The labor ministry plans to propose that employers let workers living away from their families take time off for birthdays and anniversaries related to their children and spouses, sources said Thursday.

The proposal will be included in a draft guideline on applying a new law on improving working hours that is to take effect in April. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to compile the draft soon.

The draft also recommends that employers let workers take holidays for as long as two weeks and give working fathers time off when their spouses have babies.

The move is aimed at curbing deaths from overwork and poor mental health.

The ministry also wants to see overworked men spend more time at home and in their communities amid the nation's falling birthrate and the increasing need for care of the elderly, they said.

The ministry also suggests companies formulate plans on paid holidays to be given to workers and designate "no overtime workdays" or "no overtime workweeks."

It also calls on companies to make efforts to ensure workers do not have to work on holidays and let workers take time off for volunteer and local community activities.

The government last year replaced the shorter working hours law, which aimed to shorten average annual working hours to 1,800 hours, with new legislation.

Under the new law, companies and labor unions will establish committees that will encourage workers to take as many holidays as suitable for each company.

The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) and other groups have promised to cooperate.