Maternity Allowance Calculator (Japan Shussan Teatekin)
Enter your average standard monthly remuneration and the number of pre/post-natal leave days to estimate the maternity allowance (shussan teatekin) paid by Japanese health insurance. Supports the 42-day (98-day for multiple births) pre-natal and 56-day post-natal caps.
Tips
- Your standard monthly remuneration isn't shown on your pay stub — check the "standard monthly remuneration determination notice" issued by your employer or health insurance union if you're unsure of the figure.
- Pre-natal leave is optional and taken at the employee's request, but the 56 days after birth are a mandatory work prohibition under the Labor Standards Act, so the post-natal portion is normally paid in full.
- If the birth occurs later than the due date, the extra days are added to the pre-natal leave period, so your actual pre-natal days can exceed 42.
- The childcare leave benefit (paid by employment insurance during childcare leave) is a separate, later-stage benefit that follows the maternity allowance — consider estimating that as well once maternity leave ends.
FAQ
Side Note — Why is the maternity allowance rate exactly two-thirds?
The two-thirds rate for the maternity allowance mirrors the sickness allowance (shobyo teatekin), another benefit paid under the same Health Insurance Act framework for employees unable to work due to illness or injury. Childbirth is not an illness, but the underlying idea of replacing a portion of lost income during an inability to work is shared with the sickness allowance, so the same rate was adopted.
The 42 pre-natal and 56 post-natal days match the leave periods defined by the Labor Standards Act. That law makes the 8 weeks (56 days) after birth a mandatory work prohibition, while the 6 weeks (42 days) before birth is leave taken only at the employee's request — the maternity allowance's eligible period was designed to align with these legally defined leave periods.
The extended 98-day pre-natal cap for multiple pregnancies reflects the greater physical burden of carrying more than one fetus. Because multiple pregnancies more often require closer monitoring and earlier leave, the law grants a longer eligible leave period than for a single pregnancy.