Sustainability

To realize our Company Mission “Promoting ‘TE-A-TE’ Culture Worldwide ,“ we believe it necessary for all employees to think about what they can do through work and what they want to achieve through work and take actions (= making the work their own affairs).For this purpose, based on the recognition that it is important for each employee to balance work and private life and to build a rich life, we will increase job satisfaction through the creation of employee growth opportunities and a comfortable work environment, realizing a virtuous cycle of self-reliant career development by employees and resolution of social issues, and growth of the Hisamitsu Group.

Ideal Character and Expected Actions

Policy for HR Development and Desired State

Creating Growth Opportunities

Based on the approach that “human resources are refined by stimulating each other and working together as a team,” Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical takes a long-term perspective and spares no expense in investing in the human capital (diverse human resources with specialized skills) that supports the Company's value chain and works on systematic and organizational HR development aiming at improving the capabilities of employees, who are the driving force behind the realization of our Corporate Philosophy and Company Mission.
In addition, to respond to changes in various values in recent years, we are working to create an organization where each employee is autonomous and an environment where they learn by themselves, leading to growth opportunities.

●Initiatives to Nurture Independence

・Self-reporting System

To achieve both our growth and the realization of career design envisioned by employees, every year, employees report their intentions such as future career plans, relocation, and things they want us to understand, and we try to place the right people in the right jobs by examining such intentions from various aspects such as individual circumstances and expectations for growth.

・Internal Job Posting System

To create opportunities for employees to realize self-reliant careers by digging into their motivation and enthusiasm and lead them to solving issues we should address, we implement internal job posting on a regular basis.

・Internal Venture System

In the internal venture system where employees themselves plan and try to realize a new business, regardless of age, gender, and years of experience, we respect free ideas that are not constrained by existing businesses and work to build a culture to promote new proposals and create growth opportunities for both employees and the Company.

●New Employee Development

After joining the Company, we conduct training for new employees that focuses on helping them understand the Company's Corporate Philosophy, Company Mission, and Basic Policy and learn how to take proactive action. Additionally, senior employees act as “Mentor” to help new employees grow as members of society and as corporate citizens.

●Development of Next-generation Managers

In the step-up training, we let attendees experience team building and raise their awareness as next-generation leaders by demonstrating leadership.The Hisamitsu Women's Leadership (HWL) training program has been conducted as a women manager development training. Employees either recommended by their divisions or applying by themselves will acquire knowledge and skills in communication, leadership, and self-management.These trainings lead to cross-sectional networking and behavior change in the workplace.

●Management Development

In order to develop human resources to achieve performance targets, which is one of the roles that managers are expected to fulfill, our curriculum emphasizes the importance of raising awareness and motivating the managers themselves. Our capacity building aims not only to manage the organization but also to realize the management strategy of bringing the issues of each business area down to the field level as more advanced skills to lead the organization while accurately assessing the situation.Training programs are offered tailored to the purpose and their needs, including training for newly appointed managers, as well as training for all managers and selective training.

●Development of Global Human Resources

To promote global business development, strengthen competitiveness, and secure superiority, we consider the development of human resources that can play an active role globally as an issue. Besides training opportunities to acquire and improve English proficiency, cross-cultural communication, and management skills, we provide motivated employees selected from domestic and overseas Group companies with opportunities to learn how to solve various problems to develop their abilities. We support self-study through, for example, the “Global Challenge” program, which supports all employees to take the TOEIC exam and conducts activities to uncover candidates for future global human resources.

●Development of Digital Human Resources

Developing people who have necessary IT knowledge, use digital technologies to make field operations more efficient and transform business is one of the important issues in the future. Therefore, in FY2023, besides selecting and developing candidates for Digital Transformation Leaders who will lead the changes in each department, we have also started to encourage all employees to acquire IT Passport certification.

Training Programs

For Diverse Workforce (Promotion of D&I)

Based on our understanding that the core of a company lies in “people,” in order for employees to demonstrate their abilities through business activities and achieve selfrealization, we believe that respecting the individuality of employees with different career and cultural backgrounds and life stages and promoting the utilization of diverse human resources will lead to building an organization that can quickly adapt to changes in the business environment.The importance of supporting the work-life balance and utilizing diverse human resources is emphasized in management training, level-specific training, and other internal training programs to deepen understanding of Diversity.Our behavior guiding principle stipulates the elimination of unfair discrimination and harassment based on race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, age, belief, religion, disability, health condition, or social status.

●Many More Opportunities for Female Employees to Play Significant Roles

The promotion of women's activities is essential for the company's sustainable growth and enhancement of our competitiveness. It is our aim to create an environment in which each employee, regardless of gender, can realize a work style that suits their life events and continue to play an active role in the company. In addition to creating an environment that allows employees to balance work and life events such as marriage, childbirth, childcare, and long-term care, we are working to improve understanding and awareness of diverse work styles by informing employees of the work–life balance support system through management and hierarchical training and other internal training programs.

●Employment of the Disabled

As part of our efforts to utilize diverse human resources, the employment of people with disabilities is promoted. Besides light-duty work on the manufacturing floor, employment has been expanded to include planning divisions and research laboratories to create jobs that allow people to play an active role according to their abilities. It is our aim to create a comfortable workplace environment by installing multipurpose restrooms and eliminating steps, as well as by maintaining close communication in the workplace.
We will continue to actively work on creating a workplace environment where employees can play an active role according to their individuality and abilities.

●Employment of the Elderly

“Life Plan Training” is conducted for employees who have reached the age of 57 as an opportunity for them to consider life planning and lead a fulfilling second life. As a support system for employees to work with a sense of assurance, the reemployment system is established for employees who have reached the retirement age of 60 and wish to remain employed until a maximum age of 65.

Personnel Evaluation

Individual employees’ performance is evaluated from the two perspectives, their growth (management by behavior) and contribution to the Company (management by objectives), in order to motivate them for their daily work and foster their voluntary growth.
For behavior management, supervisors annually interview to confirm whether employees “consistently demonstrate behaviors that produce high results.” Regarding goal management, goals are set based on interviews with supervisors at the beginning of evaluation period. A self-evaluation will be conducted at the end of the period, and employees will meet with their supervisors to discuss the degree to which they have achieved goals and future initiatives, with the aim of further improving their performance.
We ensure that the evaluation obtained through this process is reflected in the employee’s treatment and eventually fed back to the employee, thereby enabling them to feel a sense of achievement in their work.

Development of Comfortable Work Environment

We promote a healthy and vibrant workplace where each employee can balance work and private life while maintaining good mental and physical health. We are working to develop a work environment that enables employees to continue to demonstrate their abilities as they face various life events such as childbirth, childcare, and nursing care.

●Telework System

We introduced telework in March 2021 as one of the work style options, and employees think and practice the best mix of effective work styles by themselves to fulfill their roles.

●Staggered Work Hours System

Employees are allowed to work within a range of one hour before to two hours after their starting time, depending on their work schedule.

●Facilitating the Use of Annual Paid Leave

It is our aim to create a culture where employees can easily take annual paid leave through measures such as “Family/Self-Education Day” (every Wednesday) to encourage employees to leave the office on time, “Family Bonding Day” (twice a year including the month of birthday) to encourage employees to take annual paid leave, and “WAKUWAKU consecutive leave” (at least 3 consecutive business days).

・Hourly Paid Leave System

Based on employee feedback, the hourly paid leave system has been introduced as part of our efforts to further enhance both work and life. Flexible use of annual paid leave will lead to an increase in the annual paid leave utilization rate, more efficient operations, support for employees with childcare or long-term care needs, and retention of excellent human resources.

Other

●Recreation Facilities

Yufukogen Villa in Yufu City, Oita Prefecture, is available as a recreation facility for our employees. Located on a hill overlooking the Kuju Mountains, the facility is equipped with lodging, hot springs, and training facilities. In addition to recreation for employees and their families, it is used for employee training.

●Company-Owned Dormitories for Unmarried and Married Employees

In the areas with our head offices and laboratories, we have company-owned dormitories for both unmarried and married employees to ensure a comfortable living environment. In other areas, we have rental housing to address the living anxiety of transferees who either need to move away from their existing housing or need to live apart from their family.

●Housing Ownership Support

We have a housing-ownership support system to reduce the burden on employees in obtaining housing and to help them build up their assets.

●Hisamitsu Club

As part of our welfare activities, “Hisamitsu Club” offers facilities and financial support. The Club has more than 100 sports and cultural clubs throughout Japan, where employees deepen exchanges regardless of age or division through common hobbies. The Club also conducts annual sports event and company retreats to promote employee health and communication.

●Moral Survey (Employee Satisfaction Survey)

The purpose of this annual survey is to identify the strengths and challenges of the organization. By linking employee feedback to management, training, and workplace improvements, we promote the creation of a comfortable work environment in which employees can continue to work.

●Management of Employees’ Health

In 2016, we launched stress inspections for all employees so that they can recognize their own stress levels and take care of themselves. Moreover, we have a monthly workplace patrol conducted by a company doctor as a third-party evaluation to check the safety and health of employees. For those with unfavorable stress inspection results and those with mental health problems, we ensure that counseling from a company doctor is available as needed and provide follow ups. Furthermore, we have a support program to help employees on leave return to work smoothly.

Life Event Programs

We have established a system to enable employees, regardless of gender, to continue to demonstrate their abilities as they face various life events. It is our aim to create a workplace environment that allows employees to balance work with life events such as childbirth, childcare, and long-term care and to continue working with motivation.