Diversity & Inclusion

Nihon Kohden has established Diversity as one of its Core Values and promotes diversity & inclusion to realize its Long-term Vision, BEACON 2030. We develop the new potential of our teams by leveraging diversity based on empathy and trust. We respect the individuality of each person and strive to create workplace environment where a diverse range of people can work with vigor and enthusiasm, regardless of gender, age, disability, nationality, race, other diverse attributes, values, or work styles.

 

Targets and Results for Ensuring Diversity in Core Human Resources

Ratio of Women’s Wages to Men’s Wages in FY2022

There are no gender differences in the Company’s wage structure or system. However, there are differences between men and women in terms of job classifications and management ratios, resulting in differences in wages. In order to realize the Company’s goal of “an organization where each individual can maximize their potential and fully demonstrate his/her full potential,” we will work on measures to promote diversity & inclusion, such as increasing the ratio of female managers.

In October 2022, Nihon Kohden held a diversity promotion seminar for supervisors entitled Unconscious Bias Management. When a supervisor manages diverse members, it is important that each staff can play an active role and his/her team can realize the organizational growth. The seminar is held with the aim of learning about Unconscious Bias.
The seminar has been held three times for the managers of domestic sales branches and area services. For the first time, this fourth seminar was attended by 115 managers in each R&D department. Through a lecture and work on the impact of unconscious bias on people and organizations, participants were able to confront their own unconscious bias. It also provided an opportunity for managers who do not normally interact with each other to share their workplace situations.
We will continue to implement training programs to promote diversity & inclusion, aiming to realize a workplace environment where each and every employee can play an active role freely and vigorously without being constrained by unconscious bias or prejudice.

We formulated an action plan based on the Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Career Advancement in the Workplace for 5 years from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026 and set a target of increasing the ratio of female managers to at least 12% and the ratio of male employees taking childcare leave to at least 30%.
The ratio of female managers as of April 2023 was 8.0% in the parent company, which was a decrease of 60 basis points from the previous fiscal year. The ratio decreased because the Company changed the scope of its management positions in accordance with the introduction of a new personnel system in April 2023. We also aim to have at least four female directors and operating officers. One female outside director was appointed in June 2020, and two female operating officers were appointed in April 2021. As of June 30, 2023, the ratio of female directors and operating officers is 11.5%. The ratio of new female recruits was 18.9% in April 2023.
To encourage male employees taking childcare leave, prior to the revised Child Care and Family Care Leave Law which is being enforced in stages from April 2022, we worked to raise awareness within the Company by publishing information on the rate of childcare leave taken in the Company Newsletter, together with interviews with male employees who have taken childcare leave and an overview of the law revision. In addition, we have formulated a new guidebook for male employees to help them balance childcare and work. We have also decided to subsidize a part of an employee’s wage for the first month of childcare leave starting from FY2022. As a result of these efforts, the ratio of male employees taking childcare leave in FY2022 was 38.9%, exceeding the Company’s target. Additionally, we have introduced a spousal maternity leave system as our unique system to support male childcare, and the combined take-up rate of this system with childcare leave was 81.4%. We will continue to develop an environment where any employee who wishes to take childcare leave can do so, regardless of their workplace or job category.
By advancing the development of a workplace where women can play an active role and realizing a comfortable and fulfilling work environment for not just women but all employees of Nihon Kohden, we are implementing concrete measures to ensure that each employee can demonstrate their abilities to the fullest.

To achieve a 12% ratio of female managers, in FY2022, we started the Women’s Activity Promotion Program for female employees at the leadership level who are candidates for management positions. The program is designed to help female employees think about their career development, including the option of management positions, by addressing time and physical factors related to childcare and other responsibilities and psychological factors related to job experiences and work environment.
First, guidance for supervisors of female employees was provided by the Human Resources Department and an external expert so that they could talk about their expectations for the target participants in their own words, effectively support their growth, and follow up on any concerns about their work. Then, the training program for the target participants are provided three times by the external expert and they discussed each other on the themes of career design, improvement of management skills, and life design.

Since FY2015, Nihon Kohden has established a mentoring program covering mainly newly appointed managers and other female employees in mid-career. Mentors with extensive knowledge and industry experience help them resolve career development issues and support their personal growth. The program aims to help expand female employees’ horizons and strengthen their internal networks through dialogue with mentors, as well as develop their humanity, judgment, and leadership skills, and motivate them to set themselves more ambitious goals. The program has been expanded to include male employees since FY2021 to support the career development of a larger number of human resources.

In FY2021, we have established the Beacon Terrace, an employee exchange meeting led by female employees who volunteered to participate. By connecting employees across divisions, the group aims to expand and improve their perspectives and strengthen their company network as well as co-create value in their respective work while fostering an organizational culture that encourages the active participation of diverse human resources.
In FY2022, five exchange meetings were held, each on a different theme, such as Job Satisfaction, Women in Management, and Balancing Work and Childcare. A total of 105 people participated.
We plan to continue to hold these meetings for the free and vigorous exchange of opinions.

In November 2017, we held our first trial Management Seminar to Uncover the Talents of Female Employees. The seminar targeted managers with female employees who have recently joined the Company, and participants from the Kansai and Tohoku regions participated in this seminar through a video conference system. In promoting the activities of female employees, the development of managers who can conduct follow-up activities for female employees is also required.
The purpose of this seminar was to encourage managers to understand how to communicate with female employees and engage with them as superiors for building their career. There were many passionate voices that expressed the impressions of the seminar such as “The seminar is helpful as this is the first time for me to participate in training that aims to develop female employees” and “The seminar was a good opportunity to understand the female way of thinking and re-think methods of interacting with female employees.”
The Nihon Kohden Group will continue to deploy measures to promote diversity and aims to create a workplace where all employees can participate actively regardless of gender.

In January 2007, Nihon Kohden introduced a re-employment program to rehire applicants as senior employees or senior part-time employees after their retirement at the age of 60. In February 2019, the Company also introduced a program that allows re-employed staff to continue working as managers. This program is intended to provide them with more opportunities to utilize their experience and exercise their skills.

With the goal of improving productivity, revitalizing the workplace, and motivating individual employees, the Nihon Kohden Group introduced in 2016 a Senior Advisor Program that enables postretirement senior employees to pass on the rich experience and skills they have cultivated over the years to younger workers.

Nihon Kohden has held seminars aimed at promoting the employment and a greater understanding of persons with disabilities. Our aim is to facilitate the creation of a working environment in which each employee’s individuality is respected, disability or not, and where they can work enthusiastically and to the best of their abilities.

In January 2018, Nihon Kohden held a seminar for all executives and all managers in each department to support the employment of persons with disabilities. This seminar was intended to enable participants to acquire a basic knowledge about the characteristics of disabilities in order to create a workplace where all employees can work with peace of mind.
In February 2019, we also held a seminar for promoting the understanding of people with disabilities in preparation for welcoming them as co-workers.
Going forward, Nihon Kohden will continue to develop measures to create a workplace where everyone can enjoy doing rewarding work.

Nihon Kohden aims to realize locally-oriented management by appointing appropriate personnel, regardless of nationality, to managerial positions at its subsidiaries in each country and region where the Company operates.
The Nihon Kohden Group companies actively promote local employees to managerial positions. As of FY2022, local employees comprise 47.4% of presidents across overseas subsidiaries, including Nihon Kohden OrangeMed and Defibtech which develop and manufacture Treatment Equipment in the U.S. In addition, the Company employs a total of more than 300 local production workers in overseas factories. For example, we employ about 100 local workers at the medical device and reagent factory in China. We also employ local workers at two medical device factories in the U.S. and reagent factories in India, Italy, and Dubai.