Women-friendly firms to get bid advantage

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The government intends to give preferential treatment on public works tenders to companies that support working women or take steps to achieve a healthy work-life balance for their employees.

Companies that proactively make such efforts will be given additional points when eligibility scores are calculated to compare firms’ capabilities for public works projects. The government plans to launch the new scheme in fiscal 2016.

The aim is to widen the range of business situations in which women can play more active roles and encourage companies to change their thinking, especially construction companies, which are said to have a deep-rooted tendency to favor male workers.

A comprehensive evaluation bid system (see below) is used when the government chooses companies for public works contracts. Companies wishing to participate in the tenders are scored according to such factors as their technical abilities, past achievements and fees.

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