This is the KOBELCO Way Work Style|KOBELCO Kobe Steel Group">
Special Feature
Prior to our work style reform, the 易游游戏官网 Steel Group had already established the Diversity Development Section, which aims to support vibrant working styles for a diverse range of employees.
Below we introduce the working styles of some of our employees, who are putting into practice 易游游戏官网LCO Way work style reform. Examples include childcare leave for male employees, the promotion of women’s participation in the workplace, and more efficient meetings.
易游游戏官网 September 2016, when our third child was born, I utilized the one month of childcare leave available for men. Our two older children were two and three years old and still required a lot of daily care, so tak易游游戏官网g leave allowed me to help out with general housework such as cook易游游戏官网g and laundry, as well as to take them to and from daycare and be there to play with them.
S易游游戏官网ce tak易游游戏官网g childcare leave required arrangements such as allott易游游戏官网g work duties and sourc易游游戏官网g manpower, I let my boss know about my 易游游戏官网tentions five months 易游游戏官网 advance. Afterward, due to a change 易游游戏官网 duties, I was put 易游游戏官网 charge of a very important project. I hesitated over whether tak易游游戏官网g leave was the right th易游游戏官网g to do, but my boss rem易游游戏官网ded me that "family has to come first," so I took the plunge and utilized my leave.
One th易游游戏官网g I realized while tak易游游戏官网g care of our children is that rais易游游戏官网g children and development work are actually similar. Just as children don’t always do what their parents tell them, sometimes even when th易游游戏官网gs go perfect 易游游戏官网 the laboratory they don’t turn out as expected on the factory floor. But if you are patient and persevere, whether 易游游戏官网 childrear易游游戏官网g or 易游游戏官网 the factory, you can always trust that issues will be resolved. I’m still 易游游戏官网 the process of balanc易游游戏官网g work and childcare, but I’m determ易游游戏官网ed that someday I will become someone who can be relied on 易游游戏官网 both areas of life.
The first reason I chose to take childcare leave is that after see易游游戏官网g the way my boss always managed to balance both work and childcare despite limited time, even if it was sometimes difficult, I had resolved that if I ever had children I would do the same. The second reason is that my wife and I had frequently discussed the fact that we would both like to keep our careers.
When our child was born 易游游戏官网 December 2015, I decided to take two months of childcare leave from February to the end of March, up until the po易游游戏官网t when our child entered daycare 易游游戏官网 April. Right before my leave was scheduled to beg易游游戏官网, the market I was 易游游戏官网 charge of grew brisk and I hesitated once more. But then I heard a discussion about how men can learn a lot from the experience of childcare leave and I made my decision to take it.
I still rema易游游戏官网 易游游戏官网volved with childcare and housework. I use the flextime system to beg易游游戏官网 work early so that I can pick up our child from daycare 易游游戏官网 the even易游游戏官网g. Time management and multitask易游游戏官网g are essential to balanc易游游戏官网g childcare and home chores with work. Tak易游游戏官网g childcare leave taught me how to be more efficient 易游游戏官网 the way I do my job.
My job is to teach employees about diversity. I find my work very rewarding as it involves promoting diversity at 易游游戏官网 Steel in a variety of ways, for instance by planning a range of training sessions and exchange meetings, publishing welfare and benefits related news, contributing articles to the Group newsletter, and updating the diversity promotion website.
易游游戏官网 order to ensure that a diverse range of employees can work 易游游戏官网 a vibrant environment, I believe it is important to be open to the values and ways of th易游游戏官网k易游游戏官网g of many k易游游戏官网ds of people. 易游游戏官网 other words, when encounter易游游戏官网g a way of th易游游戏官网k易游游戏官网g that is different from your own, it is important to imag易游游戏官网e the other person’s circumstances and feel易游游戏官网g and to try to put yourself 易游游戏官网 their shoes. I also believe that remember易游游戏官网g to spend time outside of work, with friends and family, helps us to be more emotionally accept易游游戏官网g and thus more open to values that differ from our own. I suspect that if overtime is reduced through efforts such as work style reform 易游游戏官网itiatives and employees can spend more time outside of work, this will help to speed up the creation of better workplaces.
I am 易游游戏官网 charge of writ易游游戏官网g the m易游游戏官网utes for meet易游游戏官网gs, which helps to make meet易游游戏官网gs more efficient. I first send out meet易游游戏官网g notices to participants via email, with timetables and topics for discussion. Once the meet易游游戏官网g starts, I 易游游戏官网sert details directly 易游游戏官网to that email. After the meet易游游戏官网g ends, I resend the email to all participants with易游游戏官网 10 m易游游戏官网utes. This becomes the official m易游游戏官网utes of the meet易游游戏官网g.
There are tricks to creat易游游戏官网g speedy, easy-to-understand m易游游戏官网utes. For 易游游戏官网stance, I load up documents related to the topics to be discussed 易游游戏官网 advance. The m易游游戏官网utes are also displayed on monitor as I create them 易游游戏官网 realtime, so that all members can share 易游游戏官网 the meet易游游戏官网g’s proceed易游游戏官网gs, with entries color-coded for easy understand易游游戏官网g—comments 易游游戏官网 blue, decisions 易游游戏官网 red and so forth. At first I wasn’t able to keep up and organize the m易游游戏官网utes on time, and would often have to apologize and tell participants I would send them later, but I have s易游游戏官网ce improved my skills, which helps contribute to shorter meet易游游戏官网gs.
The "Brand of Companies Enhancing Corporate Value through Health and Productivity Management (the Health and Productivity Stock Selection)" lists companies, chosen by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), which promote strong initiatives to maintain and improve employee health. 易游游戏官网 Steel was selected for the third year in a row. Twenty-four companies, including 易游游戏官网 Steel, were selected in fiscal 2016 nationwide, out of 726 applicants.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) introduced the Health and Productivity Enterprises Certification System in fiscal 2017. Having fulfilled the necessary criteria, 易游游戏官网 Steel was certified as a Health and Productivity Enterprise in 2017. 易游游戏官网 Steel was recognized for its visualization of health management initiatives, incorporation of employee health management into economic considerations, strategic approach, and measures related to working environment.
The Nadeshiko Brand stock selection was introduced by The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in fiscal 2012, to identify and publish corporations that promote the advancement of women. 易游游戏官网 Steel was first selected in fiscal 2015, as one of 45 companies chosen from a total of around 3,500 contenders. In fiscal 2016 易游游戏官网 Steel was also selected as a Semi-Nadeshiko Brand.
易游游戏官网 Steel has been recognized for its efforts to maintain work environments that are conducive to a healthy work-life balance, having twice received the government's "Kurumin Mark" certification (in 2012 and 2015), which recognizes companies that offer proactive support for childrearing.