[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Japan Coca-Cola has recognized same-sex partners as spouses across all its affiliates, allowing them to enjoy benefits such as marriage leave and caregiving leave, Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 7th.
According to the report, Japan Coca-Cola revised the welfare and employment regulations at its headquarters and five affiliates (bottling companies) to include same-sex partners as spouses.
Japan Coca-Cola, which employs about 20,000 people, added same-sex partners to the definition of spouse, alongside legally married and common-law partners.
The company stated that employees with same-sex partners, whose legal marriage is not recognized, can receive spouse-related benefits by submitting a partner certificate issued by local governments or a resident registration showing cohabitation.
Japan Coca-Cola explained that the reason for revising the employment regulations is to create a corporate culture that fosters innovation by enabling diverse talents to be equally respected and active.
In Japan, Rakuten and SoftBank had already revised their internal regulations in 2016 to include same-sex partners as spouses.
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