SHINKO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
SHINKO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
Among the Corporate Values stated in the Shinko Way, the Shinko Group has declared that it will “create a dynamic corporate culture that promotes a balance between employees’ personal and professional lives.” We strive to create workplaces that are pleasant for all employees.
We have been continuously taking the initiative in the support for balancing work and personal life and in accordance with the Act for the Promotion of Measures to Support the Development of the Next Generation (the "Act on Raising the Next Generation"), therefore we obtained Platinum Kurumin Plus certification.
In addition to ongoing initiatives to enable all employees to take annual leave simultaneously and to strengthen restrictions on overtime work, we are making efforts to expand various systems aimed at balancing work with childcare, nursing care, and medical treatment (including infertility treatment), and promoting initiatives to realize diverse and flexible work styles. These kinds of initiatives have resulted in women having a longer average number of service years than men at Shinko. This average is at a high level even on a nationwide basis.
Details about the Main Programs to Support Work-Life Balance are in the Sustainability Report.
• Approved on December 15, 2022 (First company in Nagano prefecture, Japan)
This certification is a new certification system that started on April 1, 2022 due to the revision of the Act on Raising the Next Generation.
Only companies that meet certain requirements can obtain this certification. In addition to striving to maintain a high level as a "company that supports people who are raising children," the eligible company must be making efforts to improve the working environment so that working people can undergo infertility treatment.
We have been working continuously to support a work-life balance, and have received Kurumin certification twice in 2007 and 2013. Subsequently, our efforts to support a balance between treatment and work were recognized, we received "Platinum Kurumin Plus" certification in December 2022.
The 7th Action Plan (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025)
（Japanese version only）
《Our Major Initiatives》
1. Programs for childcare leave, etc., that exceed the legal requirements
- If necessary, due to circumstances at the daycare center, childcare leave can be taken until the next April 20 after the child’s first birthday (or the first April 20 after the child’s second birthday, if the child’s birthday is between April 1 and 20) or until the day before the child turns 18 months, whichever is longer. Further, if necessary due to circumstances at the daycare center, leave can be extended again for childcare for the period up to the next April 20 after the child’s second birthday.
- Employees with children are eligible for working shorter hours for childcare up to March 31 of the child’s first year of elementary school. In some cases, depending on individual circumstances (for example, when the closing time of a children’s center is not convenient), this system can be extended to cover employees with children up to March 31 of the child’s sixth year of elementary school.
- Employees with children up to the age of elementary school graduation are eligible for the overtime exemption system related to childcare.
- We offer paternity leave, which can be taken for 20 days within 8 weeks before and/or after childbirth by a spouse.
2. System of short-term childcare leave that can be taken as paid leave
- If the period of childcare leave is one month or less, the leave can be taken as paid leave up to the extent of the employee’s remaining days of multipurpose leave (accumulated vacation time).*
* Five days paid per year, cumulative up to 20 days3. Framework to promote the use of company programs to support childcare
- We have set up a page on the company intranet to provide information on our range of maternity and childcare programs, and are working to promote their use.
- In addition to informing employees about these programs during inhouse training sessions, we hold seminars for employees with childcare concerns to help them achieve a balance between work and parenting as well as to foster employee awareness of diversity.
4. Support system for balancing treatment (including infertility treatment) and work
- Multi-purpose leave system for medical treatment. (including infertility treatment)
- Leave of absence and short-time working system aimed at balancing treatment (including infertility treatment) and work.
These programs to support childcare have resulted in a high rate of employees taking childcare leave and a high percentage of female employees continuing to work after childbirth.
Specific results are published on the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s Support for Work-Life Balance webpage (Japanese only).
We are focusing on Transforming Work Styles in pursuit of corporate development and growth as well as healthy, fulfilling lives for each and every employee. In 2017, we established a Labor Management Council on Transforming Work Styles and affirmed that labor and management would work together to transform work styles.
The leadership announced a Joint Labor Management Declaration on Transforming Work Styles. The Shinko Group is now working as one to implement and achieve “work styles that do not take long hours as a given” and “diverse and flexible work styles.”
As part of our countermeasures against COVID-19, we introduced a remote work system. The system was officially adopted in August 2020 because, on top of enabling business continuity in the event of a disaster, it is a work style that makes it easier for employees dealing with various life circumstances, such as parenting and caregiving, to continue to work. Holding internal meetings, internal training, and other online events has taken root, and improvements are being made to increase their effectiveness, such as the digitization of paper documents.
《Our Major Initiatives》
１. Measure to reduce working hours
- Lowering the upper limit on overtime work
- Maximum weekly working hours and management
- Setting and managing the maximum number of consecutive working days
- Requiring employees to leave the office on time every Wednesday and on the second and fourth Fridays every month
- Ensuring a fixed amount of rest by adopting a rule on work shift intervals
- Understanding work hours, including for managers, etc.
２. Measure to promote taking days off
- Labor and management set specific numerical targets to promote annual leave taking
- Establish a single day for taking annual leave
- Eliminate the limit on half-day annual leave
- Establish a multipurpose leave system (can be taken in hourly units and leave in the middle of the day is possible), etc.
３. Set up work systems to create “diverse and flexible work styles”
- Establish programs to support balancing work with childcare, nursing care, and medical treatment
- Remote work system
- Flexible working hours with no core time, etc.
Since Shinko has adopted a union shop system, all ordinary employees are members of SHINKO ELECTRIC WORKERS UNION. The union participation rate is 91.3%.* Based on labor-management agreements with the labor union, labor and management representatives hold the Labor Council on a periodic basis (or whenever needed) to explain management policies and business conditions and hold discussions about various employment conditions. We have also established the collective bargaining rights of the union. With negotiation, we respect each other’s position, and work with the union to resolve various issues.
We regularly share information on negotiations involving wage levels and various systems, including the deliberations of the Work Style Reform Labor-Management Council, which aims to resolve issues related to work styles, and the Safety and Health Committee, which is organized by labor and management to create safe and comfortable workplaces at each business site. Labor and management work together to promote the development and growth of the company and help each employee live a fulfilling and healthy life.
In addition, both labor and management participate in Nagano Prefecture's adopt-a-forest program and are collaborating on environmental conservation and social contribution activities. We will continue to develop a variety of initiatives.
* Union participation rate: The percentage of ordinary employees out of all regular employees (including managers)
