As cedar pollen levels are predicted to reach their highest in a decade, Japanese companies are providing employees with "hay fever allowances" and free medication to help ease symptoms.

Lafool, a Tokyo-based healthcare data tech firm, covers the full cost of medical treatments and prescriptions for its staff experiencing hay fever symptoms. The company also distributes masks, eye drops, and tissues.

"I think it's helped a lot with motivation and productivity," said Naoto Osawa, Director of Public Relations at Lafool.

Japan Knowledge Space, a system developer, and Hokuo Ryutsu, a food distribution and logistics company, also support their employees by subsidizing medical costs for hay fever treatment and medication. The latter does so to protect its drivers from serious accidents.

According to the Japanese Society of Allergology, hay fever and nasal allergies lead to an annual economic loss of about ¥5 trillion caused by a decline in labor productivity.