reduction," lacking effectiveness.

4-3 Lack of "Reasonable Expectation" Theory

The "reasonable expectation of contract renewal" precedent established in private companies is not sufficiently analogously applied to public servant appointments. The judiciary also shows a cautious stance by treating "appointment = administrative act," prolonging relief.

5. Understanding the Reality of Maternity and Childcare Leave through Data

As the numbers indicate, only about 0.04% of eligible individuals are able to take childcare leave, while consultations on termination are increasing.chihei.net

6. Japan's Lag from an International Standard Perspective

In 2024, the ILO Committee of Experts reiterated that non-renewal of contracts due to pregnancy, even if the contract term has expired, constitutes discrimination.normlex.ilo.org
However, Japan has not ratified the Maternity Protection Convention (C183, which stipulates 14 weeks of paid leave), and the level of protection in the public sector falls below the average of developed countries.

7. Voices of Stakeholders and Experts

"I was told that pregnancy is a personal choice, so it can't be helped."In the field of public service, I never expected this."
— Mr. A (former fiscal year-appointed staff)x.com

"Introducing the concept of 'reasonable expectation of continued employment' for single-year appointments and automatically extending contracts during maternity leave is urgently needed."
— Ms. Mieko Takenobu (Journalist / Hosei University Faculty)s-newscommons.com

8. Reform Roadmap

1. Revision of Contract Renewal Guidelines

   • Clearly specify maternity leave takers as exceptions under "reasonable expectation"
     
     

2. Expansion of Labor Standards Supervision Authority

   • Directly apply orders to correct maternity harassment in the public sector
     
     

3. Fiscal Measures and Incentives

   • Reflect maternity leave continuation budget in national treasury burden rate
     
     

4. Unification of Consultation and Relief Schemes

   • Seamless transition from online application→mediation→judiciary
     
     
     
     

9. Conclusion—A Litmus Test for Gender Equality

While advocating "countermeasures for population decline" and "promotion of women's participation," the current situation where the public sector dismisses female employees due to pregnancy symbolizes the contradictions in Japanese society. ILO standards and examples from other countries demonstrate that it is possible to design systems that protect pregnant women even under fixed contracts.

Eliminating the "government-created working poor" of non-regular public employees is essential not only for gender equality but also for maintaining the quality of administrative services. Revising the practice of "end-of-year renewal = reset" and creating public workplaces where childbirth and childcare can be pursued with peace of mind will be the first step towards a sustainable Japan trusted by the international community.

List of Reference Articles

1. AERA DIGITAL "Why not let your husband support you?" Non-regular public employees' "pregnancy dismissal" 2025-06-18x.com

2. FN News "Dismissed after applying for maternity or childcare leave?"The Barrier to Maternity and Childcare Leave for Non-Regular Public Employees" 2025-02-17fnnews.jp

3. S-News Commons "Non-Regular Public Employees Facing Termination at Fiscal Year-End if They Give Birth? Survey of Those Affected" 2025-04-10s-newscommons.com

4. Works Report "1 in 5 Public Employees Are Non-Regular—Reading the Latest Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Survey" 2024-07-18works-i.com

5. datu-chihoukoumuin.com "Childcare Leave and Reappointment of Fiscal Year Appointed Staff" 2025-06-11datu-chihoukoumuin.com

6. Report 'Lawless Labor—The Wilderness of Non-Regular Public Employees (1) Cutting Pregnant Women' 2025-06-12chihei.net

7. Service-Public.fr "Maternity leave is obligatory" 2024-12-23service-public.fr

8. ILO/NORMLEX "Termination of fixed-term contracts and maternity discrimination (Committee Report)" 2024-06normlex.ilo.org