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 Project, comprising dedicated volunteer employees, alongside related departments and divisions, 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.
Diversity and Inclusion Project
In July 2017, we initiated the Diversity Promotion Project, aiming to advance "management focusing on each individual." In 2022, this initiative evolved into the D&I Project, explicitly emphasizing the potential for creating new value through collaboration among individuals with diverse values and backgrounds. It emphasizes the ability to tackle new challenges in an atmosphere of mutual respect and recognition of differences to achieve "Creating working environments where it is easy to produce results." We actively recruited employees interested in D&I, forming a cohesive team comprising management, human resources, and employees. Beyond human resources, we involve a diverse range of employees to gather project-related insights, ensuring a more site-oriented approach.
Our current focus areas include "women’s empowerment initiatives," "employment of people with disabilities," and "Career Support." In the future, we will champion D&I from a comprehensive standpoint, striving to evolve into a company where every employee is valued, and all individuals can actively contribute, irrespective of their attributes.
Diversity and Inclusion Project Initiatives
Work style reformation
Work Style Reformation (Flexible Time and Working from Home)
The increasing diversity of business activities, workplaces and employees is creating a greater need for more flexibility in how people do their jobs. The objective is to fully utilize the power of individuals and the organization. This is why Ushio Inc. has a flexible working time system and launched a system that allows people to work from home in January 2019. It offers an autonomous and efficient way of working.
Recognizing the limitations on actions due to the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity for work style reform, we have adopted a hybrid work style as a basic policy that takes advantage of both working from home and at office as a new way of working. We eliminated the core time in the flextime system and the restriction on the number of days for telecommuting. In addition, to support telecommuting, we are creating an environment that allows for more flexible working styles, such as distributing the Telecommuting Handbook.
Through diverse work styles, we aspire to fulfill the first principle of our management philosophy: "Conviction to Build Both a Prosperous Company and Prosperous Employees."
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
On April 1, 2016, Ushio adopted a personnel system that does not take gender into account while eliminating the distinction between main career track positions and general staff positions. In addition, we are implementing various measures, such as disclosing interviews with female managers and holding roundtable discussions with female managers. Our goal is to increase the ratio of female manager to 15% in the Group and 10% in Ushio by 2025 (12% for Group and 1.2% for Ushio as of December 2021).
The average length of service for Ushio Inc. employees has consistently increased each year, and notably, the tenure of women surpasses that of men.
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.
Career Support
UCAP（Ushio Career Progression）
We are actively developing a program specifically aimed at providing Career Support for employees aged 50 and over. Since fiscal 2021, we have organized career design seminars for veterans, aiding them in formulating future career plans and maintaining active engagement throughout their professional lives. We remain dedicated to offering opportunities for employees to stay active and engaged throughout their lives, irrespective of age.
Holding Awareness-raising Seminars
Diversity Seminar for Line Managers
Diversity management training sessions have been conducted for line managers, emphasizing the pivotal role they play in advancing diversity and inclusion within the organization. These sessions aim to deepen managers’ understanding and encourage them to actively practice and promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Our commitment extends to furthering the comprehension of diversity and inclusion, particularly among managers at the executive level, with plans to expand these initiatives to encompass all levels of employees.
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 Inc. 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.