Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)
Policies
To become a “Co-creative Chemical Company” aiming to “Change society through the power of chemistry,” the Resonac seeks to utilize the broad technological platform it has built to work hand in hand with customers and various other stakeholders to co-create solutions to social issues.
For the creation of such solutions, we deem it necessary to secure human resources with diverse skills, experience and demographic backgrounds and provide these personnel with working environments where they can demonstrate their respective abilities and generate ideas. We then need to adopt a range of these ideas and transform them into collective knowledge. To meet this requirement, the Resonac defines DE&I as follows and will work to enhance it as a management priority.
Diversity
We define diversity as the unique features of diverse* personnel that we should value.
- * In terms of nationality, race, gender, age, disabilities, religious faith, other backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender identity, skills, experiences and others
Equity
We define equity as the provision of an environment in which individuals are given equal opportunities to demonstrate their respective abilities.
Inclusion
We define inclusion as the acceptance of individuals’ unique features and the maximization of the value of these features in our organization.
Promotion system
The Culture Communication Department, established under the CHRO, is leading the implementation of a range of measures in cooperation with those in charge of DE&I at each of our sites and other Group companies, such as measures to nurture an inclusive corporate culture and to help diverse personnel to demonstrate their abilities and maintain a good work-life balance.
Education for the promotion of DE&I
Through training on various themes, we aim to help all employees understand the essential elements of DE&I and incorporate those elements into their daily activities.
TOPICSOrganization of co-creative collaboration ability enhancement training
Resonac independently designed a co-creative collaboration ability enhancement training program in which participants deepen their knowledge and understanding of unconscious biases and psychological safety. We expect that executives and other employees will make practical use of what they have learned in such training to build an even more inclusive corporate culture.
Women’s empowerment
The Resonac aims to increase the percentage of women in managerial roles to 7% on a consolidated basis in Japan and to 13% on a consolidated basis globally by the end of 2025 and has included these in its KPIs. While promoting employment and promotion based not on gender but on individual abilities, we will develop female candidates for leadership positions through talent management designed to promote the development of future leaders.
In addition, a voluntary group has been providing support to female engineers-turned-managers in a cross-organizational manner since 2022. As well as encouraging such employees to meet with external career consultants, the group holds roundtable meetings where they can seek advice from experienced leaders and share their concerns with their peers. It also organizes roundtable meetings that both female managers and male managers with female subordinates are invited to attend in order to foster the creation of a workplace where male and female employees can share their opinions frankly in order to understand each other’s concerns.
In 2023, the percentage of women in managerial roles was 12.4% on a consolidated basis globally.
Supporting employees in maintaining their work-life balance
For employees with diverse backgrounds and lifestyles to continue demonstrating their abilities we have established systems including the following: systems that are better than those mandated under the Act on Childcare Leave, Caregiver Leave, and Other Measures for the Welfare of Workers Caring for Children or Other Family Members of Japan; and flexible working time and telecommuting systems that contribute to flexible work styles. We have also held a campaign to encourage male employees to take parental leave. Moreover, we provide employees with babysitter support services and a program to support those taking maternity/parental leave in their return to work. The program consists of seminars intended to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities as well as training on parental leave management. In addition, we have a reemployment (“welcome back”) system in place for former employees of our Group companies who wish to rejoin the Group.
- In July 2021, we introduced a “concierge service,” through which employees can search for and submit applications to commercially operated nursery schools as well as obtain information about childcare.
- We have joined the organization Ikubosu Kigyo Domei, formed by an NPO named Fathering Japan.
- We expressed our support for a project implemented by Sekisui House, Ltd. to encourage men to take parental leave.
Related link
TOPICSHolding a childcare seminar for men
We held a childcare seminar for men in July 2023 and an online roundtable meeting on childcare for men in September of the same year. The seminar was attended by a total of around 60 men, including fathers both new and soon-to-be as well as managers whose subordinates included dads and future dads. In the roundtable meeting, fathers and future new dads exchanged information and forged interpersonal ties, sharing tips and concerns about their daily childcare-related issues, and have continued to communicate via a chat app.
TOPICSHolding a seminar on how to make long-term care compatible with work
In August 2023, we held an online seminar on how to make long-term care compatible with work, in which around 200 employees participated. In the post-seminar questionnaire survey, around 93% of respondents indicated that they were satisfied with the seminar. We will continue to improve the working environment and support employees so that they can work longer into the future.
Employment of people with disabilities
We are proactively employing people with disabilities toward the goal of disability inclusion under the slogan, “We change unique personality into power.” In 2014, we established a model workplace for the employment of people with disabilities within the head office. Since then, we have continuously been working to provide employees with physical, intellectual, mental and developmental disorders jobs that are suitable for their individual character, including printing business cards and envelopes and removing data from PCs slated for disposal. By sharing the know-how across the Group, people with intellectual, mental and developmental disorders are now accepted as interns and employed at our sites and Group companies. We have also established a contact for consultation through which employees serving as “job coaches” support Resonac Group’s employees with disabilities and those working with them.
We have also set up a consultation service staffed by employment counselors for people with disabilities to support those with disabilities who work at our company or who work alongside persons with disabilities.Joins “The Valuable 500”
On September 1, 2020, we signed a document to declare joining “The Valuable 500*" and set up commitments as follows:
The Resonac Group will promote diversity and inclusion, aiming to let all employees shine in the company as a stage, regardless of whether each employee has been disabled or not. We will act to move people’s heart and society, and provide the world with surprises and excitements.
- 1. Under the slogan that “We change unique personality into power” which aims to promote inclusion of persons with disabilities, the Resonac Group will promote establishment of inclusive workplaces where each employee, whether with or without disabilities or medical conditions, can feel peace of mind and show what everybody can do. (DE&I: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)
- 2. We will provide differently abled employees with environment and opportunities that enable them to show what they can do, career vision that fit to their personalities, and support to realize these.
- 3. We will promote employment of persons with disabilities (inclusion of persons with disabilities) with specific targets.
- * The Valuable 500 was launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos held in January 2019. This international initiative was launched to promote inclusion of persons with disabilities under an idea that “inclusive business creates inclusive society.” The Valuable 500 aims to encourage business leaders to make their own companies’ businesses inclusive ones in order to let persons with disabilities demonstrate their potential to add value to businesses, society and economy.
TOPICSDistributing "One-of-a-Kind Supporter" stickers in the company
Having become a participant in The Valuable 500, we are distributing original "One-of-a-Kind Supporter” stickers to employees who agree with our goal of creating an inclusive work environment where people with disabilities and illnesses can feel psychologically safe and demonstrate their individual strengths. We will continue distributing these stickers to participants in in-house events and to those who wish to receive them.
LGBTQ initiatives
Resonac aims to create a safe and comfortable work environment for everyone, including LGBTQ employees. To this end, we have established regulations that prohibit LGBTQ-related discrimination, developed a benefits program for same-sex partners and de facto spouses, provided individualized support such as the use of business pseudonyms, and set up a consultation service. We are also endeavoring to foster an internal culture that accepts diverse gender identities by publishing an LGBTQ handbook to promote understanding of LGBTQ issues, conducting in-house training, and distributing stickers to those who wish to act as allies. In 2023, we endorsed the Business for Marriage Equality campaign, which invites companies that agree with the legalization of same-sex marriage to visibly show their support.
TOPICSSame-sex partnership certification by Famiee
Employees and their partners, if recognized as de facto spouses, are eligible for the same benefits and leaves of absence as spouses listed in employees' family registers, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality. When recognizing two people of the same sex as de facto spouses, the same-sex partnership certificate issued by the private organization Famiee can be used as a means of third-party certification.
Employment of retired employees and support for employees’ career management
We reemploy retirees so that they can continue to contribute their long-accumulated skills and expertise to their respective workplaces. We also provide career training to employees in their late 40s, early 50s and late 50s to support the development of their lives and careers with an eye toward retirement.