Basic Concept

The Nisshinbo Group views diversity as a source of innovation and strives to enhance corporate value by leveraging its strengths in diversity of business, diversity of people, and diversity of values. Therefore, the Group promotes reforms in the way everyone works so that the Nisshinbo Group can respect diversity and utilize the individuality and abilities of each employee to improve productivity, make work rewarding, and enable employees to continue to play an active role, which will in turn lead to a strong competitive edge.

Promotion System

Under a system in which the Director and the Chief of the Corporate Strategy Center of Nisshinbo Holdings, Inc. is in charge, the Nisshinbo Group promotes work style reforms to create a workplace where diverse human resources can work comfortably together in a way that suits each individual at the Human Resources Group of the Human Resources & Administration Service Department of the Corporate Strategy Center and the Diversity Development Department. In order to achieve the goal of creating a comfortable working environment for employees in the Sustainability Promotion Plan, the Group set targets and Key performance indicators (KPIs) and are implementing measures to achieve them.

• Sustainability Promotion Plan and KPIs

Specific Initiatives of the Nisshinbo Group

In the revised “Fifth Sustainability Promotion Plan,” the Nisshinbo Group has set the KPIs as follows: ①Rate of taking annual paid leave, 70％ or more, and ②Rate of male employees taking childcare leave, 30% or more of eligible male employees, and is working to achieve these targets through PDCA cycle.

In FY2023, the Group plans to publicize information on male employees taking childcare leave on the company portal site and introduce interviews with male employees who have taken childcare leave.

In FY2022, in accordance with the “Sustainability Promotion Plan” before its revision, the Group set a KPI of Achievement rate of FY2024 targets in accordance with the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children – General Business Operator Action Plan (Ratio of companies that achieved), 100%, and proceeded with activities to achieve the target while implementing PDCA cycle.

Promoting Diverse Work Styles

The Nisshinbo Group established a variety of different systems to enable employees with diverse backgrounds to work productively and energetically while balancing work with childcare, nursing care, and other responsibilities.

For the purpose of making workplaces more flexible, the Group implemented teleworking and established satellite offices in 2021. The Group also established staggered working hours, flextime, hourly paid leave, and shorter working hours to make working hours more flexible.

In addition, the following systems are in place to support work styles suited to different life stages.

Support System for Balancing Childcare and Nursing Care

In accordance with the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children, Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. formulated the General Business Owner Action Plan to create an environment in which employees can exercise their abilities and continue working while maintaining a good balance between work and private life and thus created an environment that facilitates male employees taking childcare leave. Similar efforts are being made at 22 Group companies in Japan.^*

* Japan Radio Co., Ltd., Nagano Japan Radio Co., Ltd., Ueda Japan Radio Co., Ltd., JRC Tokki Co., Ltd., JRC Engineering Co., Ltd., JRC System Service Co., Ltd., JRC Logistics Service Co., Ltd., Nagano Japan Radio Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Nagano Communications Sales Co., Ltd., NJ Components Co., Ltd., Asashina Nichimu Co., Ltd., Nisshinbo Micro Devices Inc., Nisshinbo Micro Devices AT Co., Ltd., Nisshinbo Micro Devices Fukuoka Co., Ltd., Nisshinbo Brake Inc., Nisshinbo Mechatronics Inc., Nanbu Plastics Co., Ltd., Kyushu Nanbu Plastics Co., Ltd., Nisshinbo Precision Instrument & Machinery Hiroshima, Nisshinbo Chemical Inc., Nisshinbo Textile Inc., Tokyo Shirts Co., Ltd.

Prevention of Long Working Hours and Overwork

To prevent long working hours, the Nisshinbo Group manages the status of overtime work through the department in charge of personnel affairs and the Health Committee. In order to improve operational efficiency, the Group is reviewing operations to eliminate unnecessary work and leveling operations to avoid concentration of work on specific persons.

In addition, in accordance with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Guidelines on Measures Employers Should Take to Ensure Proper Understanding of Working Hours, Nisshinbo strives to manage working hours properly by checking objective records, such as time cards, IC cards, and PC log data, to determine employee working hours.

Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. conducts periodic reviews of the labor management status at all group companies to support their efforts to comply with labor laws and to manage working hours appropriately.

Specific Activities of the Group Companies

Conversion to Free-Address System on Office Floor

In December 2022, Japan Radio Co., Ltd. consolidated its Nakano head office from two floors to one floor and introduced free-address seating by department/division.

Free-address seating facilitates seating management through the introduction of a hotel system that allows employees to reserve seats before arriving at work. The lounge in the central part of the floor is equipped with coffee machines and water servers, and shared equipment, stationery, and dustbins are centralized to create natural opportunities for employees to interact with each other, which is expected to stimulate communication. In addition, the conference room is used for meetings with outside parties, and open family-style seating and communication spots in the office are used for internal meetings, which enable discussions and meetings that transcend departmental boundaries.

The free-address system is expected to promote interaction among employees and increase engagement by exposing them to diverse values.

Addressing Telecommuting Issues and Promoting Diverse Work Styles

Nagano Japan Radio Co., Ltd. introduced virtual offices at its sales offices in December 2022 to address telecommuting issues and promote diverse work styles.

In sales offices, the telecommuting rate was high due to the COVID‑19, and there were cases where employees felt lonely and anxious. Issues such as mental care, work efficiency, and labor management were identified, including the inability to communicate easily, difficulty in asking questions and getting work done due to the inability to see what the other party is doing, and difficulty in managing work hours. The importance of vertical and horizontal communication in the workplace was reaffirmed.

Taking advantage of the functions of the virtual office, it has become easier to communicate informally, leading to a flexible work style that takes into account day-to-day business operations. It has also been useful for diverse interactions, such as increased communication with members of other departments and offices, and a sense of familiarity with comments from people one does not normally talk to.

Kaizen Activities at the Head Office (Free-Address System)

In the spring of 2022, the Nisshinbo Brake Inc. head office started office kaizen activities, mainly by young employees, to examine the optimal office space in the midst of diverse work styles, such as telecommuting and free-address systems that have emerged in the wake of the Corona disaster.

Through employee questionnaires and fieldwork, the company identified the problems of the lack of communication, inability to work in a space appropriate to the nature of the work, and excess equipment and space and then considered introducing a free address system through layout changes as a solution to these problems.

First, the company defined four new office concepts: “Everyday Fun Ufufu Free,” “Stress Free Address,” “Sustainable Bright Office,” and “With Your Office.” Next, in order to realize the concepts, the company introduced a free address system that included a thorough implementation of 2S by reducing unnecessary fixtures, effective use of existing fixtures, and a layout based on the ABW philosophy.^*

Since the introduction of the free-address system, employees have expressed positive comments such as, "Conversation has increased," and "It has become easier to work.” The company will continue its kaizen activities in pursuit of an optimal office environment in response to changes in the external environment.

*ABW philosophy: Abbreviation for Activity Based Working. It refers to a way of working that allows people to freely choose the time and place.

Childcare Leave Support

Nisshinbo Chemical Inc. provided in-house training for those who have subordinates as part of its activities to promote male employees to take childcare leave.

To ensure that supervisors have the correct knowledge to follow up with their subordinates, the training covered the main points of the legal revision and case studies from other companies to deepen understanding. In addition, since men's participation in housework and childcare is essential for women to continue to be active in society after childbirth, supervisors were encouraged to take the initiative in encouraging subordinates to take childcare leave.

The revision of the law created an environment in which it is easier to take childcare leave, and the number of male employees taking childcare leave has been increasing. On the other hand, some employees have voiced concerns, saying that it is difficult for them to ask for leave, or that they do not know where to go for advice. Therefore, the company utilizes an internal website for employees to inform them of the details of the legal revisions and internal systems and improve understanding throughout the workplace. In addition, the company set up a consultation desk and established a system where employees can feel free to ask for a consultation at any time. The company will continue to create an atmosphere in which it is easy to take childcare leave.