Internal Reporting System
Internal reporting system (Resonac Group Hotline)
The Resonac Group’s internal reporting system, called the “Resonac Group Hotline,” has been established based on the Whistleblower Protection Act. It is intended to enhance the organization’s ability to identify and weed out misconduct and thereby win more trust from stakeholders, while at the same time fostering compliance management to further increase corporate value and promote the sustainable development of the Group.
Through the Hotline, reports can be made about noncompliance with laws, regulations or internal rules as well as regarding the detection of any suspicious conduct. Once a report has been made, the Compliance Promotion Group of the Sustainability Department is tasked with providing a prompt response, which includes investigating the facts, clarifying the causal factors and implementing corrective measures as well as preventive measures against similar incidents.
The Hotline may be accessed through our website, our intranet or an outside law firm, and accepts reports not only from Group employees but also from suppliers, local residents and other stakeholders. Such reports can be made around the clock, 365 days a year. We have also established a multilingual whistleblower hotline (an external hotline available in 24 languages) for employees around the world. Anonymous reporting is possible both in Japan and overseas, and assurances are made that individual privacy will be respected by all hotline operators and that prejudicial treatment by the company is prohibited. The personal information of reporters is kept strictly confidential, and no one making a report will be treated disadvantageously as a result of their actions.
Reports to the Hotline are received through internal or external contact points, and the Compliance Promotion Group, as mentioned above, confirms the facts and conducts an investigation after consulting with the business unit, plant or other organization pertinent to the report. If the investigation results reveal any violations, corrective measures are promptly taken.
In addition, serious cases are reported to the Management Committee, with these reports covering the entire process from the initial call to the conclusion of the investigation as well as any corrective measures and measures to prevent recurrence taken.
A total of 97 reports were received in 2023. Of these, ten were reports of concerns about legal violations, but none of them proved serious enough to be reported to the Management Committee. Each case was promptly and carefully investigated internally, and corrective measures were taken when necessary. With regard to cases of sexual harassment, workplace bullying/abuse of power or other forms of harassment, which account for half of all consultations, we have conducted training for managerial personnel at Group companies in Japan to prevent such incidents from happening or stop them from recurring.
Response to misconduct
When cases of misconduct are identified under the internal reporting system, including cases of noncompliance with Our Code of Conduct, our employment regulations, our other internal rules or with laws or regulations, we take strict action, including disciplinary action, based on the employment regulations set by Resonac Group companies. In 2023, there were no serious incidents to be reported to the Board of Directors, but disciplinary actions were taken in relation to three incidents identified through the internal reporting system.