Respect for Employees：Co-Creation of Diverse Talent and Reforming Work Styles
Co-creation of diverse talent
Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I)
For the Group to enhance its competitiveness and achieve sustainable growth, it is essential that everyone make the most of their own abilities, achieve self-growth, and contributes to the growth of the Group. Therefore, diversity should not only encompass visible differences such as gender, nationality and disability, but also embrace the invisible diversity that includes differences in thought and approach. It is thus essential that the Group develop a culture that is mutually respected and acknowledged by every employee.
The Group puts forward “Responding to diversity” as one of the two pillars of its Long-term Management Vision 2050 and is developing a human resources platform that induces the creation of new value.
Expanding the ways in which women play an active role
The Group, in accordance with the Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace and the Act on Raising the Next Generation, has prepared its general employer action plan and put it into operation.
In order to create an environment where all employees can maximize their potential, we have been implementing the following initiatives since fiscal 2021. We are proceeding with detailed measures that align with each career stage when entering the company or taking childcare leave by sharing information with each company centered on the Human Resources Department. We are also raising the communication skills of managers who supervise others and creating a scheme that leads to awareness of career paths by female employees themselves.
In order to expand the ratio of female hires, continuing from previous plans, we will introduce plant and equipment for lightening the physical work at manufacturing sites and build out and improve the system so that it can respond to diverse workstyles.
- The table can be scrolled left or right.
| Key goal indicators (KGIs) of Materiality items | KGIs | Target FY | Results *1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | FY2022 | ||||
| 1 | Ratio of Female managers *2 | Higher than 6% | 2030 | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| 2 | Ratio of female hires (includes both mid-career and new graduates hires) |
Higher than 30% | 2025 | 17.6% | 22.4% |
| 3 | Male-female difference in average years of continuous employment *3 | 3 years or less | 2025 | 3.9 years (Male: 17.9 years / Female: 14.0 years) |
3.4 years (Male: 18.7 years / Female: 15.3 years) |
| 4 | Retention rates both for male and female workers who were hired between 9 to 11 years ago *3 | Higher than 70% | 2025 | Male: 66.4% / Female: 53.1% (All workers: 63.7%) |
Male: 64.5% / Female: 50.0% (All workers: 61.8%) |
- Covered companies: Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Toyo Seikan, Toyo Kohan, Tokan Kogyo, Nippon Closures, Toyo Glass, Mebius Packaging.
- As of April 1 of the following fiscal year
- As of March 31 of each fiscal year
The Kagayaki (Shine) Project: An Initiative to Empower Women in the Workplace
At Toyo Seikan, we strive to foster diversity with the goal of creating a workplace where individuals of all backgrounds can fully utilize their unique skills and abilities. In particular, the company is implementing its women's empowerment activities called "Kagayaki (Shine) Project." Defining fiscal 2022 as the year of progress on women's empowerment, it conducted an unconscious bias training for managers, issued the second number of internal magazine for female empowerment, Shine, and provided a training program for those returning from childcare leave to balance career and parenting.
We will persist in our efforts to become a company where women can truly shine, and ultimately, a company where everyone can thrive
Reducing Workload
At TOMATEC's Komaki Plant, an air balancer was introduced utilizing a subsidy from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This machine uses air pressure to assist in the transportation of 18-liter metal drums that weigh around 20 kg, which were previously carried manually. This has significantly reduced the workload on operators, greatly contributing to the creation of a work environment that is more accommodation for all employees, including those of advanced age.
Online Talk Event “Striking a Balance Between Work and Parenting"
In November 2022, Toyo Seikan Group Holdings hosted an online event titled “Striking a Balance Between Work and Parenting" as part of our initiative to support employees juggling these two responsibilities. We were delighted have Taso, a comic artist and illustrator with 70,000 Instagram followers, known for her insights parenting cartoons, as our guest speaker. The event was open to all employees across the Group, who participated online. Those who had returned to work after taking childcare leave shared their experiences and responded to questions from expectant employees. The conversation also covered the topic of paternity leave, with Taso sharing a shared a personal anecdote about how her husband’s decision to take paternity had strengthened their family bonds. The event was recorded and made available for later viewing to accommodate employees working reduced hours and those currently on maternity or childcare leave.
Initiatives for Foreign Employment
We are committed to recruiting talent capable of contributing to the further expansion of our overseas operations. We welcome applications from all candidates, including international students and returnees, without any restrictions. In addition, in accordance with the objectives of Japan’s Technical Intern Training Program for foreigners, we also accept technical interns from primarily Southeast Asia. This not only helps us secure a workforce for our factories, but also allows us to provide technical support to developing countries.
Promoting Active Participation of Senior Employees
In accordance with the law, the Group sets the mandatory retirement age at 60, but we ensure employment up to the age of 65 through our re-employment system. The re-employment rate has been steady at 86.4%.
We continuously carry out the transmission of skills and knowledge by assigning veteran employees who have been re-employed to educational roles. In addition, we are striving to create a work environment where anyone can work for a long time by promoting automation, such as the transportation of heavy objects in the manufacturing field.
FY2022 Re-employment: 95 persons(total from seven companies)
Re-employment rate: 86.4%
Initiatives for Sexual Minorities (LGBTQ)
Based on our management creed stating that "we will honor dignity and always strive to be fair and unbiased in every way," we aim to create a workplace where the rights and individuality of all our employees are respected. As emphasized in the Group's Guidelines of Behavior, we respect human rights, accept diversity, and prohibit discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
Specifically, The Guidelines, which all our executives and employees are expected to adhere to, explicitly state that “we do not discriminate on the grounds of nationality, race, ethnic group, religion, belief, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation”. This is shared with all employees. In addition, each group company's employment rule also prohibits "actions that cause mental distress or disadvantage to other workers, or harm the working environment due to comments or behavior related to sexual orientation or gender identity." We are committed to preventing discriminatory treatment from both a behavioral and regulatory perspective.
Furthermore, we have established hotlines, both internally and externally, where any concerns, including various forms harassment such as sexual harassment, power harassment, and maternity harassment, can be discussed anonymously.
Efforts for Employment of persons with Disabilities
We strive to create a workplace environment where all employees, regardless of disability, can work comfortably. For example, in the head office building, we have made efforts to improve facilities, such as barrier-free access and multi-functional restrooms on each floor, and have introduced a voice-to-text app for the hearing impairments.
In terms of employment, we have several business locations and factories that accept internships and employ graduates from local special needs schools. Additionally, There is a group company that employs persons with disabilities to provide an opportunity to work on contracted farms to help revitalize local communities. As of June 30, 2022, the employment rate of persons with disabilities across seven of our group companies* was 2.2%. We will continue our efforts to meet the legally mandated employment rate for persons with disabilities.
- Note: The scope of data includes Toyo Seikan, Toyo Kohan, Tokan Kogyo, Nippon Closures, Toyo Glass, Mebius Packaging and Toyo Seikan Group Holdings.
Seminar for Balancing Work and Elderly Care
In promoting work style reforms and diversity in the workforce, Toyo Seikan aims to achieve a goal of “reducing to zero the number of employees who leave work for elderly care” by supporting employees in balancing work and caregiving. In August 2021, as part of the initiative, the company conducted an online seminar for employees and their families on preparation for future care.
Participants learned necessary knowledge to balance work and caregiving and specific care for the coronavirus diseases.
We will continue to work on creating a workplace that allows everyone to balance work and elderly care, thereby retaining employees with caregiving responsibilities.
Reforming Work Styles
Introducing a system to support various work styles
Group companies are increasingly introducing a telework system and a flextime system. Toyo Glass has also introduced hourly paid leave, aiming to create a comfortable work environment so that each of the employees can fully demonstrate their abilities.
Initiatives to Reduce Long Working Hours
Our work regulations, which are based on the labor-related laws of each country and labor-management agreements, set rules for appropriate working hours, rest periods, overtime, and leave. We are implementing various measures to reduce long working hours, with the goal of improving each employee’s work-life balance and productivity.
Specifically in Japan, we have improved our attendance management systems, which has allowed us to enhance the accuracy of attendance management. We have also introduced and promoted the use of flexible work hours and teleworking systems to support diverse work styles. Additionally, we have designated specific days to encourage employees to take annual leave as well as “no overtime work” days to prevent long working hours.
Promoting Paternity Leave
We are actively promoting the uptake of paternity leave. We have implemented systems and shared real-life examples to support men in balancing their work with household chores and childcare, making it easier for them to take advantage of these provisions. Furthermore, we publish testimonials and interviews from both male and female employees who have taken parental leave in our internal newsletters. This is part of our ongoing efforts to foster a culture where all employees, regardless of gender, can choose diverse working styles while raising their children.
Support for government-led “White Logistics” campaign*1
In February 2022, Toyo Seikan Group Holdings expressed its support for the White Logistics campaign, an initiative advocated by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, submitting a declaration on voluntary action toward a sustainable logistics industry. Thirteen companies*2 within the Group, spanning manufacturing, logistics and logistics partners, have endorsed the declaration after careful consideration and are actively working together to achieve its objectives.
Toyo Mebius' Kumagaya Logistics Center, which began operation in April 2023, is building a base for leveled operations, higher efficiency, and cooperative services with other parties. Its high-density warehouse has adopted "Magic Rack," an automated warehouse system developed by Sumitomo Heavy Industries Material Handling Systems, whose deep storage method has improved storage efficiency. Through automation of receiving, shipping and sorting processes, the new warehouse reduces manual forklift operations. These automation and labor-saving efforts will reduce burdens on operators and increase safety of the workplace.
Kumagaya Center is also establishing a logistics network that located near delivery destinations. This will enable a shift from high-frequency small-lot delivery to high-density large-lot delivery, which will improve the efficiency of services on major routes and allow more female and elderly workers to join logistics operations.
- In order to address the severe shortage of truck drivers, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries are urging companies to join efforts 1) enhance the productivity of truck transportation and streamline logistics and 2) establish a work environment that is conducive for female drivers and those aged 60 and above.
- The scope of data includes Toyo Seikan, Toyo Kohan, Tokan Kogyo, Nippon Closures, Toyo Glass, Mebius Packaging, Toyo Aerosol Industry, TOMATEC, Nippon Tokan Package, Toyo Mebius, Tokan Logitech, Kudamatsu Unyu and Toyo Seikan Group Holdings.
"Positive Smile" Initiative at the Factory
Since 2022, Tokan Kogyo's Komaki Plant has been engaging in an initiative called "Positive Smile". This initiative is led by a group of volunteers, primarily women from the production and administrative departments, who are committed to "Create joy in the workplace." They actively and enthusiastically brainstorm ideas to bring to life the suggestions made by employees from various department.
In 2022, they achieved several milestones, including inviting a local food truck to sell unique sweets and installing free Wi-Fi environment in the rest area. Despite the weakening of interpersonal connections due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they hope that these modest efforts will stimulate communication and continue to do so in the future.
