Sustainability - Labor Practices
As issues facing our customers and society as a whole become increasingly complicated and unclear, it is important to have personnel with the abilities to think flexibly and act courageously, creating the value necessary to solve these issues in order to enhance corporate competitiveness. For this reason, we are determined to achieve sustainable growth by focusing on employing and developing competent personnel and creating an environment where each person can derive pride and fulfillment from their work.
In order for employees to maximize their individual strengths, it is important to create a workplace in which a diverse range of employees are given fair opportunities and can participate with a healthy mind and body. Specifically, by engaging as a group in initiatives such as achieving a work-life balance, and improving occupational health and safety, we will enhance the corporate value for the entire group.
We are creating an employment framework that enables a diverse range of employees to maximize their potential, irrespective of attributes such as age, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. We are reviewing our DEI education at all levels, evaluating human resource management systems and evaluation systems that can shape careers, and creating an environment where each employee can express their individuality.
Meidensha conducts evaluation of results and roles as part of an HR treatment system that places weight on the results of both executives and regular employees in order to reform and enhance corporate character, with the key word of professional development. Therefore, we have introduced management by objectives as a process to ensure that results are reflected in impartial treatment of employees. We hold discussions to mutually confirm objectives and results indicators, etc., between superiors and subordinates through objective-setting interviews and objective management results interviews to ensure that there is no discrepancy in expected results.
Furthermore, we disclose our evaluation standards through the Company’s intranet and the explanatory leaflet issued by the trade union, we periodically hold evaluation feedback interviews for all employees that are subject to evaluation, and we focus on developing and fostering the abilities of individuals. Evaluator training for new managers includes evaluation and meeting exercises to ensure impartial evaluations and treatment of employees. In addition to providing a complete understanding of the evaluator’s role in the HR system and how to prevent errors during evaluation, the training addresses the critical importance of communication between supervisors and their teams.
The Meiden Group promotes reduction of work outside of regular hours and taking leave as an important management issue. We are rolling out Smart Work, which promotes reduction of annual working hours. In FY2021, we considered the creation of a comfortable working environment for employees, and promoted communication through a hybrid office/remote work model, and the introduction of a flex-time system and shared offices, etc., based on the opinions of the employee survey and the working group, as part of the Professional Development & Diversity Promotion Project. In addition, we are making work styles more flexible and consistent with actual conditions. For example, in FY2022, we transitioned to a hybrid work system that allows employees to decide the number of days they will come to the office or work remotely, in keeping with their departments’ policies. Furthermore, we arranged our internal systems environment and made work efficiency and productivity improvements to enable workers to perform the same functions remotely as they can in the office. We have also introduced a system of shortened working days and hours to enable a balance of work and treatment of illnesses and are reviewing our HR system to enable all employees, not just those providing childcare or nursing care, to stay employed longer at Meidensha with peace of mind. Going forward, we will continue to realize improved work efficiency and productivity by promoting flexible work-styles and digital transformation for all companies.
We will realize work styles based on legal compliance by reviewing and improving the work style itself, and eliminating working on holidays and overtime on weekdays.
In our Smart Work initiatives, we have been focusing on implementing strategies to improve productivity and realize a positive workplace environment.
In April 2015, we revised our personnel treatment system for general employees to give employees an incentive to contribute to the Company and to further improve their motivation. The system aims to operate personnel treatment that can reward employees with higher contributions, by balancing the "role" and "contribution" of employees, with a system that allows multi-truck type qualification and treatment according to their degree of contribution.
Furthermore, in order to be able to respond to a diversity of work style, it is also a system that allows both executives and general employees can work in a limited area.
In FY2024, we revised our executive personnel treatment system to better achieve fairness and impartiality according to employees’ abilities and roles.
We have a housing lease system that caters to people at all stages of life, from single dormitories for people that have newly joined the company through to family housing and houses for married couples. In addition, we offer full support systems for transferees in order to relieve any strain placed on them, including a system of providing assistance to rent appliances in addition to leasing corporate housing.
We revised the system in October 2023 in order to increase the number of units and better meet the diverse needs of our employee base. We also revised housing payments to reduce the amount borne by individuals, provide fair payments for family housing costs from transfers or marriages, and lower the financial burden brought about by the need for two residences for people living away from their family for work.
We have introduced a general welfare service as a system to meet the diversifying needs of employees. As a perk unique to Meidensha, we offer a menu of options that enhance leisure time for the purpose of family travel or just taking a break, such as tickets for lodging and popular theme parks and company assistance for specific services like childcare and nursing care. We aim to further enhance our programs, for example by offering a menu of options to support work-life balance.
We revised the system in October 2023. Younger employees (those under 32 not eligible for dormitories or single housing units) are now awarded points that can be used for all welfare services and are encouraged to use them for personal development, such as purchasing books or taking classes.
Various cultural/sport events are planned and held at each business office or sites for the purpose of employee interaction, refreshment, and overcome lack of exercise. Sports events held on holidays, such as sports festivals, provide opportunities for employees and their families to socialize, and they have become regular events each year.
In FY2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we collected photographs with messages written by employees, a theme song based video message to invigorate the Meiden Group, and posted it on the internal portal site, as part of an initiative for employees to encourage each other. In FY2020 and FY2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we held a remote riddle-solving event and an online sports festival as events for employees to have a good time together and cooperate.
In FY2022, we held our first in-person event in three years in the Headquarters area, a softball tournament that attracted over 300 participants. Our FY2023 bowling meetup was attended by more than 160 employees. At both events, people enjoyed solidifying friendships with colleagues they had not seen in person in a long while.
In addition, there are various other Company-endorsed cultural and athletic clubs that promote communication among employees beyond individual workplaces and age groups.
Meidensha has concluded a labor agreement with the Meidensha Union and we periodically exchange opinions and conduct consultations about management policies, business conditions, and the working conditions of employees at the Central Management Conference and the Central Staff Gathering. We are promoting the creation of an environment where employees can securely work without interruption because labor and management respect each other’s positions and sincerely engage in dialog.
The Labor-Management Consideration Committee was formed in April 2022 and considers revisions to the personnel treatment system and the welfare system.
Additionally, though not explicitly required in labor agreements, etc., Meidensha discusses and negotiates notifications of job reassignments and transfers so that the labor union has sufficient time to explain these to employees. That period of time varies depending on the nature of the change.
We conduct an annual employee awareness survey for all employees. Each year, the response rate is close to 95%, demonstrating how much our employees value the survey. The survey begins with “vision,” “motivation,” “corporate climate,” “workplace environment,” “systems,” and “personnel deployment.” The purpose of the survey is to statistically understand how employees feel about their work, treatment conditions, and other general company-related information. In addition to the numerical results of the survey, we also draft various measures and initiatives based on honest opinions written by employees in the free description section, and use them in future measures aimed at increasing both company and employee satisfaction. We further hold workshops for the head of each business unit and provide feedback and opportunities for discussion of results. Information gained from survey results and exchanges of opinion is reflected in the following year’s business unit targets.
