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CSR Activity Report (CSR Guideline Activity Reports) - Human Rights Promotion and Human Resources Development
Creating a Positive Workplace for Employees
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.
Since then, Toray has continued to expand its support system as follows.
Jun 2010 | Revamped child care support systems in an effort to encourage male employees to make use of them |
Apr 2011 | Launched the Toray Smile Support Program, a point-based system that lets employees choose from various programs that provide financial assistance mainly for childcare and purchasing homes |
Apr 2012 | Initiated a telecommuting program aimed at making it easier for employees to work while raising children or caring for family members |
Oct 2012 | Expanded the scope of the commuting allowance for taking the bullet train |
Apr 2013 | Improved support systems once again, offering special leave for parents to prepare children for nursery school, and extending eligibility for leave to care for sick children or family members |
Jul 2013 | Revised lower-hour work schedule systems for those raising children or caring for family members |
Jul 2016 | Expanded leave provisions for employees requiring special consideration as caregivers |
Jan 2017 | Eliminated restrictions on the number of times that employees can use long-term family care leave and lower-hour work schedule systems for caregivers |
Jul 2017 | Started a flextime system without core-hour requirements for employees at the Tokyo and Osaka head offices |
Oct 2019 | Expanded the scope of the telecommuting program to those raising children or caring for family members |
Apr 2020 | Began allowing the use of paid annual leave on an hourly basis |
Apr 2020 | Introduced a working-hour interval system |
Jul 2020 | Eliminated the requirement of raising children or caring for family members in order to utilize the telecommuting program |
Jan 2021 | Introduced hourly leave systems for caring for sick children or other family members |
Jul 2022 | Expanded family-care programs |
Major Support Systems for Employee Work and Family Life Balance
Category | Description |
---|---|
Prenatal and postnatal leave |
|
Long-term childcare leave |
|
Postnatal paternity leave |
|
Lower-hour work schedules for childcare |
|
Long-term family care leave |
|
Spouse’s childbirth leave |
|
Lower-hour work schedules for caregivers |
|
Leave to care for sick children |
|
Family care leave |
|
Toray Smile Support Program |
|
Childcare services payment assistance |
|
Telecommuting program |
|
Registration system for reemployment |
|
Commuting allowance for bullet train or other limited express travel |
|
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 2022
Online Discussion Meeting Held Concerning Support for Balancing Work and Family Lives
Toray Group has set up a section on its employee welfare site called WELBOX to provide information on various work-life balance support programs. WELBOX also shares examples of work-life balance achieved by Toray Group employees. The WELBOX Online Salone has been held since fiscal 2021 as an online discussion meeting for those interested in the cases featured on the site. As of the end of fiscal 2022, there have been four such meetings. Reflecting on the themes of “balancing work and childcare” and “examples of career struggles,” the participants share their daily struggles, and use it as an opportunity for communication that goes beyond the usual workplace boundaries. Going forward, the plan is to continue holding this meeting about twice a year.
Utilization of Childcare and Family Care Leave Systems (Toray Industries, Inc.)
FY | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Employees taking childcare leave | Women | 58 | 60 | 66 | 56 | 46 |
Men | 4 | 10 | 22 | 40 | 82 | |
Employees taking family care leave | Women | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Men | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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.)
Employees returning to work from childcare leave (%)
- ■Reporting scope
- Employees of Toray Industries, Inc.
- ■Target in fiscal 2022
- 100%
Result in fiscal 2022
100%
FY2021 | FY2022 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | 59 | 98.3% | 52 | 100% |
Men | 38 | 100% | 77 | 100% | |
Family Care Leave | Women | 2 | 100% | 2 | 100% |
Men | 1 | 100% | 1 | 100% |
Note: Number/percentage of employees returning to work per fiscal year
Employees taking leave for spouse’s childbirth (Toray Industries, Inc.)
FY | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|
Number of employees | 230 | 220 | 233 |
Male employees taking childcare leave (%) (Toray Industries, Inc.)
FY | 2022 |
---|---|
Male employees taking childcare leave (%) | 81% |
- * Childcare leave includes postnatal paternity leave
- * Childcare leave includes spouse’s childbirth leave
Initiatives to Reduce Overtime and Encourage Use of Annual Paid Leave (Toray Industries, Inc.)
Reduction in employees who exceed 45 hours/month of non-statutory working hours (%)
- ■Reporting scope
- Toray Industries, Inc.
- ■Target in fiscal 2022
- Year-on-year reduction
Result in fiscal 2022
79.7%
Available annual paid leave used by labor union members (%)
- ■Reporting scope
- Toray Industries, Inc.
- ■Target in fiscal 2022
- About 90%
Result in fiscal 2022
93.2%
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 93.2% of available annual paid leave in fiscal 2022).
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 2023, 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 2022
Third Women's Health Seminar at the Okazaki Plant (Toray Industries, Inc.)
Toray Industries' Okazaki Plant held its third Women's Health Seminar over three days, with a total of 17 female employees participating.
This year, the theme was “Stay healthy and beautiful by doing warm-up stretches!”
The seminar stressed that regularly warming up muscles can help maintain health. The activity is also important for beauty care. Accordingly, the participants learned simple stretches to warm up their bodies.
Physical Function Evaluations at the Mishima Plant (Toray Industries, Inc.)
At the Mishima Plant of Toray Industries, a comprehensive health campaign (Health Promotion Plant - Mishima) is being promoted to ensure that employees work safely and in good health.
Following last year, the plant conducted a second physical function evaluation as recommended by the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association. Some participants indicated an interest in the results of others in the same age group. So the participants analyzed their results, including comparisons with the previous year's results, and will utilize them as a reference for their activities.
Going forward, Mishima Plant will continue to engage in activities to maintain and improve employee health through a variety of activities.
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 2022, 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 2023, Toray Workers' Union membership stood at 7,858 workers.
Click here for the main initiatives for CSR Guideline 8, “Human Rights Promotion and Human Resources Development” in CSR Roadmap 2022.