Work Style Reform Support Subsidy — Work Interval Introduction Course

① Overview: This national subsidy helps SMEs introduce, expand or lengthen a work interval guaranteeing rest between the end of one shift and the next. Supported improvements include training, consulting, work-rule revisions, recruitment, labor-management software and devices, digital tachographs and productivity equipment. ② Applicants: Employers must be workers' compensation-insured SMEs meeting industry capital or employee thresholds. Every designated workplace must maintain annual-leave records; workplaces with ten or more workers must file compliant annual-leave rules before applying. Required labor-time improvement measures and applicable overtime-agreement conditions must be planned and evidenced. ③ Funding: Direct costs for approved improvement activities include fees, travel, rentals, meetings, services, publicity, printing, equipment and outsourcing. Competitive quotes are normally required; contracts and implementation follow the award, and payment in the applicant's name must finish before claiming. Ordinary passenger vehicles and general PCs/tablets/phones are normally excluded, subject to a special long-hours exception. ④ Rates and schedule: The rate is 3/4, or 4/5 for employers with 30 or fewer workers when qualifying equipment costs exceed JPY 300,000. Base ceilings are JPY 0.5–1.5 million depending on interval hours and worker coverage; with wage-increase additions the overall ceiling can reach JPY 6 million. Apply by November 30, 2026 at 17:00 and implement by January 31, 2027.