Diversity and Inclusion
Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion
Positioned as a crucial concern under the third of the Five Management Focuses, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I,) Promotion aims at "Creating working environments where it is easy to produce results.“ The collaborative efforts of the D&I, Promotion Section, newly established in April 2024 and the D&I, Culture Creation Committee, comprising dedicated volunteer employees are focused on crafting measures. These initiatives are designed to foster a global culture that not only champions diversity but also acknowledges and respects a broad spectrum of experiences, abilities, and values.
Establishment of D&I Promotion Section in HR Department
USHIO is committed to promoting D&I in order to realize our corporate philosophy and achieve Revive Vision 2030.
The D&I Project activities undertaken by USHIO to date have included understanding employee awareness and issues, continuously disseminating information using e-mail newsletters and other media, holding seminars, and improving the working environment, thereby laying the foundation for creating a comfortable work environment.
In addition to D&I Promotion Section was newly established within the HR Department in April 2024 to promote D&I more speedily as part of management strategy and to achieve KPI.
Under its new growth strategy, Ushio is actively promoting diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives to enhance added value by improving the quality of decision-making through diverse perspectives and fostering innovation, as well as securing talented personnel and enhancing corporate brand and social reputation. This includes increasing the ratio of female managers and ensuring employment rates of persons with disabilities to adapt to and keep pace with rapidly changing environments. D&I is positioned not merely as a human resources measure but as an integral part of management strategy directly linked to the company’s sustainable growth and value creation.
The D&I Culture Creation Committee
In July 2017, we launched the Diversity Project with the aim of further promoting “management focused on each individual ”.Until 2024, management, HR, and employees, led by volunteer employees interested in D&I, have been promoting activities. In October 2024, the project was reorganized and renamed the “ D&I Culture Creation Committee” with the mission of further strengthening the cultivation of D&I culture and solidification of its foundations. The subcommittee has also been reorganized. The “Work-Life Support Subcommittee” aims to support the balancing of work and life events such as childbirth, childcare, nursing care, and medical treatment; the “Employment of Persons with Disabilities Subcommittee” aims to support the working styles of persons with disabilities, promote understanding on the part of recipients, and improve the work environment; and the “Career Support Subcommittee” aims to respect the diverse working styles of each individual, and support and improve the environment for independent thinking and autonomous action in one's career.
Each subcommittee is working to understand the current situation, consider measures, and implement them.
In the future, we will promote D&I from a wide range of perspectives, aiming to become “a company where diversity (each employee) is respected and all employees can play an active role regardless of their attributes.
D&I Promotion Initiatives
Promotion of Work-Life Balance
Establishment of “Work-Life Balance Bookshelf” to Support Balancing Work and Nursing Care
In August 2025, we established the “Work-Life Balance Bookshelf” to support employees balancing work and nursing care. This bookshelf contains videos and materials useful both for those who consider nursing care a future concern and those already engaged in caregiving. Additionally, the “Nursing Care Consultation Desk,” previously held twice a year, has been made permanent, staffed by experts with proven experience in supporting those facing nursing care challenges.
This bookshelf is available to Ushio employees and their families, aiming to ease concerns about nursing care by encouraging families to think and prepare together.
Job Resumption Program
We launched this program in November 2015 in order to allow people; who have resigned to care for a child or parent or for some other reason, to return to Ushio. Rehiring people who have resigned for personal or other reasons makes it possible to continue using their knowledge. These experienced people can immediately make a meaningful contribution to our business operations.
Women Empowerment
In April 2016, Ushio eliminated distinctions between main career track positions and general staff positions, establishing a gender-neutral personnel system. To address challenges faced by employees, especially women, in envisioning their careers, we began holding “Career Design Seminars” at each business site, primarily targeting female employees. Approximately 180 women have participated to date, gaining opportunities to recognize their strengths and growth areas and to proactively consider their careers.
The Ushio Group aims to increase the ratio of female managers to over 15% group-wide and over 10% at the standalone level by 2026, with a target of over 30% at the standalone level by 2030. To achieve this, we promote talent development initiatives in collaboration with business divisions and drive changes in employee awareness and organizational culture. We also continue efforts to increase male employees’ uptake of childcare leave.
Average employee tenure is increasing annually, with female employees tending to have longer tenure than male employees. Ushio will continue to foster a workplace environment where diverse talents can thrive and pursue further growth.
Promoting the Employment of People with Disabilities
Promoting Communication
An employee with a hearing impairment working at the Harima Division had difficulty communicating with supervisors and colleagues using sign language. As a part of efforts to promote communication, we started a sign language circle. This circle has spurred us to work to make more employees familiar with sign language going forward.
In addition, as a tool for communicating with employees with hearing impairments, we introduced "voice recognition software," which convert spoken language into text, and "electronic memo pads," which is an LCD board that we can directly write on.
We are striving to create working environments with safety and reassurance where employees with hearing impairments work by compiling information on points that need to be taken into consideration and announcing it to all employees.
Promoting Barrier-free
Hearing opinions of employees with disabilities, we have made our business divisions barrier-free. For example, changing the toilet door to slide to open, attaching handrails to staircases, making some parking lots reserved for the disabled employees, and installing mirrors on aisles with poor prospects.
Employment Rate of Persons with Disabilities
The employment rate of persons with disabilities in fiscal 2024 is 2.6%, exceeding the statutory rate of 2.5% set for fiscal 2025. We will continue to create an inclusive environment where diverse talents, including persons with disabilities, can work comfortably.
Career Support
Career Interviews
As one of the measures to support each employee to envision his or her own career, we provided an opportunity to meet with an outside career consultant. Through this interview, employees were able to reflect on their own strengths and challenges that they had been unaware of, as well as their future work style and job satisfaction, and this led to measures to concretize their career visions. We will continue to strive to create a work environment where employees can play an active role throughout their lives, regardless of their attributes.
Effective Utilization of Globally-minded Talent
With approximately 70% of the Ushio Group’s sales generated overseas, we recognize the significance of diversity in our workforce. To foster sustainable growth and create new value, we actively promote the hiring of diverse talents irrespective of nationality. Since fiscal 2018, about 10 foreign nationals have already become part of our team. Moving forward, we will continue to leverage diverse talents through local hiring at both our group companies in Japan and overseas. Recognizing the importance of effective communication with individuals from various countries, backgrounds, and values, we actively engage in business promotion initiatives. To facilitate this, we are developing and utilizing global human resources through exchange programs among group companies, as well as through study abroad and trainee programs.
Compensation System Aligned with Responsibility and Achievement
At Ushio, qualifications and job levels are determined based on individual abilities and responsibilities, without regard to nationality or gender. Moreover, our commitment extends to complying with legal minimum wage standards, fostering an equitable compensation system that remains consistent across genders for individuals with the same qualifications and job levels.
Encouraging Engagement in Volunteer Activities
Ushio has instituted a leave system specifically designed to support volunteer activities. Additionally, our employees actively participate in various volunteer initiatives, with enthusiastic in-house volunteers contributing to these efforts.