New laws including one banning sex discrimination and another legalizing 4 trillion yen in income tax cuts will take effect today, the first day of fiscal 1999.
The revised Equal Employment Opportunity Law is designed to enforce equal treatment for men and women. The newest change in the law stipulates that an employer's management bears responsibility for preventing sexual harassment at work.
The law requires employers to advertise jobs equally to men and women and to outlaws conditions for women's employment. Another law to be revised today -- the Labor Standards Law -- will abolish regulations that restrict women from working overtime or late at night.
Other new laws include one to implement a total of 4 trillion yen in income tax cuts, including a local level one that takes effect in June.