The Nichirei Group, in order to fulfill its mission statement, is striving to continually enhance its workplaces as part of the CSR activities of its basic policy, the Nichirei Pledge. In addition, in “Corporate Philosophy: Start by Focusing on Employees,” the “prevention of discrimination based on gender, age, education, race, or religion, and the provision of equal opportunity” is established as one of its policies.

Each Group company promotes efforts adapted for its individual businesses; however, Nichirei has also established the Group-wide Group Human Assets Committee and Diversity Promotion Conference. These councils share information about and confirm the progress with each company’s measures to continually enhance workplaces.
The Group Human Assets Committee holds a conference twice a year, and the subordinate Diversity Promotion Conference is held three times a year in collaboration with management and labor unions. The Diversity Promotion Conference reports the details of the meetings to the Group Human Assets Committee.
The Diversity Promotion Conference studies and oversees the measures taken by all companies, particularly initiatives related to respecting employees’ human rights, job satisfaction, and diverse work styles. The measures include promoting the equal participation of men and women as a company that supports women’s success in the workplace, employment of foreigners and other groups that demonstrates a global mindset, allowance for a diverse array of work styles suited to different life stages and ages, and employment of and cooperation with people with disabilities. The Group is working to continually enhance workplaces and raise awareness at Group companies through promoting the sharing of information, Group-wide application of effective measures, and other efforts. In addition, in FY2018, the Group established The Nichirei Group Workplace Improvement Policy, and is striving to enable diverse working styles, prevent excessive working hours, and ensure equal opportunities by FY2022.

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.

The Use of Robots

The Nichirei Logistics Group is promoting the introduction of robotic process automation (RPA) to innovate office operations. RPA allows automation across applications through the use of computers even by those without programming knowledge; worksite employees have created and used original RPA scenarios on their own.
In FY2019, when full-scale deployment of the process began and the goal was to convert 10,000 hours of human labor to RPA each year, we actually converted 20,000 hours. In addition to resolving the problem of long working hours, the time freed up by automated operations allows for a shift in emphasis from office operations to resources; strengthens communications with worksites; and allows sufficient time for staff to meet with visitors, including business partners. In addition, the extra time available has made possible the creation of new added value operations and increased job satisfaction among all employees.
In FY2020, we aim to convert 180,000 hours of human labor into RPA and cultivate 100 more employees able to create RPA scenarios.

The Group encourages the employment of people with disabilities, 30 of whom work at our special subsidiary, Nichirei Aura.
They are engaged in a wide range of operations, including the cleaning of the head office and food factories located at Group companies, as well as office interiors within our logistics centers and the maintenance of green spaces. The Group will continue to create comfortable working environments for individuals with disabilities.

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.

As part of its effort to promote the participation of women in the workplace, the Logistics Group held the sixth Sakaseru Roji-Jo Forum in January 2019. Sixty-one female employees from each region across the country gathered to learn about the background, current status and future prospects of efforts promoting women’s active participation in the workplace. For the first time, senior employees, including men, attended in 2019.
The forum acknowledged people’s values with regard to work, as well as the need to create networks among employees in each region through discussions regarding participant work values and the creation of workplaces where women can work in ways that best suite them.
In fiscal 2019, Nichirei Foods held seminars for female employees in collaboration with other food manufacturers. These seminars included SPIRAL UP!, a diversity forum aimed at building awareness and LADY, GO UP!, a seminar aimed at building external networks and career development.

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.

In FY2018, a total of 34 women throughout the Group took maternity leave, and 100% of them returned to work.

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.