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Cultivating Human Resources and Improving Work Satisfaction

Basic Philosophy

In conducting business, the Nichirei Group places the greatest importance on human resources. To realize our vision for 2030 based on our Sustainability Policy, we need to make our stance on human resources clear. We therefore established the Nichirei Group philosophy on human resources. We have also determined the kind of human resources we need and the organization that we aim to be under the Group Human Resources Policy.
We have set out five human resource-related strategies based on our philosophy and the Group Human Resources Policy. We will consider and then implement specific human resource initiatives, share information, and check their progress.

Our Philosophy on Human Resources

Human Resources Are Critical to Our Sustainability Policy

  • They are key to helping us support good eating habits and health, which will lead to a more sustainable society
  • Through diversity and motivation, they boost the Group’s development
  • Their strategies, linked to those of management, underpin the social value of our human resources and promote behavioral change
Group Human Resources Policy
(The Kind of Human Resources We Need and the Organization That We Aim to Be)
Encourage empathy; use business to resolve social issues Develop proactive human resources by aligning employee aspirations with the Group’s targeted social impact, based on the idea that food connects people
Generate value by linking knowledge, digital technologies Create an organization that contributes to good eating habits and health by incorporating a range of perspectives, as well as using data and digital technologies in response to environmental change
Cultivate a safe, secure corporate culture to tackle challenges Communicate work-related ideas, develop mutual trust, and cultivate a corporate culture that can tackle challenges without fear of failure
Human Resources Strategies(Five Perspectives to Help Bridge the Gap between the Ideal Situation and Now)
Eight Themes Based on Our Human Resource Strategy
  • Health management
  • Work satisfaction
  • DE & I
  • Creation of new value
  • Personalized learning opportunities
  • Labor
Perspective Theme Objective
1 Improve employee performance through health maintenance and promotion We will promote measures to reduce presenteeism and absenteeism, with the aim of ensuring that all Group employees, regardless of age or gender, are both physically and mentally healthy at all times and are working with enthusiasm.
2 Strengthen the relationship of mutual trust between the Company and its employees Because mutual trust between a company and its employees (engagement) correlates with business performance, we aim to improve engagement by measuring and analyzing engagement levels and implementing a PDCA cycle to address issues.
3 Provide opportunities to women employees and realize their active engagement As the percentage of motivated women employees in management positions increases and both employee attributes and values regarding work diversify, we will reassess the male-dominated workplace and deploy measures to fully leverage the abilities of all motivated employees.
4 Develop human resources to support overseas business promotion Since the growth of overseas business is essential to achieving management goals, we will increase the number of human resources able to play an active role internationally. Measures will include providing opportunities to acquire the skills necessary to promote and support overseas business, offering career paths that include overseas business experience, and encouraging employees to take on challenges overseas.
5 Educational practices related to digital and sustainability We will raise the overall level of employee digital skills by providing educational opportunities related to digital and sustainability as basic skills that will be required in the coming era and society, in addition to offering further learning opportunities to motivated individuals.
6 Provide independent learning opportunities and practice By identifying the staff size and the types of skills necessary to implement management measures and by clarifying employee skills, we will create a system that enables employees to understand their own strengths and deficiencies and to independently learn the skills and acquire the knowledge they need. To underpin this initiative, we will also foster a corporate culture of self-directed study.
7 Obtain new perspectives from inside and outside the Group To both resolve social issues and grow our business, we will create mechanisms and provide opportunities to encourage the revitalization of the organization and the acquisition of new knowledge through the exchange of human resources and knowledge both inside and outside the Group.
8 Compliance with laws and regulations and maintenance of a safe and secure working environment Labor and management will work together to maintain and improve workplace environments and systems that allow employees to work safely and with peace of mind.
  • Note: KPIs have been set for themes 1, 3 and 6.
Nicihrei Corporation, Strategic Planning, Nichirei Corporation, Quality Assurance Division, Nichirei Corporation, Technology Management, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Internal Audit, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Supervise, Nichirei Corporation, Legal Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Human Resources Strategy & General Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Finance & Investor Relations, Nichirei Corporation, Accounting & Tax, Nichirei Corporation, Group Communication, Nichirei Foods Inc., Nichirei Fresh Inc., Nichirei Logistics Group Inc., Nichirei Biosciences Inc., Hitachi Foods & Logistics Systems,Inc., NIchirei Bisiness Partners .inc

Management System

Each Group company promotes efforts adapted for its individual businesses, however, the Group has also established the Group-wide Group Human Assets Committee and Diversity Promotion Conference and shares information about and confirms the progress with each company’s measures to continually enhance workplaces through these two councils.
The Group Human Resources Committee and Diversity Promotion Council are organized across the Group, and the above two meeting bodies share information and confirm progress on measures to improve work satisfaction, which are being promoted by each company.

Nicihrei Corporation, Strategic Planning, Nichirei Corporation, Quality Assurance Division, Nichirei Corporation, Technology Management, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Internal Audit, Nichirei Corporation, Corporate Supervise, Nichirei Corporation, Legal Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Human Resources Strategy & General Affairs, Nichirei Corporation, Finance & Investor Relations, Nichirei Corporation, Accounting & Tax, Nichirei Corporation, Group Communication, Nichirei Foods Inc., Nichirei Fresh Inc., Nichirei Logistics Group Inc., Nichirei Biosciences Inc., Hitachi Foods & Logistics Systems,Inc., NIchirei Bisiness Partners .inc

Initiatives

Implementation of Digital Transformation (DX) Training

Medium-term Business Plan Compass Rose 2024, which began in FY2023, promotes the use of data and technology in the Nichirei Group as a high-priority human resource development measure, and we have been expanding learning opportunities tailored to individuals.
In the final year of Compass Rose 2024, we aim to appoint a Digital Leader in each department of our main operating companies in Japan to promote the use of data and technology. The program will be implemented in tiers, from DX Bronze—the introductory program providing the essential points of digital literacy—to DX Silver and DX Gold. DX Bronze targets all employees (approximately 3,500 people) at our main domestic operating companies, who are scheduled to complete this program by the end of FY2024. DX Silver and DX Gold will then provide learning programs tailored to individual competency levels.

DX Training Program

DX Training Program

Hours of Study for DX Training Program (Three-Year Plan)

Hours of Study for DX Training Program (Three-Year Plan)

Implementation of Sustainability Education

The Nichirei Group has been ramping up sustainability management by implementing position-based study sessions and education and training programs for all levels of employees since FY2023.

FY2023–FY2025 Plan for Position-Based Sustainability Training

FY2023–FY2025 Plan for Position-Based Sustainability Training

Study Sessions on Sustainability (For Management)
Objective Learn the latest sustainability information and trends, measure their impact on management, and deploy that information in management strategies in both financial and non-financial contexts.
Target participants Directors, Audit & Supervisory Board Members, Executive Officers (Outside directors, outside Audit & Supervisory Board members, operating company management members and general managers may participate voluntarily.)

We deepen learning by inviting experts to conduct lectures on topics such as sustainability management, sustainable procurement, business and human rights, climate change, a circular economy, biodiversity, and diversity of human resources.

Study Sessions on Sustainability in FY2023

Date Theme Lecturer Number of participants
(number of directors in parentheses)
Percentage of Company directors attending
Session 1 April 26, 2022 Sustainability Challenges Faced by Corporations Kenji Fuma, CEO, Neural Inc. 124 (6) 60%
Session 2 May 24, 2022 The Future of Food and Transportation Kenji Fuma, CEO, Neural Inc. 127 (7) 70%
Session 3 June 28, 2022 Sustainable Procurement and Human Rights Issues Hidemi Tomita, President, LRQA Sustainability Co., Ltd. 139 (8) 80%
Session 4 August 23, 2022 The Importance of SDGs and the Significance of Corporate Initiatives Kazuo Tase, CEO, SDG Partners, Inc. 131 (9) 90%
Session 5 September 27, 2022 Business Transformation to a Circular Economy Shinichi Tabei, Amita Holdings Co., Ltd. 140 (10) 100%
Session 6 January 24, 2023 “Human Rights” Tackled in the Supply Chain
– What is the Human Rights Due Diligence Expected of Companies Nowadays?
Hiroshi Ishida, Executive Director,
Caux Round Table Japan
154 (10) 100%
SDGs and Materiality Training “One for Future”(For Managers or Above)
Objective Encourage a sustainability mindset and behavioral change by providing participants with an understanding of Nichirei’s sustainability management goals and a simulated experience of achieving both social and economic value through the resolution of social issues.
Target participants All managers or above (Approx. 1,300)

We initiated training for all Nichirei Group managers or above, approximately 1,300 individuals, in August 2023. The training employs a unique online business card game called “One for Future”, which incorporates information on the Group’s assets and material matters to deepen thinking about how to achieve both social and economic value. Participants assemble in teams (as members of different operating companies from the ones they belong to) to think about the social issues they can resolve using the Group’s strengths and capabilities.

  • The Nichirei business card game “One for Future”The Nichirei business card game “One for Future”
How to Think about SDGs and Social Issue Resolution(For New Employees and Newly Appointed Managers)
Objective Inculcate understanding of Nichirei’s sustainability management vectors and how they relate to its material matters. Encourage participants to think about social issues the Group can help resolve, their relevance to each participant’s own work, and the mindset for resolving those issues.
Target participants New employees and newly appointed managers

Teams think about business models through which the Group’s capabilities and strengths can be deployed to achieve both social and economic value while resolving social issues.

  • Training materials (excerpt)Training materials (excerpt)
Sustainability E-learning(For All Employees)
Objective Acquire basic knowledge about the SDGs and ESG related to our business activities.
Target participants All employees

We conduct activities related to SDGs and ESG relevant to our material matters, which encompass the environment, society, human rights, and sustainable food, in conjunction with global events. We also use videos to help participants easily understand and learn technical terms.

E-learning (theme) Global event Attendance rate
FY2023 May Circular Economy May 22 International Day for Biological Diversity 97.1%
November SDGs Overview November 20 World Children’s Day 93.8%
December Business and Human Rights December 10 Human Rights Day 93.9%
FY2024 June Environment (CO2 Emissions Reduction June 5 World Environment Day 93.8%
July Environment (Global Warming) July 7 Cool Earth Day 93.1%
September SDGs Overview 1 week including September 25th SDGs Week 93.2%
December Business and Human Rights December 10 Human Rights Day 94.2%
Sustainability Portal Site(For All Employees)
Objective An intranet information platform available to all employees. In addition to disclosing the progress of the Group’s sustainability activities and material matters, it also provides content on sustainability and ESG-related subjects for individuals who want to deepen their understanding.
Target users All employees
  • Sustainability Portal SiteSustainability Portal Site

Level-based training plan (Holding company)

Training plan Objective Target
Executive Coaching To stimulate better management decisions, improve organizational growth, and business performance. Changes in the thinking of executives is expected to have a ripple effect on employees, resulting in improved productivity. Executive officers
Next-generation Management Team Development Program To foster management capabilities, world-standard leadership, and decision-making criteria by cultivating ideas based on broad perspectives. General managers, department managers
Leader Training Creating true managers: Fostering human assets able to play a part in creating a strong and autonomous organization which discovers problems that need to be solved and creates its own solutions to become an organization that is relied on by businesses. Managerial staff
Evaluator Training To teach the principles of evaluation and deepen understanding of the purpose and significance of goal management and evaluation systems. New attendees (such as recent graduates, career hires, transferred employees)
Facilitation Training To understand such concepts as meeting preparation, meeting management, and follow-up, in order to conduct efficient meetings. All employees
Training for Newly Appointed Managers To elucidate the role of managers expected to lead the organization, and the viewpoints, perspectives and key behaviors required. Newly appointed managers
First Career Training To inculcate basic behaviors essential for human assets to produce results expected by the Company and supervisors. New hires, employees in their second and third years of employment
New Employee Training
  • To reorient the mindset from that of a student to that of an employee (teaches proactive behavior, disciplined behavior, and expected business etiquette)
  • To promote understanding of the Nichirei Group and a sense of belonging
New hires, employees in their second and third years of employment

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: The Advancement of Women Employees

To achieve sustainable growth, the Nichirei Group will secure and develop diverse human resources while fostering an inclusive corporate culture in which everyone can make the most of their strengths.

Nichirei Foods Initiatives

Nichirei Foods launched its Diversity Promotion Department in 2022, and is carrying out a variety of activities with the goal of creating an environment where diverse people can do work that is satisfying and allows them to demonstrate their unique skills. In this context, we have positioned the advancement of women employees as an important issue for promoting diversity and inclusion. We are therefore implementing measures to help employees advance their careers while taking into account their individual life stages and values. These measures include providing opportunities for women to proactively think about their careers, creating networks among women employees, and enhancing welfare programs to support work-life balance.

  • Diversity Promotion Department, Nichirei Foods Inc. Kumiko Kubo (left), and Yurika Tsurutani (right) Diversity Promotion Department, Nichirei Foods Inc.
    Kumiko Kubo (left), and Yurika Tsurutani (right)

Career Advancement Seminar for Women: Research & Development and Product Development Department

In March 2023, the Research & Development and Product Development Department held a seminar for their women employees in management positions, with the aim of nurturing women in management and resolving career concerns specific to their job types. The first half of the seminar featured a lecture by a woman director from outside the Group with a career in product development, and in the second half participants broke off into working groups to exchange opinions. Many participants indicated they were able to envision taking on challenges to advance their careers. They also indicated that they found the seminar’s suggestions for solving problems and thinking positively from a woman’s perspective very helpful for dispelling concerns about career building and embracing a growth mindset.

  • Career Advancement Seminar for Women: Research & Development and Product Development Department

Initiatives in the N-win Project for Women Employees

The N-win Project launched in 2021 aims to improve the job satisfaction of Nichirei Foods’ women employees. It involves conducting employee surveys and other initiatives that address feedback from the workplace obtained from the surveys. In FY2023, the project included a total of four roundtable discussions in which 69 women employees in their 20s participated.

  • Initiatives in the N-win Project for Women Employees
Roundtable discussions Total of four (Monthly from November 2022 to February 2023)
Participants 69 women employees in their 20s and their supervisors (Total of 77 people)
Panelists 16 people (Four people x four times); mainly people in their 30s from various occupations and areas
  • Executive Comments Emi Kataoka
    Managing Executive Officer
    General Manager, Diversity
    Promotion Department
    Nichirei Foods Inc.

Nichirei Foods is responsible for the Group’s processed food business, and it must respond quickly and flexibly to the ever-changing needs of society and customers. We must therefore leverage the unique perspectives and experiences of women to incorporate new ideas when developing and marketing products and services. The Diversity Promotion Department will provide diverse role models, career support, work-life balance support, and leadership development as it continues striving to foster a workplace culture in which women are healthy, lively and satisfied with their jobs.

Nichirei Logistics Group Initiatives

The Nichirei Logistics Group places the highest priority on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in order to innovate. Unconscious bias has a major impact on how DE&I is promoted, and many women themselves believe that their role is in the home and that the genders have differing abilities to perform work. While men currently dominate the logistics industry, the Diversity Promotion Department leads the implementation of measures for the advancement of women employees in the workplace, an issue that we will continue to address in promoting diversity.

  • Members of Nichirei Logistics Group’s Diversity Promotion Department

Training for Women Who Are Managers or Above (from FY2022)

The results of a survey conducted by the Nichirei Logistics Group revealed that while men rarely have concerns after being promoted to a position, the majority of women harbor a degree of hesitation or concern. Less than one in four women surveyed viewed the increase in discretion as a result of being promoted to a higher position positively. Therefore, we have initiated training for women who have been promoted to provide them with insights about the mindset and work styles of managers. A key feature of this training is that the curriculum inculcates a mindset that enables supervisors to broaden the scope of their responsibilities. Because they take part in the program alongside trainees, supervisors are cultivated as division managers able to support the development of women managers.

  • Training for Women Who Are Managers or Above (from FY2022)
  • *Planned for Eastern Japan; held voluntarily as a result of each operating company’s diversity activities.

Women-Advance-Meeting (WAM; from FY2023)

Many people in the Nichirei Logistics Group have never seen women working in management positions at distribution centers and cannot imagine a woman having a management career. Therefore, we started conducting WAMs in FY2023 to provide an opportunity for our people to learn about women working as managers, and as an opportunity to build personal networks beyond the worksite. We hold five-person WAMs—comprising two managers and three regular employees—four times a year for 60 minutes each. They are a meaningful, pleasant forum for people to interact and think about their careers.

  • Women-Advance-Meeting (WAM; from FY2023)

Work Satisfaction

The Nichirei Group aims to further improve productivity and create a vibrant workplace by welcoming diverse human resources, values, and ideas to energize the organization. In FY2018, we established the Nichirei Group Workplace Reform Policy. Each operating company set goals based on the policy and promoted various initiatives over the five years through FY2022. The Group Diversity Promotion Council and the Group Health Promotion Council were organized under the Group Human Resources Committee as organizations to enhance work satisfaction. These organizations discussed human resource strategies that would contribute to the realization of the sustainable growth of the entire Group, exchanged opinions on measures, shared information, and confirmed progress.

Work Style Reform: Main Measures and Activity Progress (FY2019–FY2022)
Policy Enable diverse working styles Prevent excessive working hours Ensure equal opportunity
Ideal State Employees shall have a certain degree of freedom to choose their workplace and working hours, to suit personal circumstances. Systems to maintain these conditions are to be put in place. Establish systems to prevent circumstances including childbirth, childcare, nursing care, poor health, relocation of a spouse, or disease from disrupting or ending employees’ careers. Reform workstyles through labor-management collaboration to achieve appropriate working hours that allow employees to be healthy, have job satisfaction, and fully demonstrate their abilities. Help make employees a valuable asset for the Nichirei Group by providing equal opportunities and education. Embrace the philosophy of an inclusive society that does not discriminate on the basis of physical limitations to create workplaces and employment opportunities that enable people with physical challenges to earn a living through stimulating work. Address longer healthy life expectancy by leveraging the unique experience of older employees and creating opportunities for them to succeed in line with their particular values and work styles.
Priority Measures Increase working condition options Create systems for employee career continuity Promote paid leave Promote the advancement of women employees Diversity and inclusion Provide stimulating employment opportunities for people with disabilities Create employment opportunities for seniors
Initiatives to Encourage Childcare Leave

In line with the October 2022 revision of the Act on Childcare Leave, Caregiver Leave, and Other Measures for the Welfare of Workers Caring for Children or Other Family Members, the Nichirei Group has revised its childcare leave system. Although the Nichirei Group’s system exceeded statutory requirements prior to the act’s revision, the Group addressed the revised regulations by enhancing its system in ways such as establishing childcare leave at the time of childbirth and childcare leave that can be divided into installments until the child is one year old, with both leave systems aimed at men. We also provided more options for taking childcare leave.
Taking this revision as an opportunity, Nichirei Group management met with the labor union to discuss and set a target of 100%* of male employees taking three or more days of absence or leave for childcare. By setting these targets, encouraging men to participate in childrearing and expanding opportunities for women to play an active role in the workplace, we aim to achieve work-life balance for both men and women during their child-rearing years.

  • *We set this target for male employees because when women employees give birth, 100% of them take childcare leave.
Initiatives to Encourage Childcare Leave
Next Generation Development Guidebook

This guidebook focuses on the Nichirei Group’s absence and leave systems for childbirth and childcare, with the aim of helping both men and women achieve work-life balance during childrearing years. The guidebook has sections for women and men that provide information on support for balancing work and childcare, prenatal preparations, and necessary procedures at each stage from childbirth to the return to work.

  • The Next Generation Development GuidebookThe Next Generation Development Guidebook
Career Declaration System

To improve job satisfaction, it is important to provide employees with roles compatible with their career plans. The Group has introduced a Career Declaration System in which all employees assess their career and declare their future career objectives once a year. This information is taken into account when deciding transfers and assignments.

Gender Discrepancies in Salary

The Group decides salary based on position and job description and does not set differences based on gender. In addition, gender does not play a role in deciding promotions or salary increases.

Impartial Hiring Opportunities

The Group releases recruiting essentials and all other information on its website, accepts a wide variety of applications, and impartially selects new graduates.

Creating Stimulating Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities

The Nichirei Group actively promotes the employment of people with disabilities, 33 of whom work at Nichirei Aura Inc., a special Group subsidiary. They are engaged in a wide range of operations, including cleaning of office interiors and maintenance of green spaces at the Head Office, the food factories of Group companies, and distribution centers. The Group will continue to create comfortable workplace environments for people with disabilities.

Supporting Non-Japanese Trainees’ Careers

The Nichirei Group provides training opportunities based on career path planning and development so that diverse human resources are able to play an active role in their respective workplaces, based on satisfying and stimulating work. In Japan, we strive to create workplaces that offer foreign technical interns a sense of job satisfaction. In addition, we provide introductions for foreign technical interns to Group company workplaces in their own countries, and opportunities that enable them to continue their careers utilizing expertise acquired in Japan. Training covers such topics as food hygiene management and occupational health and safety.

Fresh Maruichi( Head Office: Onahama Factory in Fukushima Prefecture)
A Vietnamese technical intern trainee who worked at the Fresh Maruichi Onahama Plant for four years starting in 2015 continues to perform quality control work at the newly established Nichirei Fresh fish processing plant in Vietnam. She plays an active role in her home country by utilizing what he learned at food manufacturing sites and by doing quality control-related work in Japan. In FY2021, one former foreign technical intern trainee began work at the same Vietnamese plant. Nichirei plans to continue supporting the career advancement of its foreign trainees.
Offering Employees Workplace Transfer Options

Nichirei Foods Inc. revised its personnel system during FY2016 and FY2017, in order to specify which employees are not subject to job transfers. Those who are unable to move to a distant location due to marriage, childcare, nursing, injury or sickness, or other personal reasons, or those who have worked more than a set amount of time, can remain at their desired workplace based on their individual career objectives regardless of reason, and can themselves decide whether they are eligible to be transferred. The revisions were instituted out of respect for the diverse circumstances and preferences of Nichirei Foods employees, and to create workplaces in which all members are motivated to work.

Providing Employment Opportunities for Seniors

In 2002, the Nichirei Group set up the Senior Staff System to provide employment opportunities for employees on retirement. After reaching the retirement age of 60, those wishing to continue working may do so until the age of 65. At present, we employ more than 100 senior staff members, whose experience and knowledge contribute to Group development.

  • Lecture on frozen foods during a virtual factory tour
  • Senior staff member teaching elementary school students about foodSenior staff member teaching elementary school students about food

Diverse Styles of Working(Provide working condition options)

In-House Childcare Facility

In April 2018, Nichirei opened an in-house daycare center at its Head Office, located in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo’s Chuo Ward. This is one of the Group’s workstyle reforms, designed to enable the early return to work by those employees raising children and to support a work–life balance.
In an effort to assist members of the community, by helping alleviate the problem of long waiting lists at childcare facilities, we are also accepting a fixed number of local children at the daycare center.

  • Daycare children visit the workplace
Volunteer Leave System

The Nichirei Group supports employee activities through its volunteer leave system.

Past Initiatives (2017-2021)

The Nichirei Group considers its employees to be irreplaceable and refers to them as "human assets" rather than "human resources." (Only for Japanese notation) By accepting diverse human resources, values, and ideas and revitalizing the organization, we aim to further improve productivity and create an energetic workplace. In 2017, we established the "Nichirei Group Workplace Reform Policy," and each operating company set targets based on this policy and promoted various initiatives over the five years through FY2022.
The Group Diversity Promotion Council and the Group Health Promotion Liaison Committee were organized under the Group Human Resources Committee as organizations to promote the "enhancement of job satisfaction." These groups discussed human resource strategies that would contribute to the realization of sustainable growth of the entire Group, exchanged opinions on measures, shared information, and confirmed progress. ​

Enable Diverse Working Styles Provide working condition options Employees shall have a certain degree of freedom to choose their workplace and working hours, to suit personal circumstances. Systems to maintain these conditions are to be put in place.
Set up systems to prevent disruption of employee careers Systems are to be established to prevent employees’ careers from being disrupted or ended because of such circumstances as childbirth, childcare, nursing care, poor health, relocation of a spouse, or disease.
Prevent excessive working hours Through collaborative labor and management initiatives for workplace improvement, working hours shall be limited to levels that allow each employee to demonstrate their ability and perform satisfying work in good health.
Ensure Equal Opportunity Promote the advancement of female employees Female employees shall be given the same opportunities as their male peers and offered necessary training in recognition of their value to the Nichirei Group.
Provide stimulating employment opportunities for people with disabilities Job positions and employment opportunities for people with disabilities shall be created to allow them to earn a living through stimulating work, with a vision to ultimately eliminate the distinction between people with or without disabilities in society.
Create employment opportunities for older people As people live longer, healthy lives, opportunities shall be created to allow older people to play an active role in the workplace by drawing on their particular skills bearing in mind individual working styles and values.
Human Assets Committee
The Human Assets Committee, which promotes the increased job satisfaction-related part of the Nichirei Pledge, meets twice each year.
The Diversity Promotion Conference, under the Group Human Assets Committee, meets with labor and management twice a year to monitor measures undertaken at each Group company in relation to human rights, job satisfaction, the workstyle of each employee, support for active participation in the workforce by women, the employment of foreigners, workstyles that differ according to life stage and age, as well as the employment of and collaboration with, the disabled.
Human Assets Development
The president of each Nichirei Group operating company is responsible for building systems that develop optimal human assets for the Company.
These measures are reviewed annually, as required by the education and training policies of each operating company, while related plans and their results are monitored by the Group Human Assets Committee, which meets twice each year.
Workstyle Reforms: Main Measures and Activity Progress (FY2019–FY2022)
Policy Ideal State Priority
Measure
Main Activity
FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022
Enable Diverse Styles of Working Employees shall have a certain degree of freedom to choose their workplace and working hours, to suit personal circumstances.
Systems to maintain these conditions are to be put in place.
Provide working condition options
  • New in-house childcare facility Opened in the Tokyo head office building in April 2018
  • Full-scale introduction of telework 
    All worksites except food factories and logistics offices
  • Introduction of Super-flexible working system, core time eliminated except at some work sites such as factories and distribution centers
Expansion of Satellite Offices in the Logistics Group
  • SateCo Osaka Umeda (opened in February 2022)
  • SateCo Yokohama (opened in March 2022)
Systems are to be established to prevent employees’ careers from being disrupted or ended because of such circumstances as childbirth, childcare, nursing care, poor health, relocation of a spouse, or disease. Set up systems to prevent disruption of employee careers
  • Implementation of career development programs for women Women’s success event “Next Step for 2021”
    Target: 163 people
  • Nursing care seminar Conducted four times, 115 participants
  • Introduction of comeback system Purpose: Ongoing career support for life events and growth
  • Leave system due to spouse transfer Purpose: Examination and introduction of multi-career formation in collaboration with other companies
  • Nursing care seminars and nursing care handbook creation Conducted four times, 103 participants
  • Expansion of childcare and nursing care leave
    ・Leave can be taken in hourly units
    ・Half days and whole days can be converted and taken as accumulated annual paid leave
  • Nursing care seminars (held online) Conducted on November 18 and 26 (60 minutes each), 60 total participants Information (provided on intranet) on support for balancing nursing care with work
Care-giving Seminar (held online)
  • 31 participants
    Support for balancing work and medical treatment, reviewing the flow of measures for returning to work and reinstatement in the workplace, and strengthening the occupational health staff system
Prevent Excessive
Working Hours
Through collaborative labor and management initiatives for workplace improvement, working hours shall be limited to levels that allow each employee to demonstrate their ability and perform satisfying work in good health. Promotion of paid leave
  • 100% introduction of new working hours management system
  • Guidance on long working hours through introduction of a working time management system
  • Implementation of measures against overwork through labor-management collaboration
  • Nichirei Group working hours guidelines formulated through labor-management collaboration
  • Introduced new expense settlement system
  • Introduced planned five-day annual leave system
  • Implemented e-learning: Revised labor laws, working-hour awareness Target: Employees; 5,101 participants
  • Implementation of measures against overwork through labor-management collaboration
  • Set quantitative target (average annual paid leave use of at least 10 days across the Group), and encouraged employees to take annual leave
  • Ongoing implementation of measures against overwork through labor-management collaboration
  • Implementation of human resource management education via e-learning
Continued implementation of overwork measures through labor-management cooperation
Average paid leave rate: 68.3%
Ensure Equal Opportunity In providing employees with equal opportunities and education, we support their development into a valuable force for the Nichirei Group. Promote the advancement of female employees
  • Logistics Group: 5th and 6th “Sakaseru Roji-Jo Forum”
    Target: Female employees; 129 participants (404 participants in total) Theme: Work values and workplace for women
  • Nichirei Foods: LADY, GO UP!Target: Female employees at 6 food manufacturing companies (8 female Nichirei Foods employees participated) Summary: Seminar for building external networks and career development
  • Logistics Group: 7th and 8th “Sakaseru Roji-Jo Forum”
    Target: Female employees; 118 participants (522 participants in total)
  • Nichirei Foods: LADY, GO UP!Target: Female employees at 6 food manufacturing companies (8 female Nichirei Foods employees participated) Summary: Seminar for building external networks
  • Nichirei Foods: LADY, GO UP!Target: Female employees at 6 food manufacturing companies (8 female Nichirei Foods employees participated) Summary: Lecture by external female officer and seminar for building external networks and career development
  • Foods: Implementation of a joint program by six "LADY GO UP" food manufacturers
  • Foods: Implementation of a program to promote the advancement of female employees (Networking Agura (round-table meeting))
  • Logistics Group:
    Implementation of training for female line managers accompanied by supervisors.
    (Expected effects)
    • Expansion of job areas
    • Setting the ideal image and stepping forward
    • Networking
Diversity and inclusion
  • Nichirei Foods: Diversity Forum Deepen understanding of various work styles centered on department and section managers at each of 6 food manufacturing companies. 35 Nichirei Foods employees (26 men, 9 women)
  • Nichirei Foods: Diversity Forum Deepen understanding of various work styles centered on department and section managers at each of 6 food manufacturing companies. 60 Nichirei Foods employees (46 men, 14 women)
  • Nichirei Foods: Diversity Forum
    ・Lecture held (February 25, 2021)
    ・Target: Officers (8 participants) and employees (approx. 140 participants)
  • Nichirei Foods: Meeting of general managers from 6 food manufacturing companies
    ・Meeting of general managers of planning departments from 6 food manufacturing companies
    ・2 executive officers, 5 general managers, 14 employees from secretariat (21 people from 6 companies)
  • Nichirei Foods: 10th year of J-win 
    ・Female leaders training program organized by non-profit organization 
    J-win (one-year program)
  • Foods: Implementation of the diversity forum "SPIRAL UP”
  • Logistics Group: Appointed diversity officers at each regional company
  • Logistics Group: Disseminated and shared information on diversity and inclusion activities through the intranet (MIRU mind)
  • Logistics Group: Implemented Unconscious Bias e-Learning
    • *Total number of executives and positions: 450 / Total number of general employees: 1,340
  • Logistics Group: Unconscious Bias Organization Analysis (12 domestic companies)
Job positions and employment opportunities for people with disabilities shall be created to enable them to earn a living through stimulating work, with a vision to ultimately eliminate the distinction between people with or without disabilities in
society.
Provide stimulating employment opportunities for people with disabilities
  • Disabled employment rate: 2.56% 
    (104 people with disabilities employed)
  • Disabled employment rate: 2.75% 
    (101 people with disabilities employed)
  • Disabled employment rate: 2.80% 
    (101 people with disabilities employed)
  • Ratio of employees with disabilities: 2.80% (Number of employees with disabilities: 101)
As the healthy life span of people becomes longer, we will create workplaces that
enable seniors to leverage their distinctive experience and play an active role
reflecting their individual values and workstyles.
Create employment opportunities for older people
  • 59 employees rehired after retirement (64 retirees)
  • 57 employees rehired after retirement (65 retirees)
  • 51 employees rehired after retirement (59 retirees)
  • Number of employees rehired after retirement: 27 (Number of employees who retired after retirement: 33)
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