Toray Industries, Inc. has been working to further improve systems that help employees achieve a harmonious balance between work and family life, by offering a wider variety of lifestyle options for men and women. Support systems that exceed those legally mandated for childcare, family care, and maternity protection are provided, the result of the company’s commitment to making them accessible and responsive for a diverse range of employee needs. In 2007, the company was granted certification as a general corporate entity meeting the requirements for supporting the development of the next generation by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Major Support Systems for Employee Work and Family Life Balance

Category	Description
Prenatal and postnatal leave	Prenatal leave can be taken starting eight weeks before the expected delivery date (14 weeks before a multiple pregnancy). Postnatal leave is available for eight weeks after childbirth.
Long-term childcare leave	Available for employees using child care center services up to the end of the month in which the child turns two years of age
Lower-hour work schedules for childcare	A maximum reduction of two hours per day, calculated in 15-minute increments, available until the end of the fiscal year in which the child is in third grade of elementary school May be used concurrently with flextime system
Long-term family care leave	Available for a total of 365 days per situation requiring leave to provide care May be split up
Spouse’s childbirth leave	Available for three days in the event that an employee’s spouse gives birth
Lower-hour work schedules for caregivers	May be taken multiple times per situation in the five-year period following the first day of use May be split up May be used concurrently with flextime system
Leave to care for sick children	Five days per year of leave per child available until the end of the fiscal year in which the child is in third grade of elementary school Can be used on hourly basis
Family care leave	Five days per year of leave available per family member Can be used on hourly basis At maximum 10 additional days per year available when no other appropriate caregiver is available
Toray Smile Support Program	Welfare point system offering a selection of programs with an emphasis on providing support for childcare and home acquisition
Childcare services payment assistance	Childcare coupons offering a 70% discount on services provided by participating companies issued as an additional Toray Smile Support Program service No restrictions on number of coupons or age of participating employee's child
Telecommuting program	Available for employees who are proficient in their assigned duties, can perform these duties self-sufficiently, and meet certain requirements. Available up to three days (22.5 hours) per week and no more than a maximum of ten days (75 hours) per month for approved employees, who may use the program on a full-day or hourly basis. If an employee requests more than the maximum hours/days due to special circumstances, and it is deemed not to interfere with workplace management, the employee may telecommute for more than the maximum allowed under the program. Note: In addition to the conditions above, since 2020, the program has also been used to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Registration system for reemployment	Registration system providing reemployment opportunities to former employees who resigned due to personal matters such as marriage, childbirth and childcare, nursing care for family members, or a spouse's work transfer The registration period is ten years. Registrants may be immediately eligible for regular employee positions depending on the content of their jobs, expectations of their role in the company, and their personal situations.
Commuting allowance for bullet train or other limited express travel	Allowance for tickets for applicable distances on bullet trains or other limited express trains available for employees who wish to avoid (cease) living apart from their families due to job transfers or employees who bear personal responsibilities such as caring for family members In certain cases, employees may be required to pay a part of the commuting expenses out of pocket.

Note: Toray Group employees working near Nihonbashi in Tokyo can use a local consortium-based child care center (Kids Square Nihonbashi Muromachi).

Examples of Workplace Initiatives in fiscal 2021

Online Discussion Meeting Held Concerning Support for Balancing Work and Family Lives

Utilization of Childcare and Family Care Leave Systems (Toray Industries, Inc.)

Note: Figures show the number of employees taking leave in each year.

Number of Employees Who Returned to Work after Childcare Leave and Family Care Leave (Toray Industries, Inc.)

		FY2020		FY2021
		Number of employees who returned to work	Percentage of employees who returned to work	Number of employees who returned to work	Percentage of employees who returned to work
Childcare Leave	Women	64	97.0%	59	98.3%
	Men	18	100%	38	100%
Family Care Leave	Women	2	66.7%	2	100%
	Men	0	-	1	100%

Note: Number/percentage of employees returning to work per fiscal year

Employees taking leave for spouse’s childbirth (Toray Industries, Inc.)

FY	2019	2020	2021
Number of employees	254	230	220

Initiatives to Reduce Overtime and Encourage Use of Annual Paid Leave (Toray Industries)

• * In fiscal 2020, overtime work decreased due to pandemic restrictions on business activities. With the partial business recovery in fiscal 2021, overtime work increased compared to the previous fiscal year (76.0% compared to fiscal 2019)

As part of its commitment to workplace innovation, Toray Industries makes provisions to help employees balance work and family life. Since fiscal 2008, regular workplace discussions are held in each workplace to raise awareness of different working styles, and working late at night or on holidays is prohibited, in principle. All lights in the workplace are turned off at a certain time at night, and company-wide "no overtime days" take place one day each month. The Company has been working on ongoing initiatives to reduce overtime hours and encourage employees to take annual paid leave. (Employees used 89.6% of available annual paid leave in fiscal 2021).
In fiscal 2010, Toray Industries set up a Work-Life Balance Committee (renamed the AP-G 2022 Labor-Management Committee in fiscal 2020), which focuses on further improving and operating the systems. The committee follows up on work-life balance initiatives, including support for balancing work and family life, reducing excessive working hours, enhancing mental healthcare, and support for healthy work lives. In addition to reviewing further possible measures, the committee also analyzes current conditions regarding ideal work styles (required work styles, working conditions, and labor-management rules), identifies the issues involved, and reviews and proposes steps to be taken.

Employee Health

Toray Industries sees employee health management as a management priority, and is taking strategic initiatives in this area. The group-wide Safety, Health, and Environment Committee reports on the results of health management initiatives, determines action plans, and promotes them in each workplace. Working in collaboration with the employee health insurance association, the Company actively promotes employee health by sharing health information via internal communication tools, holding participatory events using health information sites, and providing lifestyle disease prevention seminars.
Toray Industries is also addressing mental health, and since fiscal 2011 has been implementing employee stress check-ups through an external provider. This helps employees recognize their own stress levels and learn how to manage stress, which leads to an improved workplace environment. The stress check-ups are also carried out at group companies in Japan.
In recognition of these efforts, in March 2022, Toray Industries was again listed as a White 500 Company in the Certified Health and Productivity Management Organization Recognition Program.

Examples of Workplace Initiatives in fiscal 2021

Physical Function Evaluations at the Mishima Plant (Toray Industries, Inc.)

Dialogue with Labor Unions

Toray Industries holds meetings of the Central Labor and Management Council twice a year with the attendance of directors at the senior vice president level and higher and labor representatives at the union head level and higher. In addition to briefing the union on management information about Toray Group, the meetings facilitate ongoing dialogue with the union. In fiscal 2021, the number of meeting participants was limited in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection.
Resolution of labor issues is undertaken at separate Labor and Management Council meetings.
Based on the union shop system, all regular employees, excluding those at the management level or accepted as exempted from labor-management consultations, are members of the Toray Workers' Union. As of March 2022, Toray Workers' Union membership stood at 8,168 workers.