Health-focused Management

Statement on Health

The Yakult Group sees employee health maintenance and improvement as an investment that can enhance profitability in the long run. Viewing these concerns as a management issue, we promote strategic Health-focused Management and published in September 2017 our Statement on Health. To actively promote Health-focused Management, we established a new, dedicated Health-focused Management Promotion Section within the Human Resources Department in fiscal 2020. While encouraging employees to manage their own health, the Group is also proactively engaged in the health maintenance and improvement of its employees. By further boosting everyone’s awareness and keeping them in good health, we aim for continuous and stable business development.

Diversity

Fundamental philosophy about diversity

We recognize that promoting diversity is an integral component of corporate management in today’s ever-changing market. The Yakult Group has long been working to foster a corporate culture where diverse human resources can thrive. We strive to maximize their individuality and capabilities in all aspects of such activities as hiring, job placement, staff reassignment, and employee training.

For details, see “Diversity” of the Sustainability Report

Work-life balance

Fundamental philosophy about work-life balance

We define work-life balance as creating pleasant working environments that enable employees to maintain good health, maintain an optimal balance between their work and private lives, make the most of their abilities and feel motivated. At Yakult Honsha, we are moving ahead with efforts to prevent excessive work hours and create pleasant work environments by raising awareness of work-life balance among all employees, including by holding training sessions for newly appointed managers.

For details, see “Work-life balance” of the Sustainability Report

Occupational safety and health

Reducing occupational accidents

The Occupational Health and Safety Committee spearheads our effort to undertake thorough safety management and to create safe and comfortable work environments so that employees can work with peace of mind. As a result of these efforts, the rate of accidents at work has remained at an extremely low level, with commuting incidents accounting for the majority of cases. In the past 10 years, there have been no fatal accidents involving regular employees or contract employees.

For details, see “Occupational safety and health” of the Sustainability Report

Human resources development

Fundamental philosophy about human resources management

Human resources development at Yakult is premised on designing the future through a thirst for learning—a process emphasizing discovery, rather than instruction. We aim to create ideal workplaces where employees take on challenges, recognize their own issues, and acquire the knowledge and skills to overcome them. Our training programs are evolving from the transmission of information to opportunities to gain new insights by taking action.

For details, see “Human resources development” of the Sustainability Report

Decent work

Personnel system that motivates employees

Based on the conviction that we must be a company that rewards hard work, we seek to operate a personnel system that is fair, impartial and satisfactory to all, with the aim of maximizing employees’ enthusiasm and motivation. Specifically, the Company classifies employees into different role groups (job levels) and career tracks (job types), according to how large a role they are expected to play and the nature of their work. Thus, we match the right person with the right job, helping employees to assume responsibilities according to their abilities and offering them a clear career vision. In addition, we are encouraging a greater sense of competition and willingness to take on new challenges through a more flexible system of personnel evaluation, bonuses, salary increases and other forms of compensation.

For details, see “Decent work” of the Sustainability Report