Since FY2016, the Nichirei Group has been promoting initiatives based on the concept that the health and wellbeing of employees is fundamental to increasing their work satisfaction. The maintenance and improvement of employee health has been set as a management issue, and the Nichirei Health Promotion Center plays a key role in our efforts.
In FY2016, the Health Promotion Group was established in Human Resources Strategy & General Affairs as the section dedicated to health management. In FY2017, the Group formulated the Nichirei Group Health Declaration and Group Health Management Standards. In addition to publicizing this declaration both internally and externally, the Group has appointed a holding company health promotion manager as well as operating company health promotion managers and representatives. In April 2018, the Health Promotion Group was reorganized into the Nichirei Health Promotion Center to ensure that the entire Group is thoroughly informed of the policy and to promote measures promptly.
To achieve our future vision by 2030, we will implement PDCA cycles in health management measures to promote health initiatives.
Management issues to be resolved by health management is the Embodying the Health Declaration, and we aim to ensure that our employees, who are responsible for “Creating Savory Moments,” always work vigorously and are in good physical and mental health, regardless of their age or gender.
As for regular health checkups, x-ray examinations for early detection of tuberculosis and various cancer screenings are conducted, and thorough follow-up measures are taken by occupational healthcare staff. In addition, we conduct health awareness activities and stress checks, and implement various health promotion measures such as a hands-on health support program for employees that utilizes Nichirei Foods' frozen health management meal Kikubari-GozenTM.
We support good eating habits and health. As such, we promote measures that enable our employees to always work vigorously and in good physical and mental health, regardless of their age or gender. To reduce absenteeism and presenteeism we make enhancements to our occupational health systems, conduct health literacy education, and provide support for balancing medical treatment and work. In recognition of these efforts, we were chosen for inclusion in the 2023 Health and Productivity Stock Selection. This is our third selection, following FY2021 and FY2022 selections. Moreover, we have also been recognized under the Certified Health and Productivity Management Organization Recognition Program in thelarge enterprise category for seven consecutive years.
| FY2023 Results | FY2025 Targets | FY2031 Targets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absenteeism※1 | 3.6 days | 2.6 days | 1.0 days |
| Presenteeism※2 | 79% | 85% | 90% |
Since FY2019, we have achieved a 100% annual health checkup rate for our employees in Japan. In addition, with the aim of achieving zero deaths in service (while employed by the Company) we provide follow-up measures that include interviews and guidance from public health nurses via e-mail or other online tools, based on the judgment of an occupational physician.
In particular, we are enhancing support for people with work restriction scores by requiring periodic treatment confirmation based on the revised employment regulations.
●Regular Health Checkups by Overall Score (%) (Including Non-statutory Items)
We are enhancing initiatives to ensure that employees working overseas receive the same health management support as employees working in Japan.
●Interviews with Public Health Nurses for Japanese Employees Posted Overseas
We are conducting online public health nurse interviews using Teams to maintain and improve the health of employees working overseas. In addition to interviews before departure and upon return to Japan, in FY2023 we also initiated annual interviews during overseas assignments to detect employees with health issues early on, provide support, and understand the health issues unique to working overseas. In FY2023, we conducted interviews with public health nurses for approximately 100 people, including those who requested health consultations themselves and those for whom supervisors made the request.
Having started with stress checks, we implement an integrated mental health strategy. In addition to helping employees with mental health concerns, we promote good mental health through inculding revitalizing workplace communication.
Rapid change in the workplace environment in recent years has increased the chance that managers will be faced with employees’ mental health issues. Responding to this situation, the Nichirei Group renewed its mental health education program in FY2024.
Theme: Improvement of mental health-related skills for managers
Aiming that employees to have access to the same level of health promotion services anywhere in the country, we assigined public health nurses in Tohoku, Kansai, and Kyusyu areas by FY2022.
In FY2023, public health nurses at Health Promotion Center began visiting 13 large workplaces in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The activities include individual support, such as interviews with those who have received a "D" rating after health checkups to prevent serious illness, and mental follow-up for high-stress individuals and those who have returned to work. In addition, we provide health guidance on lifestyle improvement and stop-smoking.
For large organizations, holding health classes in accordance with the health issues at workplaces and conducting workplace inspections.
To provide employees with specific health promotion opportunities and help them avoid lifestyle-related diseases, we have been holding hands-on health-related programs regularly since FY2017. With the important issues of "blood pressure," "blood glucose," and "lipids" as themes, the pathophysiology, diet, and exercise sections are explained by specialists in each section, and there are also hands-on learning activities such as flexibility tests and quizzes, allowing the learners to deepen their understanding while having fun. Special seminars on various topics such as "Dietary Seminar for Shift and Late Night Work," "Sleep," and "Mental Health" were also held to promote health and improve productivity. In questionnaires, more than 92% of participants at each seminar responded that the event was "beneficial." Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we switched to an online format in FY2021, and since FY2022, we have been holding monthly sessions so that more employees can participate. 5,725 employees participated in total by the end of FY2023.
In FY2023, the results of health checkups showed that the percentage of patients with poorly controlled diabetes decreased from 1.8% to 1.3% and the percentage of patients with well controlled hypertension improved from 40.6% to 47.6%.
Furthermore, in order to contribute to "promoting good health throughout society," including our stakeholders, we are widely inviting employees' families and business partners to participate in the health-related events, "Nichirei Kenko Juku," with the aim of promoting efforts to address health issues beyond the Group's framework.
Health-related event, called Nichirei kenko Juku
We aim to create a workplace environment in which Nichirei Group employees who develop a disease or condition that requires long-term medical treatment can stay in their jobs and balance treatment and work with peace of mind.
The three fundamentals of our measures are treatment-work balance consultation, education and awareness, and cooperation among Group companies.
Treatment-work balance consultation involves annual interviews with affected individuals who interact with public health nurses, so that we can find out more about their opinions and requests regarding appropriate measures.
In May 2023, we also began operating an online survey called Everyone’s Tweet Room to gather employee feedback.
We held three seminars for education and awareness in FY2023.
| July 2022 | Kenichi Ishii, Hulic Insurance Service Co., Ltd. | Cancer, Money and Work | 20 participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2022 | Takashi Sekikawa, Supervising occupational physician | Current Status of Cancer Treatment | 24 participants |
| February 2023 | Chiaki Hara, Yotsubanokai | Caring for My Body | 46 participants |
We provide opportunities for employees to view cancer and other illnesses as personally relevant, obtain accurate information, and think about creating a better work environment.
There are four seminars planned during FY2024.
In addition, we strive to disseminate accurate and reliable information through channels including in-house bulletin boards.
In January 2022, we conducted a survey of all employees in an effort to promote the Women’s Health Promotion policy. The results revealed that there are female employees who are "troubled by women-specific health issues" and that many male managers are "unaware of their troubles." Based on the results, we continue to hold seminars to improve the health literacy of our employees. In addition, by FY2024, we will introduce online medical care (menstruation and menopause) to better visualize ways in which improvements in physical condition can contribute to increased work productivity.
●Structure: Women's Health Promotion Policy
●Education・Awareness: Conduct seminars regularly
＜Online Seminars＞
On menstruation: July 20, 2022, 30 participants
On menopause : July 26, 2022, 62 participants
Seminar by Dr. son：March 8, 2023 84 participants
●Support: Menstrual and menopausal online medical treatment program
Smoking has been prohibited during working hours since April 2022, and indoor smoking rooms were abolished at the end of March 2023.
We are working to educate all employees by providing e-learning programs on passive smoking countermeasures.
In addition, the Nichirei Health Insurance Association offers a stop-smoking program to those who wish to stop smoking.
A health white paper and health management guidebook (for all employees in Japan, first edition in July 2020, second edition in October 2022) have been published with the aim of creating an environment where each and every employee is aware of their health and proactively promotes their health.
