Respect for Human Rights

Basic Concept

The Nisshinbo Group's Business Conduct Guidelines are a set of specific guidelines for behavior that all employees must observe. The first item in the Business Conduct Guidelines is "Respect for Human Rights." In order to respect the character and individuality of each and every person and prevent discrimination and violation of human rights, the Group provides training and other educational activities to promote a deeper understanding of diversity and the various human rights issues.

Promotion System

The Nisshinbo Group is engaged in activities aimed at realizing a society in which human rights are respected under the leadership of the Human Rights Group of the Sustainability Development Department of the Corporate Strategy Center, under a promotion structure in which the director and the chief of the Corporate Strategy Center of Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. serves as chairman of the promotion committee and a senior manager of the Sustainability Development Department serves as vice chairman.

To achieve the "Promoting human rights awareness-raising activities" and "Promoting business and human rights activities" in the Sustainability Promotion Plan, the Group manages targets and Key performance indicators (KPIs) and implements measures to achieve them.

Specific Initiatives of the Nisshinbo Group

In the revised "Fifth Sustainability Promotion Plan," respect human rights is a key action items, and the following two items were set as targets.

  • ①(In Japan) Rate of implementation of Group Human Rights Training, 100% (In overseas) Implementation of human rights awareness-raising activities
  • ②Develop human rights policy, introduce and promote Human Rights Due Diligence in fields with high human rights risks

In FY2023, in addition to proactively implementing human rights enlightenment activities at group companies in Japan and overseas, the Nisshinbo Group has formulated a human rights policy and is actively engaged in the PDCA cycle of human rights due diligence activities to promote initiatives related to business and human rights.

In FY2022, in accordance with the "Fifth Sustainability Promotion Plan" before its revision, the Group set a KPIs of Rate of companies that conducted overall training (theme by fiscal year), 100% and promoted activities to achieve the target while implementing the PDCA cycle.

Conduct Human Rights Due Diligence

In order to fulfill the "corporate responsibility to respect human rights" required by the "Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights" adopted by the United Nations, the Nisshinbo Group is working to develop a human rights policy and conduct human rights due diligence in 2023. The Group will work to identify and correct human rights risks, including those in the supply chain, after research of the systems, activities, workplace environments, and various systems related to human rights awareness at group companies in Japan and overseas, as well as procurement codes to prevent the use of conflict minerals, child labor and forced labor, etc.

The Group has already established the "Nisshinbo Group Sustainable Procurement Basic Policy" with regard to procurement and informed all suppliers of the Group's policy to respect human rights. Currently, the Group is continuously conducting questionnaires and feedback on the sustainable procurement policy to all suppliers in Japan to ensure that they understand the Group's policy. In the future, the Group will also promote human rights-conscious procurement from the perspective of human rights due diligence.

Compliance with Human Rights Laws and Regulations

The Nisshinbo Group will appropriately comply with human rights-related laws and regulations, including the UK Slavery Act, in the countries and regions where the Group companies in Japan and overseas and suppliers conduct business. Specifically, the Group will promote internal awareness and understanding of laws and regulations in the countries and regions where the Group companies in Japan and overseas and suppliers do business and will promote appropriate human rights due diligence initiatives.

Human Rights Awareness Initiatives

In FY2023, The Nisshinbo Group consolidated the "Group Human Rights Training," which had been conducted separately at all Nisshinbo Group companies in Japan, to create a training system in which all employees work together to realize a society that respects human rights. In addition, to promote initiatives related to business and human rights, the Nisshinbo Group will formulate a human rights policy and conduct human rights due diligence. By focusing on efforts to identify and correct human rights risks based on the human rights policy, each and every employee will contribute to the realization of a society that respects human rights with the will (Will) to "fulfill the corporate responsibility to realize a society where human rights" are respected.

In FY2022, based on the results of an employee survey, the Nisshinbo Group provided training for all employees in Japan to prevent power harassment and improve communication as part of the overall training. The Nisshinbo Group also provided human rights training not only for new employees but also for career employees throughout the year to enhance their understanding of respect for human rights as the common will of the Group.

Slogan for Human Rights Awareness

The Nisshinbo Group invites employees of all group companies in Japan and overseas and their families to submit human rights awareness slogans in honor of Human Rights Week in December of each year, and the Group awards prizes for the best works. The Nisshinbo Group also receives human rights messages spelled out in various languages from overseas group companies.

In FY2022, a total of 3,989 entries were received for the human rights awareness slogan contest, including 3,881 from group employees in Japan and overseas and 108 from their families. Of those, approximately 600 were submitted by overseas group companies. After that, rigorous screening was conducted by the Sustainability Development Department of Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. As a result, there were 14 awards, including the Global Special Award.

Prevention of Harassment

To prevent harassment, the Nisshinbo Group sets up "Harassment Consultation Counters" at the group companies in Japan and established a system in which multiple contact persons are assigned to provide consultations to employees. The contact person will be appointed by a human resource with the appropriate conditions to handle the consultation at each office. When a new contact person is appointed, the person undergoes the "Training for New Contact Persons for the Harassment Consultation Desk" to acquire the skills to handle consultations. By having all staff in charge take this course across the entire Nisshinbo Group, the Group is working to standardize the consultation skills of all staff in charge.

Since 2017, the Nisshinbo Group has provided anger management training for employees of all Group companies in Japan with the aim of preventing power harassment through appropriate emotional control and the promotion of good communication within the workplace. The training consists of two stages: basic training to learn the basics of anger management to better control one's anger, and scolding training for managers to learn how to scold effectively to promote the growth of subordinates. The Group aims to expand the scope of the course to all employees each year.

Participants commented, "I learned that I can control my anger, which I thought I had no control over," and "I gained hints on how to lead my subordinates.

Specific Activities of the Group Companies

Operation of Antibullying Systems in the Workplace

In order to prevent bullying between supervisors, subordinates, or coworkers in the workplace, Saeron Automotive Corporation in the Republic of Korea established new rules in its internal work rules regarding the prevention of workplace bullying and the handling of bullying when it occurs, thereby protecting employees' human and labor rights.

The Korean Labor Standards Act defines the concept and prohibitions of workplace bullying, and the company will check for violations in accordance with the Labor Standards Act.

Anyone at the company may report to the company's general affairs department if they become aware of the occurrence of workplace bullying or if they have been bullied. The company's collective bargaining agreement and work rules clearly state the prohibition and handling of workplace bullying, and the company's intranet site contains the "Manual for Determining, Preventing, and Responding to Workplace Bullying" where employees can access the educational content.

In addition, the company conducts annual training for all employees on sexual harassment in the workplace, awareness of people with disabilities in the workplace, and the prohibition, prevention, and handling of bullying in the workplace manual. Through the operation of this system, the company is working to ensure that employees respect each other and guarantee human rights.

In-company Training
In-company Training

Power Harassment Prevention Education

With the support of the Human Rights Enlightenment Group of Nisshinbo Holdings Inc., Nisshinbo Mechatronics Inc., Miai Machinery Plant, provides power harassment prevention training with the aim of enhancing psychological safety in the workplace and creating an open and comfortable work environment.

At monthly meetings for managers and supervisors attended by section managers and above in all departments, short training sessions of about 15 minutes each were held four times, covering such topics as the process of power harassment, examples of power harassment, and efforts to prevent power harassment. The training is conducted repeatedly in a short period of time to enhance the effectiveness of the training. In addition, materials used in the training sessions are circulated and posted in each department to disseminate information to as many employees as possible, and the Learning Management System is also being used to further promote understanding by having employees take courses concurrently.

Acquired International Standard SA 8000

PT. Naigai Shirts Indonesia in Indonesia received the SA 8000 certificate on January 20, 2023.

SA 8000 (Social Accountability 8000) is based on the International Declaration of Human Rights, ILO Conventions, and other international national laws and regulations on human rights and labor as published by SAI (Social Accountability International), a US NGO. It is an international standard for excecution of all employee rights and the protection of employees.

SA 8000 establishes the following nine social responsibility accountability requirements

  • ①Prohibition of engaging in or supporting child labor
  • ②Prohibition of engaging in or supporting forced labor
  • ③Ensuring work-related health and safety
  • ④Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
  • ⑤Prohibition of discrimination
  • ⑥Prohibition of inhumane punishment
  • ⑦Observance of appropriate working hours
  • ⑧Fair compensation
  • ⑨Management system

This standard was developed in the 1990s after problems with child labor, forced labor, and low wages in which were executed by U.S. companies, came out to the public. Acquisition of the SA 8000 requires an audit by a qualified third-party verification, which need be screened every six months after acquisition.

With the acquisition of this standard, the company will strive to become a company that further respects the human rights of its employees.

SA8000認証証明書
SA 8000 Certificate of Authenticity