Sustainability - DEI（Diversity, Equity & Inclusion）
By respecting diverse personalities and providing fair opportunities, the Meiden Group works to create a workplace and culture in which all employees can work with all their heart and demonstrate their diverse and individual abilities to the maximum, and promotes DEI with the aim of being a company in which both individuals and the organization grow together.
The Meiden Group’s DEI logo represents the overlapping individuality of each of us in the Group and the creation of value in the form of new colors, promoting a virtuous cycle and that brings us closer to a better future.
In FY2023, in order to accelerate the promotion of DEI, we established the DEI Committee, a body that makes decisions concerning DEI policies and measures as a whole, with the company President serving as chair and the officers responsible for the human resources and promoting sustainability serving as vice chairs. In addition, we established a DEI Working Group with a diverse membership of 20 people across all ages, occupations, and job functions to work on formulating measures to make DEI relevant to all employees. Through top-down and bottom-up approaches, we are changing employee awareness, improving creativity, and fostering an organizational and workplace culture that is rewarding and psychologically safe.
The Meiden Group began working for diversity in 2013. Starting with planning various programs for balancing work and childcare/nursing care, initiatives were undertaken by a working team in the human resources division until 2020. The team focused on supporting diverse work styles, work style reform, and promoting the use of human resources. We launched the Diversity Project in 2021, established the Diversity Policy Planning & Promotion Office in 2022, and renamed it the DEI Policy Promotion Office in 2023 to further accelerate the promotion of DEI as a management strategy.
Many respondents to an FY2021 employee questionnaire listed unconscious bias as a factor impeding diversity. In January 2023, we held another seminar on the topic conducted by an outside lecturer after doing the same in 2022. On the day of the seminar, the more than 300 participants, including managers as well as presidents of domestic subsidiaries and affiliates, learned that knowing about, recognizing, and dealing with unconscious bias can help establish an organization where each individual can play an active role.
In FY2024, we will again hold a seminar on unconscious bias to create an organization and further foster a culture that accepts diverse human resources and allows all employees to play an active role.
In FY2023, the DEI Working Group took the lead in organizing a lunchtime event, the “DEI MeetUP!,” to exemplify psychological safety and communication across departments and job functions. The event was held at each business location, and the variety of discussion topics included hobbies that go beyond work, promoting understanding of various personnel and benefit programs, and frank conversations with executives. Over 600 Group employees participated
Meidensha was evaluated for promoting women’s participation and advancement, and in November 2017, for the first time in the heavy electric machinery industry, we earned the top Stage 3 “Eruboshi” certification by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
In March 2021, we were granted Kurumin certification, as well as Platinum Kurumin, which is granted to companies that conduct higher-level initiatives as companies that excel in providing childcare support, by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
As of now, we have formulated action plans in line with the purpose of the Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace and are implementing step-by-step measures by job level for women from recruitment through to the young and mid-career classes and management-level class. We are also actively taking steps to encourage male employees to take childcare leave.
In April 2020, Meidensha raised the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65 years of age for all employees. We have also raised the level of remuneration so that older employees can enjoy about the same level of remuneration as when they were 60 years of age, depending on performance, in order to facilitate more meaningful work for experienced senior employees.
In addition, we have established a dispatch company (MEIDEN MASTER PARTNERS CORPORATION) to promote flexible workstyles to senior employees. For employees who wish to work reduced days/hours, we have established a system that allows them to transfer to Meiden Master Partners and work as temporary employees at our office. We hope to promote successor development, improve quality, and enhance customer service by leveraging the knowledge and experience of senior employees more so than in the past.
In January 2017, we introduced an “Elder System” that allows employees to work from the age of 65 to a maximum of 70, and in October 2020, we raised the maximum age to 75.
Under this system, employees can continue to work after the age of 65 if they meet certain conditions, and veterans who have once retired can be rehired.
We established the special subsidiary company, MEIDEN UNIVERSAL SERVICE LTD., in order to create opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to work, and thereafter we have been expanding the scope of employment at each manufacturing facility through branch deployment, etc. In 2015, MEIDEN UNIVERSAL SERVICE LTD. received a commendation from the governor of Gunma Prefecture as a “business of excellence for the employment of people with disabilities in Gunma Prefecture” for its contributions to employment and occupational independence for people with disabilities over many years.
In order to expand the number of workplaces accepting people with disabilities and strengthen the support system, since FY2023 we have been working to create an environment that lets each person make the most of their strengths, such as training people to serve as supporters of people with disabilities in the workplace.
The Meiden Group includes correctly understanding LGBTQ people as part of the basic policy on the promotion of understanding of sexual minorities (LGBTQ), and is promoting the creation of an environment in which the sexuality and individuality of all people is respected, and each employee is able to maximize their abilities and participate.
To date, we have issued the Meiden Group Human Rights Policy and along with that, eliminated the question about gender on employment entry sheets, provided basic training on LGBTQ issues (with over 1,200 participants), established an LGBTQ consultation service, and distributed ally stickers. We also treat employees’ de facto marriages (including same-sex marriages) the same as legal marriages per the Meiden partnership system, and allow employees to identify as a gender that may be different from what is shown on their family register.
In recognition of these efforts, for the second year in a row we earned the highest rating of Gold in PRIDE Index 2023, a program of an organization called “work with Pride” that evaluates efforts to promote understanding of the LGBTQ+ population and other sexual minorities.
We will continue to spread correct knowledge and understanding of diverse sexualities, ensure that prejudice, discrimination, and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity are prevented, and foster a workplace culture that enables all employees including LGBTQ members to work enthusiastically and maximize their abilities.
As an aspect of our effort to promote DEI, the Meiden Group employs people irrespective of nationality, and non-Japanese employees are active in various fields and occupations after joining the company. We also take account of religious considerations (for example, providing prayer space) and support non-Japanese employees in various ways so that they can get used to work and life in Japan as soon as possible. We also appoint their training personnel individually and provide various kinds of support to each employee to help improve their work skills.
To further grow our business overseas, moreover, we believe it essential to appoint local staff to the role of president at local subsidiaries. To develop candidates for this role, we are cultivating a management mindset through periodic interviews of management candidates by the responsible officers of each company. Along with this, we run coaching programs to enhance the management skills of candidates for management.
