Initiatives to Promote D&I

We have established and published our General Employer Action Plan and are conducting various activities to achieve that plan.

 

1. Plan period	October 1, 2023 - March 31, 2026
2. Quantitative targets	①Create a workplace environment in which all employees can smoothly and reliably choose and use the work styles they desire.  【Target】 ・Maintain 80% achievement rate of No overtime day (every Wednesday)　     *Achievement rate including transfers within the same week and month ・Continue to promote male participation in childcare (encourage male employees to take childcare leave in line with current trends) 　70% or more male employees taking childcare leave ②Proactive empowerment of women and expansion of fields of activity   【Target】Aim to achieve the following ratios of women in management positions (key positions) 　Percentage of domestic non-consolidated female managers: 2.5 % ③Reinforcement of Young Employee Development  【Target】Support "autonomous growth" of young employees and proactively provide opportunities to improve their skills for future success.
3. Plan Details	Refer to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website. (in Japanese)

Sumitomo Riko Group is actively working to create a corporate culture in which everyone can play an active and rewarding role, regardless of gender, nationality, or hiring route. Women, foreigners, and mid-career recruits are hired and promoted to management positions based on a comprehensive assessment of their abilities and aptitudes, regardless of their attributes. With regard to women, we consider the fact that there is a gender gap in the percentage of female employees and managers to be an issue. For this reason, we have set specific targets and are working to resolve these issues.

"SWING Women's Forum" has been held continuously since FY2017 for female employees of the Sumitomo Electric Group to support mutual study and networking. The members of the Human Resources and D&I divisions of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Sumitomo Wiring Systems, and Sumitomo Riko serve as the secretariat of the forum, which aims to promote the advancement of women throughout the Group by fostering and developing the skills of female employees.
When it was first held, the main focus was on women in clerical positions (general positions), but in FY2021, it continued to adapt to changes in society by focusing on women in career-track positions and incorporating online seminars to deal with the Corona pandemic and diverse work styles.

As of the end of fiscal year 2023, the percentage of female managers at Sumitomo Riko was 1.3% (7 persons).
In FY2023, we conducted a questionnaire survey of female managers, and in FY2024, based on the results of the survey, we launched initiatives to create an environment in which women can aim for career advancement.
We will continue our efforts to ensure that women can continue to work with peace of mind and aim for career advancement through measures such as strengthening recruitment, training, and the development of systems.

Approximately 80% of the group's employees work in overseas locations, and of course, we do not make any distinction between foreigners and Japanese.
At our overseas offices, we are always conscious of the localization of main business operations, as we strive to develop local staff who can take on the role of local base chief officer. On the other hand, in Japan, we consistently hire people with high aspirations and a strong desire to work for our group, regardless of their nationality, and their fields of activity are expanding day by day.

In anticipation of new perspectives and ideas, and the innovation that lies ahead, we hire a certain number of mid-career (career) employees every year. We also promote the direct employment of temporary employees with proven work experience (promotion to employees), and we consider it part of our D&I promotion to provide them with opportunities to fully demonstrate their practical skills and work immediately as core human resources.
We evaluate and treat new hires fairly and impartially, without distinction from new graduates, so that they can move up the ladder according to their abilities.

Sumitomo Riko hires people with disabilities to work in various departments. Based on the understanding of the workplaces, jobs are assigned corresponding to the person's aptitude.
We established a special-purpose subsidiary, SumiRiko Joyful, in November 2013 to facilitate employment of people with disabilities and for social contributions. The range of work has expanded with each successive year to include collection and delivery of internal mail, management of the document archive, printing, document digitization, and cleaning. They are engaged in work suited to their personalities. We will endeavor to secure employment of more people with disabilities by expanding the scope of the work.
Since fiscal 2019, 2 employees have been seconded to Sumitomo Riko Global Headquarters and 3 to the Komaki Plant, where they are working together in the same environment. In addition, in recognition of our achievements over the years in achieving the legally mandated employment ratio and promoting the employment of people with disabilities together with our special subsidiary, we received the Director's Effort Award from the Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers (JEED) in 2020.

Sumitomo Riko participates in a variety of certification and registration schemes with a view towards reforming our employees’ mindset and fostering a corporate culture of diversity. We use these schemes not only to promote our commitment to the outside world, but also to confirm our position in our industry and to consider our future directions and actions.