Basic approach

Based on the Ethics Standards and Standards of Conduct set down in Noritake Group's Code of Ethics, the Noritake Group respects human rights and diversity of all our employees. It is our basic policy not to engage in any unjust discrimination in the hiring, assigning, promotion or treatment of employees on the basis of age, gender origin, nationality, race disability, religion, political party supported, etc., and we promote participation of diverse human resources.
As part of our human rights education activities, we implement training on themes including human rights in the workplace and in corporate activities.

Human resource development

The Noritake Group is promoting human resource development centered on on-the-job training (OJT) at each workplace. To support this OJT effort, we conduct "training by qualification" where employees can learn more about the roles required of them as well as the way to approach work in order to resolve issues and problems.
We also provide "training by purpose" as OFF-JT to teach employees specialized knowledge and skills across a broad range of topics including sales, engineering, purchasing, legal affairs, and quality.
Correspondence courses are also provided for self-development, and there is a system that subsidizes full tuition fees for courses particularly recommended by the company. Many employees use this system to improve their language skills and acquire official qualifications.

Human Resources courses that harness individuality

The Noritake Company offers multiple personnel courses so that each employee can fully harness their individuality in their work. Employees can change to a different course from the one they selected via reviews. We have also established a system, for certain levels of positions, in which employees can perform their own analysis and evaluation of their capabilities and suitability for their work, as well as workplace relationships, and report these directly to the company.

Promotion of action plans based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace

Based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace, we have developed and promoted a "General Employers Action Plan." The aim of the plan is to advance diversity by promoting the active participation of women and contribute to securing excellent human resources and business growth.

Improving work-life balance

We promote improvements in the work-life balance of our employees. In supporting diverse work-styles among our employees, we restrict overtime work, encourage use of annual paid leave, and have established a variety of holidays and leave systems adaptable to personal life events. In recent years, we have introduced and increased the use of a system that allows employees to take annual paid leave in units of one hour, and promoted a flextime system for both shorter working hours and full-time employees who engage in child care and/or nursing care. As a result of our efforts, the idea or work-life balance has spread among employees to work efficiently while enjoying their private life.
Childcare leave is not only taken by female employees, but in recent years, a growing number of male employees is taking childcare leave as part of company-wide efforts to promote such programs.
More recently, we have established systems to allow telecommuting to deal with the spread of COVID-19, and workstyles are becoming increasingly diverse.

●Average number of days of paid leave taken: 10 days or more for 5 consecutive years

Safety and Health Management System

The Noritake Group believes that the foundation of our business activities is a comfortable work environment that is safe, hygienic, and allows employees to work in a healthy manner both physically and mentally. We also believe that it is our responsibility to undertake continual improvements.

In order to prevent occupational accidents and maintain the health of our employees, we set safety and health management targets every year based on the Group's Basic Policy of Safety and Health. The Safety and Health Committee is held every month to share examples of occupational accidents and countermeasures to prevent similar accidents. In addition, we distribute health and safety guidebooks to all employees and strive to make employees aware of the basics of safety and health and the precautions related to each type of work.

Health and Safety Management System diagram

Initiatives to prevent occupational accidents

In fiscal 2020, we promoted company-wide safety and health activities based on the concept of the Occupational Safety and Health Management System, with internal audits to resolve problems and issues in activities and to make continuous improvements. As initiatives to prevent occupational accidents, we have continued to forward our hazard location mapping campaigns, safety experience education, and risk forecasting training, while also engaging in ongoing safety observations in day-to-day management (two-way communication to ensure that workers follow the work standards and that managers create an environment conducive to doing so).
During fiscal 2021, we are re-evaluating occupational accident risks, and carrying out preventive activities that all employees participate in.

Employee health management

Promote health management

With the understanding that the vitality of employees is the source of corporate vitality, the Noritake Group adopted a Health Management Declaration on April 1, 2020.
We actively work to improve the health of our employees and their families under our promotional structure, in which the company President serves as Group General Manager of the Corporate Administration Group, in partnership with health insurance associations, labor unions and occupational physicians led by the Human Resource Department.

System diagram

Healthy lifestyle business

In fiscal 2020, posters were provided to each workplace to increase awareness of the declaration, and a health management survey was held to gain a better insight into employee health awareness and thoroughness, which was used when developing policies. Some 420 employees took part in a walking event organized by the Noritake Group health insurance association, with participants saying it helped to raise their awareness of exercise, and that they started to enjoy walking. Further efforts are being made during fiscal 2021 to ensure that employees maintain a healthy lifestyle, including running health seminars and providing subsidies for female employees to cover costs for breast cancer screening.

Reduction in health risks

The insurance benefit expenses per member of the Noritake Group health insurance association have changed as shown below.

With regard to prevention of lifestyle habit-related illnesses, which are considered a particularly important issue for employees, we have set our goal for the specific health guidance implementation rate at 55% (by the end of fiscal 2021), and have provided direct personal encouragement for employees to undergo health check-ups.

In addition to focusing effort on special health guidance toward achieving goals, we will also be working to promote health among healthy employees as a way of reducing long-term health risks.

Mental healthcare

We work to improve mental health by conducting mental health education to each employees at their level, from newly hired to managers.
Workplace improvement and analysis are conducted in light of the results of organizational analysis, as we work to reduce our overall risk.