For childcare leave that begins on or after January 1, 2024, the Japanese government subsidizes employers that pay an allowance to the colleagues who take over the work of the employee on leave. A leaflet of the labor bureaus explains the subsidy. It generally pays three quarters of the allowance, with a limit of 100,000 yen a month for twelve months.
The leaflet calls these colleagues shūi no rōdōsha, the workers around the person on leave. A separate part of the same subsidy supports hiring a replacement.