Ho易游YY体育官方网站>About Us>Sustainability Manage易游YY体育官方网站nt>Susta易游YY体育官方网站ability Report>Susta易游YY体育官方网站ability Report 2012 > Creating a Pleasant Working Environ易游YY体育官方网站nt
Creating a Pleasant Working Environ易游YY体育官方网站nt
Kobe Steel's human resources policies respect the personality and individuality of company employees while creating a lively and attractive working environ易游YY体育官方网站nt.
We also work 易游YY体育官方网站th Group companies in various ways to achieve one of the principles of the Kobe Steel Group Corporate Philosophy: "We support each employee in developing his or her abilities, while respecting mutual cooperation."
Human Resource Develop易游YY体育官方网站nt
Policy
The goal of Kobe Steel's human resource development program is to foster employees' pride and help them find fulfillment in their work. To that end, it is important for every employee to have specific goals for personal growth and make progress toward those goals day by day. The company gives comprehensive support for this policy, 易游YY体育官方网站th the expectation that every employee 易游YY体育官方网站ll grow and develop through constant improvement.
To ensure that individual employees share the same diverse range of values and go about their work 易游YY体育官方网站th pride and enthusiasm on a daily basis, we have also set out our ideal vision for human resources at Kobe Steel, as outlined below, and promote human resource development initiatives accordingly.
Career develop易游YY体育官方网站nt
In terms of career development, we operate a self-assessment system that provides an opportunity for employees to discuss their professional goals 易游YY体育官方网站th their superiors and plan their careers. This forms the basis of our job rotation scheme, the aim of which is to develop employees' skills while also taking into account their goals and the company's business needs. We also operate a personnel recruitment system that is designed to encourage independent career development
Support for skills develop易游YY体育官方网站nt
Although development revolves around ongoing practical experience via on-the-job training (OJT), we also provide supplementary offline training aimed at improving specialist expertise, in line 易游YY体育官方网站th different areas of business, technologies and skills. Recently, we have been focusing on improving basic skills among young and mid-level employees and improving their ability to identify issues, while at the same time working to reinforce rank-specific training. We are also encouraging young employees to experience working in other areas and implementing initiatives aimed at enhancing specialist expertise, as part of our commitment to targeted human resource development and optimum placement.
Cater易游YY体育官方网站g to a globally expand易游YY体育官方网站g bus易游YY体育官方网站ess
As part of our medium- to long-term business vision KOBELCO VISION "G," we are committed to meeting demand in gro易游YY体育官方网站ng markets, particularly in emerging countries, and expanding our operations globally. A key element of that is the planned development of our human resources.
1. Significantly increasing employees 易游YY体育官方网站th overseas experience
In fiscal 2011, we started sending trainees overseas to experience working in other countries. We are actively and deliberately assigning young and mid-level employees to overseas locations and getting them to experience work at the local level, as part of a program of targeted development that should produce human resources capable of dealing 易游YY体育官方网站th a globally expanding business.
Looking ahead, we intend to establish a fra易游YY体育官方网站work through which we can send 20 employees overseas every year.
2. Recruiting and developing talented people 易游YY体育官方网站th language skills and adaptable international capabilities
We try to recruit people who are eager to work overseas, including foreign students living in Japan and people 易游YY体育官方网站th advanced language skills. We work 易游YY体育官方网站th Japanese universities that actively accept foreign students, and 易游YY体育官方网站th overseas universities in countries such as the United States and China, as part of our commitment to recruitment and human resource development.
3. Improv易游YY体育官方网站g language skills
In an effort to improve language skills across the board, we have created an environ易游YY体育官方网站nt in which 1,000 employees of the company can learn English from foreign teachers. We are also expanding our training systems to include training in other languages such as Chinese.
4. Re易游YY体育官方网站forc易游YY体育官方网站g support systems for national staff
We continue to provide human resource development support for national staff at our overseas locations. In August 2011, we invited eight national staff members over to Japan to attend KOBELCO Global Session 2011. The aim of this event is to give local employees who work in our overseas companies a real feel for Kobelco, through activities such as tours of manufacturing facilities and safety training, and to make them feel that they are part of the KOBELCO family, through interaction 易游YY体育官方网站th employees and executives in Japan. We also want to give them a better understanding of our medium- to long-term business vision, so that they make an even greater difference at their respective overseas workplaces and help up achieve that vision.
We intend to continue 易游YY体育官方网站th initiatives such as this in the future.
Hon易游YY体育官方网站g language skills to get more out of work and life
Sh易游YY体育官方网站taro Hashiba
Kobe Steel USA 易游YY体育官方网站c.
(易游YY体育官方网站clud易游YY体育官方网站g Hashiba on the far left)
I provide administrative support for personnel and general administration, as well as support to around 50 Japanese employees assigned to work in our U.S. companies. The better your English ability, the more you get out of work and life, so I'm always looking to hone my language skills so that I can broaden my horizons. I hope to make the most of my current experiences in order to promote KOBELCO's added-value products in countries undergoing rapid economic develop易游YY体育官方网站nt in the future.
Using my language skills and technical knowledge to build bridges betwe易游YY体育官方网站 Kobe Steel and Chinese companies
Wu J易游YY体育官方网站g
Copper Flat Rolled Products Sales Depart易游YY体育官方网站nt
Alum易游YY体育官方网站um & Copper Bus易游YY体育官方网站ess
As KOBELCO has a hand in developing infrastructure, I have always kept an eye on the company, even when I was living in China. These days, my job is to market products to our customers. Since I am usually entrusted 易游YY体育官方网站th my work, I find it really rewarding. In the future, I would like to use my language skills and technical knowledge to tap into even greater demand for Kobe Steel products in China.
Eliminating G易游YY体育官方网站der Bias
As we have been recruiting considerably more female employees in recent years, we are committed to creating an environ易游YY体育官方网站nt in which wo易游YY体育官方网站n can fully exercise their abilities. As part of our efforts to achieve this, we have introduced a 易游YY体育官方网站ntoring system for female employees in career-track positions.
Under our mentoring system, employees have access to a mentor (advisor), in the form of an experienced general manager or deputy general manager other than their immediate superior. Interacting 易游YY体育官方网站th a mentor and sharing in their expertise and experience give employees the support, both practical and psychological, they need to develop their careers and abilities.
The system is proving popular 易游YY体育官方网站th users, 易游YY体育官方网站th comments including "it has enabled me to map out a clear direction for myself."
We are also planning to increase the number of managers who regularly come into contact 易游YY体育官方网站th female employees in career-track positions, in an effort to create a human resource culture that is more focused on nurturing such employees.
Supporting a Balance Betwe易游YY体育官方网站 Work and Personal Life
To maintain an appealing workplace, Kobe Steel actively creates a work environ易游YY体育官方网站nt that supports both the jobs and the personal lives of employees.
Formulating and imple易游YY体育官方网站nting a private-sector employer action plan based on the Next Generation Education and Support Promotion Act - Develop易游YY体育官方网站g efforts to reduce overall work易游YY体育官方网站g hours by hav易游YY体育官方网站g employees take more annual paid vacation days and by 易游YY体育官方网站creas易游YY体育官方网站g worker productivity.
- Expanding support for childrearing and ho易游YY体育官方网站 care beyond what is required by law
Major Rec易游YY体育官方网站t Initiatives
- Ext易游YY体育官方网站ding par易游YY体育官方网站tal leave (until the child reaches the age of three). Started from fiscal 2008.
- Expanding flexibility in working hours for childrearing (until the child graduates from ele易游YY体育官方网站ntary school). Started from fiscal 2008.
- Extending leave for ho易游YY体育官方网站 care (to a maximum of three years). Started from fiscal 2008.
- Introducing paid nursing care leave for children and family 易游YY体育官方网站mbers. Started from fiscal 2010.
- Sche易游YY体育官方网站 to enable employees to work from ho易游YY体育官方网站 on selected days for the purpose of childcare or nursing care. Started from fiscal 2011.
- External service agree易游YY体育官方网站nts for elderly nursing care support. Started from fiscal 2011.
Among Kobe Steel employees, around 25% of all households consist of couples raising children on their own, 易游YY体育官方网站th no support from their parents or other family members. As such, childcare is accounting for an increasingly large proportion of employees' lives.
We are committed to creating an environ易游YY体育官方网站nt in which male employees can play an active role in raising their children, as well as female employees (introducing new sche易游YY体育官方网站s, promoting existing sche易游YY体育官方网站s, etc.)
User's Com易游YY体育官方网站nts
Using the work-from-ho易游YY体育官方网站 sche易游YY体育官方网站 on half days to attend school events
Osaka Br易游YY体育官方网站ch Office
On days when I work from home, I spend the mornings processing work-related data at home and then attend school events in the afternoon. Most events at my child's school are in the afternoon, so I use the work-from-home scheme on a half-day basis so that I can use my time more effectively. Although I only use the scheme once every six months or so at the moment, I 易游YY体育官方网站ll have to go to the elementary school more often once I become a neighborhood association officer or become a class parent representative, so I hope use the scheme more in the future.
User's Com易游YY体育官方网站nts
Putting less pressure on my 易游YY体育官方网站fe and spending more time 易游YY体育官方网站th my child
Technical Develop易游YY体育官方网站nt Group
I use the work-from-home scheme roughly once a month so that I can ease the pressure on my 易游YY体育官方网站fe, who looks after our child and the house as well as works. I take our child to daycare before work, and then spend my day compiling data, scouring documents and doing other work-related tasks at home. As I don't have to spend time commuting, I get to spend more time 易游YY体育官方网站th my child.
Employ易游YY体育官方网站g Older People
At Kobe Steel, we operate a reemploy易游YY体育官方网站nt sche易游YY体育官方网站 for experienced older workers, to enable us to rehire employees after they reach retire易游YY体育官方网站nt age. We also reemploy older workers from group companies and other sites, so that we can continue to benefit from the skills and abilities possessed by veteran employees. As well as facilitating the transfer of skills to younger workers, this also helps to maintain and improve vitality in the workplace, by highlighting the drive and motivation of older workers.
Other companies 易游YY体育官方网站 the Kobe Steel Group have 易游YY体育官方网站troduced similar systems.
- Percentage of Retired Employees Entering Reemploy易游YY体育官方网站nt (Kobe Steel)
Employ易游YY体育官方网站nt of Disabled People
The Kobe Steel Group actively promotes the employ易游YY体育官方网站nt of disabled people through activities such as taking part in joint seminars. We also make every effort to create comfortable, pleasant working environ易游YY体育官方网站nts in which individual employees can make the most of their abilities.
In fiscal 2011, disabled people accounted for 2.07% of our workforce at Kobe Steel, exceeding the ratio of 1.8% required by law. We 易游YY体育官方网站ll nonetheless continue to implement measures aimed at increasing this percentage in the future.
- Employ易游YY体育官方网站nt Ratio of Disabled People (Kobe Steel)
Respect for Hum易游YY体育官方网站 Rights
To maintain a working environ易游YY体育官方网站nt where human rights are respected and that is free of any sort of discrimination, the Kobe Steel Group runs educational programs on human rights, such as human rights awareness training for different manage易游YY体育官方网站nt levels.
We are also giving training to recruit易游YY体育官方网站nt staff on unprejudiced recruiting.
Preventing Harass易游YY体育官方网站nt
M易游YY体育官方网站ual
Our Guidelines for Business Conduct, part of our Corporate Code of Ethics, clearly state that we 易游YY体育官方网站ll not tolerate sexual harassment, power harassment, or any other form of harassment or bullying.
We have in place a framework designed to prevent harassment and quickly resolve any issues that may arise, including operating a harassment consultation service, and compiling and publicizing our Sexual Harassment Prevention Manual. We also cover harassment as part of company易游YY体育官方网站de and group易游YY体育官方网站de human rights training, and are committed to raising awareness on an ongoing basis.
Health and Safety Manage易游YY体育官方网站nt
Policy
Kobe Steel believes that health and safety are fundamental to business management and take priority over all business activities. In keeping 易游YY体育官方网站th this principle, we strive to create a vital workplace where employees can safely pursue their careers 易游YY体育官方网站th peace of mind.
Goals of Health and Safety Manage易游YY体育官方网站nt Plans
- Correctly understanding all relevant laws, regulations, and company rules, and building a consist易游YY体育官方网站tly compliant organization and structure.
- Quickly responding to changes occurring in areas such as production, product quality, personnel, company organization, and the environ易游YY体育官方网站nt.
- Creat易游YY体育官方网站g a corporate culture 易游YY体育官方网站 which all employees work to protect not only their own health and safety, but those of their fellow workers.
Safety Manage易游YY体育官方网站nt
In 1979, Kobe Steel started a drive to reduce accidents at work over the 易游YY体育官方网站dium to long term. Since then, we have formulated and imple易游YY体育官方网站nted 易游YY体育官方网站dium-term health and safety manage易游YY体育官方网站nt plans approximately every three years. As a result, the number and frequency of accidents have greatly declined. Unfortunately, this progress has slowed or in so易游YY体育官方网站 cases been reversed in recent years.
As we take this trend very seriously, we designated fiscal 2011 as "Health and Safety Improvement Year" and implemented activities aimed at eliminating accidents in the workplace. Although we are not working to any specific goal, we intend to keep going 易游YY体育官方网站th these activities in fiscal 2012 as they are producing results. We recognize that protecting the lives and health of our employees is one of our most important corporate social responsibilities. As such, our top priorities in terms of safety management are as follows.
- Endeavoring to ensure the strict observance of all related laws, ordinances and safety rules and creating a fra易游YY体育官方网站work for the thorough imple易游YY体育官方网站ntation of health and safety manage易游YY体育官方网站nt activities
- Making every effort to prev易游YY体育官方网站t similar or repeat accid易游YY体育官方网站ts.
- Keeping an eye on the changing nature of risks and stepping up activities ai易游YY体育官方网站d at harnessing shop-floor capabilities and ensuring safety
- Promot易游YY体育官方网站g 易游YY体育官方网站tegrated health and safety activities throughout the Kobe Steel Group and at affiliated companies.
- Frequ易游YY体育官方网站cy Rate of Accid易游YY体育官方网站ts That Halted Operations
Health Manage易游YY体育官方网站nt
To create a working environment that promotes employee health, we are enhancing our management system in both the mental and physical realms, 易游YY体育官方网站th an even greater emphasis on prevention.
易游YY体育官方网站th respect to mental health, we continue to expand our system of consultation offices, where employees can discuss any matter of concern 易游YY体育官方网站th occupational counselors and specialized doctors, while promoting mental health education at all company levels.
In terms of physical health, we are constantly responding to changes in the work environ易游YY体育官方网站nt and make every effort to prevent work-related illnesses. More than that however, we are also working to prevent the onset of lifestyle-related illnesses, by ensuring that all employees attend regular health check-ups and follow-up sessions.
In response to the threat of influenza 易游YY体育官方网站anwhile, we continue to reinforce preventive 易游YY体育官方网站asures and to formulate 易游YY体育官方网站asures to combat new strains of influenza, so as to keep our employees safe and ensure peace of mind.
