Evaluation by Outside Organization

Social Issues Attributable to JSR Group's Corporate Activity Diversity

1. Philosophy: Recruitment and Promotion of Diverse Human Resources

JSR Group is rapidly expanding its various business activities around the world, and we believe that harnessing diverse human resources is crucial for the advancement of our wide-ranging business strategies. We view the promotion of diversity as a fundamental part of our management strategy. In taking this approach, we are engaged in developing management that is focused on individualism and the respect for, and utilization of values through diversity. Furthermore, a corporate culture which is welcoming of new values and work styles is instrumental in our goals of creating a diverse workplace. We are committed to promoting these ideals with our work-life management initiatives.

2. Advancement Structure

JSR has established a Diversity Development Office to serve as an organization dedicated to the advancement of diversity. The office’s mission is to establish and implement initiatives which enable diversity in the workforce. In addition to our emphasis on gender equality initiatives, JSR Group shows its commitment to the future by expanding the scope of our initiatives to include foreign nationals, individuals with disabilities, and individuals in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT community). Furthermore, our initiatives also include intergenerational work-style and mindset understanding programs.

3. Promotion Measures and Schemes

(1) Promoting the Active Participation and Advancement of Women in the Workforce

As a part of our mid-term business plan, JSR has publicly announced our quantitative targets for the active support of our female employees. We have also developed an action plan to promote and support the lives of working women within JSR, based on and in accordance with the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace (Women's Act). The Women's Acts' second phase is set for April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020. These targets demonstrate our management's commitment in achieving understanding and cooperation throughout the organization. JSR has also publicly announced each of our action plans to nurture and raise the next generation of children. These plans are based the Act on Advancement of Measure to Support Raising Next-Generation Children (Next-Generation Act), which has been in effect since April 2005. The seventh phase of which is set for March 31, 2018 to March 31, 2020. We have continued to establish, notify, publicly disclose, raise awareness of, and implement action plans throughout the first phase of the Women's Act and sixth phase of the Next-Generation Act while executing initiatives in line with both acts.

Active support of Women in the Workforce: Quantitative Targets

  Target FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019
Percentage of women hired annually per position College graduates, engineering positions:
15-20%
15% 20% 18% 23%
College graduates, administrative positions:
40-50%
60% 50% 45% 50%
Percentage of women in managerial positions March 2020: 4.5% 3.6% 3.8% 4.1% 4.3%

* As of April 1st of each fiscal year

1) Creation of Systems to Actively Support Women in the Workplace

2) Developing Programs that Support Working Women

The following programs are held with special consideration for female employees, and managers, in order to increase female employees' ownership of their career development at JSR.

  • Career Development Seminar for Assistant Manager-Level Female Employees
  • Work Communication Seminar: Managers improve their diversity management skills
  • Career Track Transfer Seminar: Employees brainstorm about career possibilities and skill development after changing career tracks within JSR.
  • General Career Development Seminar: Non-managerial, general employees develop efficient internal communication skills.

Other seminars focusing on specific themes are also held as appropriate.

(2) Promoting the Active Participation of Employees Providing Nursing Care

Today, Japan has what is called a “super-aging society*1.” It is reported that about one in four people in Japan aged 75 or older requires nursing care, and it is thought that the number of employees who are faced with providing such care will increase. JSR offers a variety of support measures that allow employees who provide nursing care to balance that care with their work.

*1: Super-aging society: A society in which the share of the elderly population aged 65 years or older within the total population exceeds 21%.

(3) Promoting the Reactivation of Resigned Employees (Career Re-Entry System)

JSR instituted its Career Re-Entry System to enable employees who voluntarily left JSR and the workforce due to marriage, childbirth, nursing care responsibilities, the transfer of a spouse, or other personal reasons to register for rehire in accordance with company needs and the former employee's desires.

(4) Activation of Foreign Nationals

As JSR Group continues to expand globally, we saw the need to craft a human resources management system with the ability to support the developing human resource needs of JSR Group on a global scale. As a part of our push to globalize the employees at JSR Corporation, we have been working on diversifying our hiring efforts by hiring foreign nationals and taking in dispatch employees from our overseas subsidiaries. Through the planning of a next-generation global management training program and the strengthening of our human resources networks at domestic and international levels, we are exploring systems that will expand the managerial pools at our overseas subsidiaries to further include local staff members and researching methods of international inter-company human resource exchanges.

In FY2018, we set up places of worship in two locations within the Yokkaichi Plant as part of our effort to promote diversity among our human resources.

Workforce Globalization Efforts: Quantitative Overview

Objectives Results
Increase the number of foreign nationals at JSR

- Foreign nationals hired

7 Hired by JSR between FY2016 and FY2018
Enhance international dispatch training methods

- International research opportunities

19 Results for FY2016 through FY2018

- Short term culture & language learning opportunities in China and the U.S.

28 Results for FY2016 through FY2018
Management required for the securement of a global workforce

- Training and development of promising personnel in foreign offices.

- Human resource development that supports overseas group companies.

- Long-term research opportunities in Japan for employees of overseas group companies.

1 Results for FY2016 through FY2018

(5) Employment Opportunities beyond Retirement

In accordance with the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons, JSR has systems in place that enables employees who have reached the mandatory retirement age to stay in the JSR workforce. Prior to retirement, employees complete a survey concerning their desire to continue employment. All of those who wish to continue working are re-employed.

(6) Support for Employees with Disabilities

As of the end of FY2018, JSR's employment rate of individuals with disabilities was 2.43% (the statutory employment rate is 2.2%). By discussing their strengths, and the details of their disability, we are able to find a work style that best suits each employee's situation. Although there are still few employees with disabilities working in areas where hazardous materials are handled, such as manufacturing and research laboratories, we are working on ways to ensure safety while expanding employment opportunities.

Employment rate of individuals with disabilities

Employment rate of individuals with disabilities

Scope of aggregation: JSR Corporation