Since FY2016, the Nichirei Group has set the maintenance and improvement of employee health as a management issue, and has been promoting initiatives based on the concept that the health and well-being of employees is fundamental to increasing their work satisfaction. In April 2024, a department specializing in this area was reorganized as the Well-being Management Promotion Office, and it is working to improve employee well-being by conducting measures for comfortable, satisfying work. in addition to occupational health and safety and health management.
A public health nurse lectures at a health related event
(held at a small workplace with full attendance)
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 2024, a department specializing in this area was reorganized as the Well-being Management Promotion Office, and it is working to improve employee well-being by conducting measures for comfortable, satisfying work in addition to occupational health and safety and health management.
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 a company that supports good eating habits and health, we want our employees to always work with enthusiasm and in good physical and mental health, regardless of their age or gender. Our initiatives to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism include thorough followup after health checkups, including cancer screenings, as well as mental health education and measures to improve health literacy. In recognition of these efforts, Nichirei was chosen for inclusion in the Health and Productivity Stock Selection hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Stock Exchange in FY2021, FY2022 and FY2024. We have also been recognized under the Certified Health and Productivity Management Organization Recognition Program in the large enterprise category for each of the eight years since the program was established.
| FY2024 Results | FY2025 Targets | FY2031 Targets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absenteeism*1 | 3.4 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 focus on ensuring corrective action for the employee with medical examination findings and 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. Including requests for health consultations from employees and their supervisors, we have conducted health nurse consultations for approximately 200 persons since FY2023. For this FY2024, we started oversea visiting of medical professionals to our offices in Europe, and we plan to gradually expand the scope of these visiting.
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.
Since FY2024, the Nichirei Group has upgraded its mental health education from seminars to training programs to strengthen measures. The rate of high stress in the Nichirei Group remains high, and as the workplace environment changes, cases managers face group menber with mental health concers are growing. Therefore, in order to improve the mental health skills for managers, who are key to the workplace, and to ensure they also take care of their own mental health, we have established the "COCO Sapo* Development Program" as mandatory training for managers starting in FY2024. By the end of the year, 370 managers had completed the COCO Sapo training. Furthermore, we have made a "reflection time" to review their practice after the course, aiming not only to improve their skills but also to strengthen connections between them.
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.
Since FY2023, occupational health nurses from the Well-being Management Promotion Office have begun visiting 13 large workplaces in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and we are gradually expanding the number of target workplaces.
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.
We are holding health classes in accordance with the health issues at workplaces and conducting workplace inspections as part of health education from organization supporting.
To energize the organization by improving employees’ physical and mental health and productivity through greater health literacy, we hold health-related events and seminars on topics that address the health issues employees face, such as preventing lifestyle-related diseases, women’s health, sleep, muscle weakness and meals for late-night work. 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%. We also believe that management must take the initiative in creating a workplace and organizational culture where diverse human resources can work with enthusiasm. In February 2024, we invited Dr. Keiichi Nakagawa, an oncologist and project professor at the University of Tokyo, to give a lecture for our management entitled “Dealing with Cancer Is a Management Issue.” Approximately 130 people, including the president, management staff and employees, attended. To support good eating habits and health, communication is important with suppliers, local communities and other stakeholders as well as Group employees. As part of our health support for suppliers, we held a seminar on health management for six of our business partners in FY2024, raising interest among participating companies. Through these initiatives, we aim to contribute to the overall health of society, help to realize a sustainable society and increase our corporate value.
Introduction slide of the presentation by Dr. NakagawaWe 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 four seminars for education and awareness in FY2024.
| May 2023 | Project Professor Keiichi Nakagawa Comprehensive Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo | Cancer learning for protecting you and your loved one | 76 participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | Yuri Yoshida Representative director of Ganto Hataraku Ouendan（GHO） |
Know and Prepare: Cancer Seminar for the Working Generation | 59 participants |
| November 2023 | Shinsuke Kasai Freelance announcer |
The Will to Live: Surviving "Stage 4" Cancer | 71 participants |
| February 2024 | Kumiko Hashimoto Nurse, AYA Survivorship Center, St. Luke's International Hospital |
Supporting the Balance Between Hospital Treatment and Work: What to Know Before Illness Strikes | 43 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.
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. Furthermore, we have introduced an online consultation program for employees who would like to have a child since March 2023. In FY2025, we are promoting a workplace environment that supports better health by raising awareness about menstrual leave and establishing unique leave policies.
●Structure: Women's Health Promotion Policy
＜Health Care Leave＞
From April 2024, those who have significant difficulty working due to PMS, menstrual or menopausal symptoms may take leave.
＜Questionnaire on Women's Health Issues and Work Environment＞
Conducted once a year 2,879 respondents (2023)
●Education・Awareness: Conduct seminars regularly
＜Online Seminars＞
Menstrual Health Sessions: Held 4 times a year, with a total of 94 participants (2023).
Menopause Sessions : Held 4 times a year, with a total of 181 participants (2023).
Ninkatsu Session* : 34 participants (2023).
Seminar by Dr. Miho Takao, Obstetrician and Gynecologist: 67 participants (2023).
●Support: Menstrual and menopausal online medical treatment program
Since April 2022, we have implemented a smoke-free policy during working hours and discontinued indoor smoking rooms by the end of March 2023. We have conducted e-learning sessions on measures against secondhand smoke for all employees, focusing on education and awareness. Additionally, we offer a quit smoking program through the Nichirei Health Insurance Society for those interested, providing support for quitting smoking. By the end of fiscal year 2023, 127 employees participated in the quit smoking program, as a result, eventually 44 people has succeeded in quitting 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.
