- Sustainability
- Human Rights/Labor
Human Rights/Labor
In order that the employees can develop themselves and can fully exhibit their capabilities toward realization of the Tamura Group's corporate mission, we have been working on improvement of the personnel system and development of human resources while carrying out various initiatives with the emphasis on work-life balance.
Policy for Respecting Human Rights and Eliminating Discrimination
Policy Relating to Employees
The personnel system and human resource development
Basic Policy for Labor Standards
Promotion of Job Satisfaction Reform
Promotion of Diversity
Occupational Health and Safety
Health and Productivity Management Initiatives
Human Rights |
The Tamura Group has established the Tamura Group Code of Conduct, which provides standards for actions and decisions in business activities and in the performance of duties. The Code of Conduct states that the basic policy for respecting fundamental human rights is to prohibit discrimination on the basis of nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, beliefs, social standing, disease, and mental and physical disabilities in all business activities. Its detailed regulations prohibit any discriminatory speech and behavior, act of violence, act that neglects human rights such as sexual harassment, power harassment, and abuses, physical punishment, mental and physical coercion, harsh, inhumane treatment such as maltreatment using violent language, and so on.
Policy Relating to Employees
The Tamura Group attaches importance to “partnership,” “the courage to innovate,” “individuality,” “social responsibility,” and “personal growth.” Employees are evaluated fairly, with praise being offered most to those who achieve results through hard work. We also provide a comfortable and efficient workplace environment for the health and safety of employees and help each of them to enrich his or her lifestyle.
The personnel system and human resource development
◆The New Personnel System that Activates both Employees and Organizations
Aiming to activate employees and organizations, Tamura manages a fair and just personnel evaluation system through appropriately and effectively using three important factors for personnel management: development, assignment, and treatment. Each employee is evaluated fairly and justly based on his or her “behavioral characteristics” and “efforts for achieving their goals.” The Company also requires all managers and supervisors to receive evaluator training in order to ensure the fairness and transparency of personnel evaluations. Further, the job grading system has been introduced for determination of treatment, in which the employees' grades are determined not based on age, educational background, and gender, but based on duties and responsibilities.
The Group revamped the personnel management system in April 2021 in response to the diversification of employees' values and work styles. It expects those at the management level to demonstrate strong management ability and make available an environment that allows employees who work under them to perform exceptionally with no worries. Therefore, it has pro-moted measures with focus on enhancing teamwork, including the introduction of the “psychological safety” concept and the 360-degree feedback. The Group also rigidly defined the roles of highly professional personnel, i.e., their mission is to demonstrate a high degree of expertise in delivering competitive products and services to the market, and they will be remunerated according to their performance. Furthermore, the Group also revamped the evaluation items for behavioral characteristics so that everyone can optimize his/her abilities without reservation regardless of gender or age. As for the job grades for the young age bracket, in particular, the Group cut the number of years for promotion significantly, offering young employees an opportunity to engage in higher-level jobs early on.
By implementing these new systems, the Group will enable employees to choose diverse work styles, thereby boosting job satisfaction.
◆Development of human resources toward a “global enterprise where everyone plays a major role”
The Tamura Group has been operating a personnel system in which expectations for growth of employees as global human resources are clearly defined, and valuable skills of employees with overseas business experience are assessed in a fair manner as the Group’s assets.
The Tamura Group has been carrying out various stratified training programs with the aim of developing global human resources in Japan. For new recruits, the Group has incorporated programs to further cross-cultural understanding and learn the English language in their training course to nurture employees who will be able to play a role on the global stage. Furthermore, aiming to improve English proficiency, TOEIC-IP tests have been conducted every year for employees since FY2010, and approximately 80% of employees have taken them. Employees are required to get a certain score for promotion to managerial position, and an educational program has been put in place to help them achieve this.
In addition, the appointment of local staff to managerial positions has been actively pursued at overseas bases, and the percentage of local staff holding managerial positions at overseas bases has surpassed 80% since 2015.
◆Development of management
Since 2019, we have been conducting management training for executive officers and general managers who are at the core of our business, with the aim of improving their skills in strategy planning, business management, and leadership, so that they can manage at a higher level. Furthermore, from 2023, we will also be incorporating liberal arts training for candidates for the next term of executive officers to cultivate the leadership skills necessary in the VUCA era.
◆Education and Training System
In conjunction with the introduction of a new personnel system in April 2021, Tamura Corporation reviewed its education and training system with the aim of fostering autonomous human resource development and early career path formation. In addition to conventional training programs, such as company selection-based training and language training, we have introduced e-learning to encourage the growth of each and every employee.
Labor Standards |
Basic Policy for Labor Standards
The Tamura Group has established the Tamura Group Code of Conduct, which provides standards for actions and decisions in business activities and in the performance of duties. Its detailed regulations for respecting fundamental human rights prescribe the following:
・Respect for the freedom of association: Respect the freedom of association abiding by the laws and ordinances of the country involved and rights such as joining labor unions
・Prohibition of unfair labor practices: Prohibit forced labor, debtor's labor, slave labor, involuntary prison labor, and child labor
Promotion of Job Satisfaction Reform
We are striving to create a corporate culture in which employees can concentrate on their work comfortably and with less stress by striving to balance improvement of job satisfaction and appropriate labor management, as well as building an organizational structure that values communication. In addition to establishing the “Job Satisfaction Reform & Business Reform Project” with the President serving as the head of the project, a department was also established in April 2022 to promote those efforts. We are strengthening our job satisfaction reform efforts with the aim of becoming a “company where employees are satisfied with their jobs.”
We are striving to create a corporate culture in which employees can concentrate on their work comfortably and with less stress by striving to balance improvement of job satisfaction and appropriate labor management, as well as building an organizational structure that values communication. In addition to establishing the “Job Satisfaction Reform & Business Reform Project” with the President serving as the head of the project, a department was also established in April 2022 to promote those efforts. We are strengthening our job satisfaction reform efforts with the aim of becoming a “company where employees are satisfied with their jobs.”
◆Efforts to Improve Psychological Safety
The Company is working to create a workplace that ensures psychological safety where “everyone in the organization and team can openly express their opinions, regardless of position or experience.” This is because, in an uncertain and rapidly changing business environment, it is necessary for each site to make decisions flexibly, take on challenges, and respond autonomously and swiftly, instead of the conventional method in which only a few managers make decisions and give instructions from top to bottom.
We started this initiative in 2019 and conduct training and periodic surveys in Japan. Since FY2021, we have introduced the concept of psychological safety into our personnel evaluation system and implemented 360-degree evaluations, with the expectation that managers can demonstrate high management skills and create an environment in which employees can play an active role with peace of mind. Furthermore, since April 2022, as one of the priority measures of the “Job Satisfaction Reform Project,” we have formed a “Psychological Safety Promotion Team” consisting of selected members from each business site to practice psychological safety in each workplace and work to instill it throughout the Company.
In recognition of these efforts, the Company was selected to receive the Gold Ring Award at Psychological Safety Award 2022 organized by ZENTech, Inc.
In recognition of these efforts, the Company was selected to receive the Gold Ring Award at Psychological Safety Award 2022 organized by ZENTech, Inc.
Psychological Safety Promotion Team members
◆Development of a working environment where employees can concentrate on work in a pleasant way
We are working to create a work environment where employees can concentrate on their work comfortably.
As a measure to respond to diverse work styles, we have introduced a system that allows employees to take multi-purpose leave such as for childcare, nursing care, and volunteer work, as well as paid leave on an hourly basis. In addition, we have established a system to accept employees who have left the company for certain reasons including childcare, nursing care, and the relocation of their spouse, for supporting both work and family. We have also introduced a telecommuting system to improve infrastructure including the IT environment and regulations.
To ensure that teamwork is not compromised even when face-to-face communication opportunities are reduced, we are focusing on initiatives to improve management skills suitable for remote environments and mental health care. We provided training on communication skills and self-care for new employees who had difficulty building personal connections or receiving on-the-job training in the workplace. In addition, since employees who are assigned overseas may be confused by differences in lifestyles, values, work methods, etc., we have built a system that allows them to receive counseling online at any time.
In addition, we conduct labor management training and stress management training for managers and supervisors and promote efforts to ensure proper labor management based on compliance and to realize a stress-free workplace environment.
Responding to the diversification of employment and work style, efforts have been made to improve the ICT (information and communication technology) environment so that employees experiencing various situations (location/time/distance) can work in a flexible way.
With regard to the work-from-home system that had been introduced but limited to only some employees, we were planning to implement it to cover the whole company. As one measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we launched the system in FY2019 ahead of schedule. Under the system, through data sharing in cloud environment, Web meetings, etc., many employees have become able to work in almost the same environment as the office. Particularly for employees with children who need to be home due to temporary school closure, this system allows them to practice childcare while doing their job and is effective also from the standpoint of business continuity.
In the Business Reform Project, we are working to improve business efficiency across business divisions. In FY2021, we achieved significant reductions in man-hours by standardizing sales management operations and promoting the use of RPA and automation tools for approval flows. We are continuing to automate routine tasks and shift employees to high-value-added tasks.
With the aim of promoting friendships among employees, a joint summer evening festival is held every other year on a group-wide basis. The employees themselves take the initiative in planning and managing the entire process, including venue decoration and preparation of foods/drinks/programs, such as entertainment and lottery, as well as facilitation on the festival day. The festival welcomes employees’ families as well, and it has evolved into a major event filled with much festivity. The event was postponed for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in 2023 it was able to be held for the first time in four years, with many employees participating and the summer festival being a huge success.
Tamura Group Joint Summer Festival 2023 (held in August 2023)
One of “Tamura Group Mission” guidelines is “great importance to individualities”.
By establishing a system that can respond to diversity and a variety of lifestyles, we aim to develop a work environment where everyone regardless of gender or nationality can continue to work with peace in mind for a long time.
◆Promotion of Participation by Women
Tamura is focusing on efforts to recruit and promote excellent human resources regardless of gender and create conditions so that they continue working for the Company. As of April 1, 2024, our ratio of female managers will be 9.9%. In our Action Plan up to FY2024, we set out to “reform the mindset of people and organizations,” “create a work environment that enables diverse work styles,” “support women’s careers,” and “aim to actively promote women.” We aim to increase the ratio of female managers to 10% by the end of FY2024.
◆Childcare Leave
The Tamura Group has been constantly improving its childcare leave system, which is highly accessible for its employees, and has been encouraging employees to use the system. Since FY2013, the proportion of female employees who took child care leave after giving birth was 100%, and that of male employees taking child care leave was 70% in FY2023. Further, the rate for female employees who returned to work after child care leave and chose to utilize the reduced working hours system for child care was 100% in FY2023, indicating that the high use rate of the system has been maintained.
◆Employment of persons with disabilities and the elderly
With the aim of promoting diversity, the Tamura Group has enhanced the employment of persons with disabilities and the elderly. As for employment of persons with disabilities, the employment rate was 2.53% in FY2023. Furthermore, all persons who desire re-employment after retirement are re-employed, and the ratio of those re-employed now accounts for over 5% of the total number of employees. Efforts have been made to utilize a wide variety of human resources.
Occupational Health and Safety
In order for a company to continue to exist, it is most important to ensure the health and safety of employees and create and maintain an appropriate work environment. The Tamura Group has established Occupational Health and Safety Committees at all its business sites, which are required to do so under the Industrial Safety and Health Law. Thus it identifies problems from the viewpoint of preventing work-related accidents, traffic accidents, pollution, and fires and takes steps to prevent them. Further, aiming to practice the Group’s safety and sanitation management in a unified way through systematic operation of safety and sanitation management, information sharing among different factories, etc., the Group-wide Occupational Health and Safety Committee meeting is held biannually, which is also participated by domestic associated companies.
◆Prevention of occupational accidents
The Tamura Group Occupational Health and Safety Committee was established, which is made up of persons in charge of the Group companies’ health and safety at various bases in Japan. Cases of occupational accidents at respective bases and risk assessment results are shared to take measures to prevent recurrence. The occupational accident frequency rate for fiscal 2023 is 1.05. The severity rate is 0.0020.
◆Support for Mental Health
In addition, from the perspective of health management and appropriate initial response, both consultations with an occupational physician and stress counseling with a professional counselor are available for employees on a monthly basis. Further, a support system available to employees and their superiors is being developed in cooperation with an outside organization (Employees Assistance Program (EAP)).
◆Efforts to Prepare for Disasters
Various drills have been conducted, assuming natural disasters or other emergency situations. Every year, each business site carries out an evacuation drill and a safety confirmation drill. The Company’s intranet has a portal site that explains the evacuation routes and the storage locations of disaster stockpiles, etc., for each business site so that the Group can be prepared in case of a disaster.
In line with the promotion of telecommuting, disaster prevention information and education have been converted to online formats, and information on how to evacuate in the event of a disaster while at home is also being created.
An AED is installed in every factory of TAMURA CORPORATION and an AED operation drill is conducted at regular intervals. A notice has been put up at every guard station indicating that an AED is available for use by community residents.
Health and Productivity Management Initiatives
With the aim of promoting diversity, the Tamura Group has enhanced the employment of persons with disabilities and the elderly. As for employment of persons with disabilities, the employment rate was 2.53% in FY2023. Furthermore, all persons who desire re-employment after retirement are re-employed, and the ratio of those re-employed now accounts for over 5% of the total number of employees. Efforts have been made to utilize a wide variety of human resources.
Occupational Health and Safety
In order for a company to continue to exist, it is most important to ensure the health and safety of employees and create and maintain an appropriate work environment. The Tamura Group has established Occupational Health and Safety Committees at all its business sites, which are required to do so under the Industrial Safety and Health Law. Thus it identifies problems from the viewpoint of preventing work-related accidents, traffic accidents, pollution, and fires and takes steps to prevent them. Further, aiming to practice the Group’s safety and sanitation management in a unified way through systematic operation of safety and sanitation management, information sharing among different factories, etc., the Group-wide Occupational Health and Safety Committee meeting is held biannually, which is also participated by domestic associated companies.
◆Prevention of occupational accidents
The Tamura Group Occupational Health and Safety Committee was established, which is made up of persons in charge of the Group companies’ health and safety at various bases in Japan. Cases of occupational accidents at respective bases and risk assessment results are shared to take measures to prevent recurrence. The occupational accident frequency rate for fiscal 2023 is 1.05. The severity rate is 0.0020.
◆Support for Mental Health
In order to maintain appropriate work environment, mental health training and e-learning (“Mental Health (Line Care)”) have been performed for managers and supervisors so that they can acquire basic knowledge of mental health care, prevent employees from developing mental disorders, and detect such disorders in the early stage.
In addition, from the perspective of health management and appropriate initial response, both consultations with an occupational physician and stress counseling with a professional counselor are available for employees on a monthly basis. Further, a support system available to employees and their superiors is being developed in cooperation with an outside organization (Employees Assistance Program (EAP)).
Further, based on the amended Industrial Safety and Health Act, Tamura now requires its employees to undergo a stress check, which was made mandatory in FY2016. Employees identified with high stress were able to consult an occupational physician if they so desire and the results of group analysis of each organizational unit are fed back to the organizational unit itself. Through these efforts, we expect to achieve a high-quality work environment.
◆Efforts to Prepare for Disasters
Various drills have been conducted, assuming natural disasters or other emergency situations. Every year, each business site carries out an evacuation drill and a safety confirmation drill. The Company’s intranet has a portal site that explains the evacuation routes and the storage locations of disaster stockpiles, etc., for each business site so that the Group can be prepared in case of a disaster.
In line with the promotion of telecommuting, disaster prevention information and education have been converted to online formats, and information on how to evacuate in the event of a disaster while at home is also being created.
◆Initiatives for Traffic Safety
Drive recorders are installed in all Company vehicles at each business site as a preparative measure for accidents and to improve drivers' awareness of the importance of safe driving. The installation of drive recorders has reduced both the number of traffic accidents and the number of reckless driving incidents, generating a positive effect. In FY2021, in addition to sending traffic safety e-mails to the entire workforce, the Tamura Group introduced a self-analysis/diagnosis program for those who commute by car or bicycle, using a self-check sheet as part of activities to educate them. We also conduct awareness-raising activities through online-based safe driving training.
These activities contributed to raising awareness for safe driving, and Tamura Corporation reported no traffic accidents in FY2023, the same level as in FY2022.
◆Installation of AED (automatic external defibrillator)
Health and Productivity Management Initiatives
◆Health and Productivity Management Declaration (purpose of health and productivity management promotion) |
◆Health and Productivity Management Promotion Structure | |
| Tamura Corporation aims to be a one-of-a-kind company that can provide customers with world-class products. To this end, we believe that the health of employees working at Tamura Corporation is the foundation of management. Therefore, we will work to create a healthy and rewarding company where employees can lead fulfilling lives. |
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Masahiro Asada President and Representative Director |
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Under the leadership of the President, the Company will promote initiatives related to health management in cooperation with the industrial physician and Health Insurance Association |
◆Important issues and measures
In order to be a company where employees are satisfied with their jobs, it is of utmost importance that each and every employee can continue to work in good health. Therefore, the Tamura Group is working to improve health issues identified from the results of health checkups. Since the percentage of employees who feel that sleep provides adequate rest is low, we are promoting employee education to improve sleep quality, efforts to further reduce overtime hours, etc.
In order to be a company where employees are satisfied with their jobs, it is of utmost importance that each and every employee can continue to work in good health. Therefore, the Tamura Group is working to improve health issues identified from the results of health checkups. Since the percentage of employees who feel that sleep provides adequate rest is low, we are promoting employee education to improve sleep quality, efforts to further reduce overtime hours, etc.
