Programs and Systems for the Creation of a Comfortable Working Environment
Human Resources Development and Job Satisfaction
Customers, Employees
Internal Employment Support Programs
Sumitomo Riko has instituted a number of support programs and schemes to enable each employee to achieve a good work-life balance with peace of mind and give them a comfortable working environment. These programs and schemes are available not only for traditional reasons such as childcare and nursing care responsibilities, but they are also very extensive, taking into consideration the diverse circumstances of our employees today.
Main Systems
- "Career advancement leave" for the purpose of career advancement such as studying abroad
- "Volunteer leave and leave of absence" for volunteer activities
- "Job return system" for those who left the company once to rejoin the company
- "Telecommuting system" that anyone can use if it does not interfere with work
- "Flextime system" with no core hours
- Spousal leave system to live together with a spouse who stays abroad for a certain period of time
[Childcare / Nursing Care]
- Spousal Maternity Leave System, Childcare Incentive Leave System, and establishment of On-Site Daycare Centers
- Expansion of telecommuting and short-time working systems
- Short-time flextime system
Outline of Childcare and Nursing Care Support Systems
Support for Childcare
| Program | Outline |
|---|---|
| On-site Daycare Center | Koala Pokke, located on site at the Komaki Plant, accepts children ranging from infants to those who are not yet in elementary school. |
| Childcare Leave | Maternity leave can be taken from 6 weeks prior to the expected birth date until 8 weeks after giving birth. Childcare leave can be taken upon completion of maternity leave until the day before the child’s second birthday. |
| Shortened Working Hours and Shorter-Hours Flextime | Up to 2 hours/day can be reduced. Eligible children are those “before completion of the 6th grade of elementary school”, and flex time can be taken in conjunction with the program. |
| Flextime for childcare | Employees with a child who has not completed elementary school education can set their own start and finish times at will. The application of the system can be flexibly changed every month. |
| Child Nursing Leave | This is a special leave available for taking care of injured or sick children who have not yet entered elementary school, for preventing epidemics, for closing classes due to infectious diseases, etc., and for entrance (enrollment) and graduation ceremonies. Up to 5 days may be taken per year. |
| Childcare incentive leave | Employees with a child under 1 year of age can take up to 5 successive business days off. |
Support for nursing care (available for employees with a family member certified nursing care need)
| Program | Outline |
|---|---|
| Nursing Care Leave | Up to 365 days nursing care leave can be taken per event. |
| Shortened Working Hours and Shorter-Hours Flextime | Working hours can be shortened by up to 2 hours per day. |
| Short-term nursing care leave | Up to 5 days per year can be taken by employees caring for 1 family member or up to 10 days per year if caring for 2 or more family members. (Can be taken in half-day increments) |
| Nursing Care Flextime | Employees can set their own start and finish times at their will. The application of the system can be flexibly changed every month. |
Related Information
Good Labor-Management Relations
At Sumitomo Riko, all employees except key personnel and contract employees are members of the labor union.
Sumitomo Riko concluded “labor-management declaration” between the company and the labor union in 1987. Under the spirit of this labor-management declaration, we have established labor-management committees for working hours, wages, safety and health, and welfare, and have been improving various systems and treatment. In the event of a business restructuring or other situation, we take sufficient time to explain and discuss the situation. As counterparts to each other, labor and management will continue to respect each other in order to respond to various values and rapidly changing social conditions and to promote the prompt absorption of opinions, their response, and their reflection in various systems.
Sumitomo Riko concluded “labor-management declaration” between the company and the labor union in 1987. Under the spirit of this labor-management declaration, we have established labor-management committees for working hours, wages, safety and health, and welfare, and have been improving various systems and treatment. In the event of a business restructuring or other situation, we take sufficient time to explain and discuss the situation. As counterparts to each other, labor and management will continue to respect each other in order to respond to various values and rapidly changing social conditions and to promote the prompt absorption of opinions, their response, and their reflection in various systems.
Related information
Toward Increased Job Satisfaction and Engagement
Sumitomo Riko is promoting the "Lively and Active 5 Activities" to "foster a corporate culture full of job satisfaction" in the 2029 Sumitomo Riko Group Vision (2029V).
These activities were launched in April 2017 as a company-wide campaign to reform the way we work, with the goal of "developing systems and environments that are easy to work in." Various systems have been introduced, including telecommuting systems, coreless flex work, interworking intervals, and regular workdays.
Total working hours have also been decreasing year by year, down more than 6% since FY2017, when the "Lively and Active 5 Activities" were launched. (2,120 hours in FY 2017 ⇒ 1,982 hours in FY 2024). In FY2023, we shifted to "Lively and Active 5 Activities ver. 1.5" with the aim of "developing a corporate culture and infrastructure to improve engagement," and promoted activities based on "ease of work" x "job satisfaction" = "engagement."
To improve the "ease of work," we (1) reduced long working hours of managers and supervisors and made working hours more visible to further reduce total working hours, and (2) implemented health management initiatives. To achieve "job satisfaction," we focused on (1) introducing an engagement survey and (2) promoting SMART Managers (Sumitomo Riko's version of "Ikubosu"). In fiscal 2025, we will further update the "Lively and Active 5 Activities Ver. 2.0" to accelerate our efforts to improve engagement.
Specifically, we will (1) strengthen our efforts to reduce total working hours, (2) promote improvement activities to increase engagement by managers, members, and human resources at each workplace, and (3) strengthen cooperation within the Group and globally. Through the "Lively and Active 5 Activities," we aim to foster a corporate culture full of job satisfaction.
These activities were launched in April 2017 as a company-wide campaign to reform the way we work, with the goal of "developing systems and environments that are easy to work in." Various systems have been introduced, including telecommuting systems, coreless flex work, interworking intervals, and regular workdays.
Total working hours have also been decreasing year by year, down more than 6% since FY2017, when the "Lively and Active 5 Activities" were launched. (2,120 hours in FY 2017 ⇒ 1,982 hours in FY 2024). In FY2023, we shifted to "Lively and Active 5 Activities ver. 1.5" with the aim of "developing a corporate culture and infrastructure to improve engagement," and promoted activities based on "ease of work" x "job satisfaction" = "engagement."
To improve the "ease of work," we (1) reduced long working hours of managers and supervisors and made working hours more visible to further reduce total working hours, and (2) implemented health management initiatives. To achieve "job satisfaction," we focused on (1) introducing an engagement survey and (2) promoting SMART Managers (Sumitomo Riko's version of "Ikubosu"). In fiscal 2025, we will further update the "Lively and Active 5 Activities Ver. 2.0" to accelerate our efforts to improve engagement.
Specifically, we will (1) strengthen our efforts to reduce total working hours, (2) promote improvement activities to increase engagement by managers, members, and human resources at each workplace, and (3) strengthen cooperation within the Group and globally. Through the "Lively and Active 5 Activities," we aim to foster a corporate culture full of job satisfaction.
Related information