Ube has become the first city in Yamaguchi Prefecture to introduce partnership certificates that grant rights to LGBTQ couples, prompting local companies to review their corporate rules and welfare programs.
With companies in the prefecture already losing their labor force to firms in major cities where generous worker welfare systems are more common, experts note that in order to survive, smaller companies in rural cities must embrace diversity to attract new hires. That diversity includes sexual minorities.
In early October, the Yamaguchi Bar Association held a webinar for corporate managers and human resource staff of small- and medium-sized companies to discuss how to engage with both employees and customers from sexual minorities. About 50 people participated.