Management and labor are monitoring hours that employees work to reduce excessively long hours and, thereby, maintain the physical and mental health of employees and enable them to conduct work efficiently. Specific initiatives include not only abiding by the provisions of the Japanese Labor Standards Act but also setting the joint management and labor objectives of having employees leave work at the set time on Wednesday and no later than 8 pm on other weekdays. Also, in some departments, since the nature of the work may require working into the night hours and on holidays, 

Nomura is working to optimize total hours worked by giving consideration to the actual conditions in each department and having managerial staff exercise flexibility regarding hours worked, including such measures as adopting a work shift system and encouraging employees to use their allotted vacation days. Moreover, Nomura provides for flexibility in work styles to provide employees with work security for the long term. 

In specific terms, Nomura has endeavored to provide improved arrangements that allow employees to take half day paid vacation time, take leaves for childbirth and rearing children, and time off for providing nursing care for seniors and others. In fact, all of the benefits provided by Nomura are above the legally requirement minimum. These include leave for giving birth to children and aftercare, leave time for rearing children, time off when a dependent gives birth to children, time off for childrearing, time for nursing sick children, supplements for child day care center expenses, and time off as well as leaves for nursing family members back to health.