Basic Approach

The working environment has changed greatly due to the diversification of work values, an increase in dual-income households, and labor shortages caused by the declining birthrate and aging population. Against such a backdrop, we implement initiatives to improve employee motivation and to realize diverse workstyles.

Work-life Balance

To realize work-life balance, we have introduced and are appropriately operating the following systems.

Support for Work-life Balance

Childcare 
To promote the uptake of childcare leave and nursing care leave among male employees, we are working to foster understanding and reassurance regarding leave acquisition by establishing consultation desks, distributing childcare pamphlets, and providing individual notifications to eligible employees. Additionally, we conducted explanatory sessions for managers to deepen their understanding of the system and raise awareness about facilitating smooth implementation of workplace support for leave acquisition. The childcare leave uptake rate among male employees in fiscal year 2024 was 88%. (8 takers / 9 eligible individuals)

Family Care 
In FY2025, we created a pamphlet summarizing our company's caregiving-related systems and general caregiving knowledge, and promoted awareness among employees. In addition to information sessions for employees aged 40 and over and interested individuals, we also held sessions for managers to enhance understanding. Furthermore, we conduct individual consultations with employees facing caregiving responsibilities, providing information on applicable systems and available support tailored to their specific situations. Going forward, we will continue to promote understanding of caregiving-related systems and work to enhance our support framework so that employees can balance work and caregiving responsibilities.

Shorter working hours system 
Starting in October 2025, we will introduce a new shorter working hours system combined with the existing flexible work schedule system, promoting initiatives that balance flexible working styles with improved productivity.

Working from home system
In April 2019, we introduced a work-from-home system with the aim of supporting diverse work styles according to the individual circumstances of each employee. In addition to increasing the provision of company-paid mobile phones and equipment for web conferencing, we enhanced our remote working systems through measures such as establishing a new work-from-home allowance. As a result, we are providing an environment where many employees can choose increasingly flexible working styles while maintaining their productivity.

Free Addressing

To further transform our workstyle and promote cross-departmental communication, we are implementing free addressing at our headquarters and branches. Starting with the Fukuoka Sales Office (now Fukuoka Branch) in April 2022, we introduced free addressing to all headquarters departments and the Tokyo Branch in March 2023.

Promotion of Paid Leave Utilization

We aim for an average of 14 or more days of paid leave taken per employee as a labor-management goal. In addition to the twice-yearly scheduled allocation dates under the labor-management agreement, we designate the middle days of scattered holidays as paid leave promotion days to encourage extended consecutive vacations. We also encourage taking paid leave in conjunction with summer vacations, year-end/New Year holidays, and other periods. The average number of annual paid leave days taken by all employees in fiscal year 2024 was 13.0 days.

Labor-Management Relations

We have concluded a labor agreement with the Nihon Nohyaku Labor Union and conducts discussions on an equal footing through the Labor-Management Council. We recognize the labor union as a key stakeholder. based on the shared labor-management understanding of “improving the company and enhancing employee livelihoods,” we are building a sound labor-management relationship founded on mutual understanding and trust. Furthermore, to deepen communication among employees and promote flat relationships, we hold jointly organized labor-management discussions and recreational events at each business site.
The discussions between our company and the labor union for fiscal year 2024 are as follows.

Labor-Management Council: 14 sessions (including 1 meeting with top management)
Division Policy Briefings: Policy explanations and opinion exchanges for Domestic Sales Division, Overseas Sales Division, External Sales Business Division, Research Division, Market Development Division, Production Division, Corporate Planning Division, Administration Division, Audit Office, and Environmental Safety Department