Few companies in Japan offer “allergy-prone” employees the option of temporarily relocating to tropical areas with lower pollen counts during hay fever season, a serious problem in the country that severely affects worker productivity.

Hay fever is caused by common allergens, including pollen. Symptoms include a cold-like runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion and sneezing.

Japan’s hay fever season peaks from late February to mid-April. Millions of people in Japan reportedly fell ill during this period, leading to a decrease in worker productivity.

Japan’s pollen allergy season starts a little earlier due to a warm winter, according to the Mainichi Shimbun.

In an effort to ease the financial burden caused by hay fever in Japan, UK companies are adopting innovative solutions to increase employee productivity during the flowering season. independent The newspaper quoted reports Washington post As mentioned.

Washington post IT company Aisaac is reportedly offering financial support to its employees to temporarily relocate to less populated areas such as the tropical southern island of Okinawa.

An employee at the company told The Washington Post that she did feel a reduction in hay fever symptoms after moving to Okinawa.

About 20% of workplaces in Japan now offer remote working during hay fever season, and some are even covering the costs associated with it.

A survey conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2020 showed that 80% of employees said that their work productivity was severely reduced due to hay fever symptoms.

In October 2023, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida admitted that hay fever is a “national disease” that “has a huge impact on productivity.”

“We aim to solve the social problem of hay fever and revitalize local communities by promoting forestry,” The Japan Times quoted the prime minister as saying at the time.

Japan’s government, led by Kishida, has stepped up measures to reduce hay fever, including increasing production of anti-allergy drugs and cutting down cedar trees, which produce most of the pollen.