Human Resources
Corporate activities are supported by each and every employee.
We ensure a work environmnet where all employees and workers can exercise their unique character and talents and feel motivated.
Respect for Human Rights
The basic stance of the Obayashi Group is to "value each person with a stake in our business," as stated in the Obayashi Philosophy. We regard respect for human rights that leads to the advancement of diverse human resources as an important mission and our corporate social responsibility, and we are striving to be a company that recognizes the importance of each person. We follow the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and take initiatives to respect human rights.
Obayashi Group Human Rights Policy
The Obayashi Philosophy states the Obayashi Group's mission in society, which is to "value each person with a stake in our business." In addition, the Obayashi Code of Conduct provides concrete guidelines for us to follow. Together, these statements show how we contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.
The Obayashi Group Human Rights Policy ("the Policy") is based on our belief that respect for human rights, the basic rights that all people should enjoy, is synonymous with practicing the Obayashi Philosophy. By establishing the Policy and by conducting our business activities, we fulfill our responsibility to respect the human rights of all people.
Scope of Application
The Policy applies to all Obayashi Group officers and employees, including regular employees, seconded employees, and employees accepted on assignment. We also expect all our business partners and suppliers to support and comply with the Policy.
Compliance with Norms, Laws, and Regulations Concerning Respect for Human Rights
The Obayashi Group supports and respects international norms of human rights, including the International Bill of Human Rights and the ILO (International Labour Organization) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We also respect the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact as a signatory company, follow the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and take initiatives to respect human rights.
We comply with laws and regulations of each country or administrative region in which we conduct our business activities. If national or regional laws and regulations differ from international norms of human rights, we follow whichever has the higher standards, and if there is a conflict between them, we seek ways to respect international norms of human rights.
Respecting Human Rights in All Business Activities
The Obayashi Group undertakes initiatives to respect human rights. Through these initiatives, we endeavor to avoid infringing others' human rights and work to prevent and minimize any negative impacts on human rights in our business activities.
Members of the Obayashi Group recognize and accept each other's diversity, unique character, and talents. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, age, place of origin, disability, injury or illness, physical characteristics, and the like. We furthermore do not engage in harassment or any other acts that infringe human rights. We also strictly avoid complicity with any form of child labor, forced labor, or human trafficking and infringement of the human rights of foreign workers and others. We respect freedom of association and collective bargaining rights and strive to improve on poor working and living environments and to establish better work conditions.
If there are negative impacts on human rights at a business partner or supplier in the course of business activities, we urge the relevant personnel not to infringe human rights and work with them to make improvements.
Human Rights Due Diligence
The Obayashi Group establishes systems for human rights due diligence and continually practices it to fulfill our human rights responsibilities.
Human rights due diligence includes specifying, preventing, and mitigating actual and potential negative impacts on human rights in our business activities and value chains and integrating the measures that we take into our internal processes.
Correction and Remedies
If the Obayashi Group has caused or is found to have been complicit in negative impacts on human rights, we take appropriate measures to correct and remedy the situation.
Education and Training
The Obayashi Group integrates the Policy into all necessary procedures to ensure the Policy becomes firmly established in all business activities. We also provide appropriate education and training to all officers and employees to ensure that they sufficiently understand the Policy.
Dialog and Consultation with Stakeholders
The Obayashi Group practices dialog and consultation with relevant stakeholders on the impacts that our business activities have on human rights.
Information Disclosure
The Obayashi Group uses our website and other means to report on our initiatives to respect human rights as based on the Policy.
Established June 1, 2011
Revised September 1, 2021
Obayashi Corporation
Raising Awareness of Human Rights
We have established the Human Rights Awareness Promotion Committee chaired by the executive officer responsible for human resources under the Obayashi Group Human Rights Policy. The committee meets once a year with the general manager of the Human Resources Department, the general manager of the General Administration Department in each office and those responsible for human resources in each occupation serving as the members.
This committee raises awareness of human rights according to issues in response to the business area and regional characteristics. For example, it reviews the state of human rights awareness training and drafts future training plans. In addition, it tackles mental health care, works to prevent harassment and promotes the employment of people with disabilities.
Obayashi provides human rights awareness training for all employees and officers of the Group to actively address human rights issues. The focus of the training themes depends on the level of personnel. These training sessions take up familiar human rights themes such as harassment, sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), individuals with disabilities, integration issues, foreign nationals, diversity and inclusion, discrimination or themes in international human rights in light of global trends in business and human rights such as the publication of ISO 26000(*1), formulation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We set themes from various human rights issues and hold education in conjunction with workplace corporate ethics training to train all our employees.
*1 ISO 26000
The guidance on social responsibility standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in November 2010
Measures against Harassment
We are proactively working to eradicate harassment under the leadership of the Harassment Prevention Department that serves as the department specialized in these measures.
In FY 2021.3, we issued the Harassment Prevention Guidelines, which specifically describe the company's policy regarding harassment and the definition of harassment. It describes various forms of harassment that may occur in the workplace, such as sexual harassment, harassment related to pregnancy, childbirth, childcare leave, nursing care leave, and workplace bullying. We ensure these guidelines are well-known to not only all our executives and employees but also to our entire Group. We also provide online training with videos and distribute handy leaflets and posters that provide consultation desk contact information so employees can reach out at any time.
Human Rights Week Activities
December 10, the day on which the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has become a day to commemorate this internationally as Human Rights Day. The week from December 4 to 10 every year is designated as Human Rights Week in connection with this day in Japan.
We ask employees of the Obayashi Group and their families for slogans to raise awareness of human rights for Human Rights Week every year. We post excellent suggestions on posters.
Our main and branch offices also work to raise awareness of human rights among our employees during Human Rights Week. For example, they give training under the theme of human rights.
Human Rights Due Diligence
To respond to human rights issues including modern slavery, which has become an important issue in global society in recent years, we are conducting human rights due diligence based on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the United Nations. The executive officer responsible for the Corporate Strategy Division supervises the initiative.
We divide our main business into the construction business, real estate business and new businesses. We then identify and assess risks for each stakeholder. Human rights issues (prominent human rights issues) that the Obayashi Group prioritizes are identified as follows.
Main human rights issues:
Child labor, forced labor and human trafficking, reasonable consideration of people who are subject to discrimination or are in a vulnerable position, harassment, poor work and living environments, establishment of appropriate labor conditions, ensuring building and structure safety, infringement of the lives and health of local residents, and infringement of privacy rights
In FY2021.3, we worked with an outside specialist to interview the corporate divisions, departments, and personnel responsible in our company to ascertain the actual state of the specified human rights issues we prioritize.
In the future, we will promote the development of an internal implementation structure and steadily promote concrete efforts to prevent and mitigate the negative impact on human rights based on the results of grasping the current situation.
Response to Modern Slavery Act
Consultation Desks
We provide the Corporate Ethics Consultation and Reporting System as a consultation desk on human rights. In addition, we have specialized internal and external points of contact for harassment and disability concerns.
We accept inquiries from the business stakeholders of the Obayashi Group (employees, temporary workers, employees we have accepted on secondment, part-timers and suppliers) at the desk of the Corporate Ethics Consultation and Reporting System.
We accept inquiries from business stakeholders of the Obayashi Group in the same way at our Harassment Consultation Desk. In addition, we also accept inquiries about harassment from jobseekers in our recruiting activities.
We even accept inquiries anonymously. We promptly respond in line with the consultation desk response rules upon providing complete protection so that those making inquiries are not treated unfairly. In addition, we ensure these consultation desks are widely known about inside and outside of the company. For instance, we put up posters that give details about the consultation desks.
Participation in the United Nations Global Compact
We joined the UN Global Compact in August 2013. The UN Global Compact supports ten principles relating to the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. We will promote our business activities with a high sense of responsibility and global perspective in order to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society.
Labor-management Initiatives
We respect the basic rights of employees and have established labor conditions based on various laws and regulations. We also respect our employees' rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, and have concluded a labor agreement. With the exception of managerial level staff, all of our 6,800 employees are union members. (100% of employees who are eligible are enrolled in the labor union.)
Our employees union hold conferences to discuss wide range of issues such as reducing overall working hours, creating a comfortable workplace environment to promote health management. Union members from each workplace report their opinions. By discussing effective improvements based on those opinions, we work to improve workplace and employment conditions.
Also, a survey of employees is also conducted regarding their degree of satisfaction. These results are reported on the Intranet and also are published for all employees. Systems to raise the satisfaction of employees are always being revised, etc., based on such opinions.
Promoting Diversity & Inclusion
Obayashi believes it is the strength of each individual employee that supports our company. Based on that conviction, we establish workplaces in which diverse personnel can play an active role regardless of age, gender, and the like so that we can continue to create new value. Well-being is a topic of increasing importance globally. The new Diversity & Inclusion Promotion Department, established at Head Office in April 2021, is actively promoting diversity to achieve well-being.
Fair Personnel Evaluation
The foundation of our personnel management system is fair pay and benefits based on fair personnel evaluations. Personnel evaluations are conducted every six months, with managers and subordinates discussing targets and achievements in detail. To ensure transparency and acceptance of the personnel evaluations, the system allows employees to check their final evaluations. Our personnel system makes no distinction between men and women with regard to the assignment of roles, promotions, and compensation and benefits. Our employees actively demonstrate their individual capabilities.
Passing on Technical Skills with Rehiring after Mandatory Retirement
To pass on our DNA, "honest craftmanship" and "technical skills" inherited from our foundation, we have a system to provide ongoing employment opportunities for people after they have reached the age of mandatory retirement.
Many employees work as "senior staffs" from age 60 and "super senior staffs" from age 65 under our rehiring system for persons who have reached the mandatory retirement age.
We have maintained a rehiring level of 100% for those senior staffs who wish to participate. These veterans are helping to solve one of the big issues facing the construction industry: how to pass on skills to the next generation.
Promoting Employment of People with Disabilities
We promote employment of people with disabilities to provide them with greater work opportunities. Our special subsidiary Oak Friendly Service Corporation, established in 2001, employs persons with intellectual and mental disabilities. Employees work at 11 offices around Japan. Job coaches with specialized knowledge guide employees, who perform jobs that take account of the nature of their disability. The aim is to provide opportunities for independence and a place in society. We also periodically host students from special-needs schools as workplace trainees or for internships, thereby supporting education for social inclusion.
Developing Human Resources
Obayashi's DNA, which has been passed down from our founders in the form of an attitude of honest craftsmanship and technical skills, is supported by our employees. Human resources are one of the most important management resources to us. We have positioned training of human resources as an important issue based on this perspective.
Training System
Training System
Developing our personnel is essential to the sustained growth of the Obayashi Group. Therefore, we have a variety of training programs. We offer level-specific training based on age and responsibilities, specialist training for specific occupations, and training on the basis of business unit and type of operation.
For the first few weeks after entering the company, new employees participate in group training to learn business skills as a member of society regardless of their occupation.After they have completed the lectures, discussions, or other group work, they are divided by type of occupation and learn specialized skills.
We also give our mid-career hires education on various personnel programs, information security and human rights regardless of their occupation. After that, we divide them by type of occupation to give them the education they need.
Associate-level employees run through the PDCA cycle in their workplaces over the course of one year to achieve growth suitable for each individual. We expand the skills of each person by appointing a mentor in the same workplace to provide detailed guidance that will enable each person to steadily acquire basic skills and knowledge, techniques, and other capabilities.
We also provide external common group training, or training divided by business domain or area of work for all levels to provide our employees with the knowledge and skills necessary at each level.
Development of Global Human Resources
Overseas Study Program
We have established a program for supporting study abroad at schools research centers, foreign companies, and other overseas organizations to develop the skills of young employees and mid-career employees. Employees who have studied abroad are active in overseas departments and in various areas.
Global Leadershp Training Program
Developing human resources to support global expansion is one of our top priorities. In addition to overseas study, dispatch to overseas companies and language training, since FY2014.3, we have conducted a Global Leadership Training Program to foster understanding of the business customs of various countries and risk management skills. Around 30 people join the program each year, mainly young employees. These employees are now working in a wide range of roles in Japan and overseas.
Nurturing National Staff Overseas
We offer a program of hands-on training for national (locally hired) staff at overseas Group companies. The goal is to enable national staff to learn our latest construction technologies and safety management measures.
Promoting Opportunities for Female Employees
Based on the idea that human resources are one of our most important management resources, we have been hiring and assigning employees earlier on individual skills and knowledge no matter their gender. In August 2014, we saw our first female project manager.
We formulate action plans with numerical targets based on Japan's Act on the Promotion of Female Participation and Career Advancement in the Workplace. Under these action plans, we promote further initiatives to promote women's participation and career advancement in the workplace. We hold regular meetings for female engineers to share opinions. We are also examining a working environment in which female engineers raising children can work more easily at construction sites and establish internal systems.
The ratio of female managers reached 9.3% in FY2021.3 due to our proactive initiatives so far. This is in comparison to a ratio of 7.6% in FY2017.3 when the Act on the Promotion of Women's Participation and Career Advancement in the Workplace was enforced.
In April 2021, we formulated our Second Action Plan based on Japan's Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace. Under it, we raised our FY2024 target for employment of female engineers and managers to 12% and are acting accordingly.
Some of our female engineers are also working as general managers of departments, project managers and other senior positions. Our ratio of female managers is at a high level in the industry.
Initiatives to Encourage Women to Thrive
Work-Life Balance
Our goal is to help each employee achieve work-life balance so they can be healthy in mind and body. By revising our personnel systems and otherwise maintaining the working environment, we will further strengthen and revitalize our organizations and achieve sustained growth.
We have established the Work Style Reform Project, which is a cross-departmental organization headed by the president. This aims to achieve better future work styles for the company and its employees and is continually examining the issue from each department's perspective.
Reduction of Overall Work Time
- Hold a meeting between the company and the labor union to discuss reduction in total work hours, and distribute posters that encourage employees to take days off.
- Encourage employees to take time off (annual paid leave, annual paid vacation in half-day increments, sabbatical refreshment program according to the number of continuous years of work, job site vacation for employees working at construction site offices, a leave program for employees when they are relocated, among others).
- Hold a no-overtime day.
Helping Increase Operational Efficiency through ICT
Obayashi has been endeavoring to meet its target of two-day weekends for employees (closing construction sites eight days out of every four-week period). This requires setting appropriate delivery dates. That, in turn, requires understanding on the part of the customer. Obayashi aims to automate work processes and make them more efficient with less human labor by actively adopting tools using the latest ICT technology. Bold steps we are taking to make work processes more efficient include repeated e-learning about attendance management to raise awareness. Others include simplifying accounting procedures by introducing an expense adjustment system and implementing RPA.*
*Robotic Process Automation
Development and Enhancement of Programs to Realize Flexible Work Styles
Obayashi is developing and enhancing programs to promote flexible work styles for all our employees.
Telecommuting Program
Obayashi has introduced a telecommuting program for all workplaces. To facilitate this program, we have added online meeting systems, chat and other information sharing tools and enhanced ICT support.
As part of our measures to prevent COVID-19 infections, we have been encouraging office workers to telecommute by setting telecommuting rates as appropriate. We have taken steps to make it easier for employees to choose telecommuting. We had employees switch from desktop to mobile computers and are applying electronic seals to internal documents. In addition, we have set up a satellite office so employees can telecommute from someplace other than home.
Staggered Work Hours Program (Enhanced in April 2021)
We have enhanced our existing staggered work hours program intended for childcare and nursing care into one that all our employees can use at any time regardless of the purpose.
Hourly Annual Leave Program (Introduced in April 2021)
We have introduced an annual leave program that allows leave to be taken on an hourly basis to make it easier to take.
Support for Successfully Balancing Work and Childcare
We have established various programs for employees who are raising children and their children who will lead in the future and provide support for successfully balancing work and childcare.
Various Programs to Support Childcare
- Maternity leave program
- Childcare leave program
- Spouse childbirth leave program
- Shorter working hours for childcare program
- Child rearing leave
- Child rearing continuous leave
- Exemption from overtime program
- Child nursing leave program
- Babysitter cost subsidy program
- Fertility treatment expense and child education expense loan program
Measures to Support Raising Next-generation Children
Obayashi formulates and continues to work on action plans as a company for a society in which the children who will lead the next generation of society are born and raised healthily.
We have achieved all the targets we formulated in the 1st Action Plan (plan period: April 2005 to September 2007), 2nd Action Plan (plan period: October 2007 to September 2009), 3rd Action Plan (plan period: October 2009 to September 2011), 4th Action Plan (plan period: October 2011 to March 2015), 5th Action Plan (plan period: April 2015 to March 2017) and 6th Action Plan (plan period: April 2017 to March 2021). Currently, we are working to improve our internal systems and to raise awareness under the 7th Action Plan.
Support for Successfully Balancing Work and Home Nursing Care
As Japanese society ages, the number of employees who are caring for family members while working is expected to increase. We have established various programs to enable employees to undertake home nursing care responsibilities with assurance.
Various Programs to Support Home Nursing Care
- Nursing care leave program
- Shorter working hours for nursing care program
- Exemption from overtime program
- Short-term nursing care leave program
- Nursing care services program (e.g., telephone consultations and information provision)
- Nursing care leave using expired annual paid leave program
- Nursing care subsidy program
- Nursing care travel expense subsidy program
Promoting Mental and Physical Health Creation
The mental and physical health of employees is very important in increasing company vitality. Obayashi is working to create healthy employees through various initiatives to enable our employees to be mentally and physically fit and lead fulfilling lives.
- Measures to facilitate mental health (performing stress checks, counseling by specialist physicians, mental health training, etc.)
- Performing various kinds of health checks
- Establishment of an external health hotline (health consultations by phone or email)
- Subsidizing the cost of physical exams
- Smoking cessation therapy
We think that employees working overseas have a relatively higher risk of illness than those who work in Japan. We recommend preventive vaccines for Hepatitis A and B, and tetanus for all employees who are being assigned overseas for the first time. We also recommend other preventive vaccines such as rabies, Japanese encephalitis, and typhoid, depending on the destination and based on information disclosed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We have also established a health support system that enables employees working overseas and accompanying family members to seek health consultations via phone or online.
In addition to that, we also mandate special health exams for people performing special work at construction sites in Japan, and strive to maintain and manage health.
Mental Health Care
Mental health training, such as e-learning, is conducted for all our employees. Internal and external points of contact have been set up to offer advice to employees when they notice they themselves, colleageus, subordinates for family members are not well. For internal point, the mental health consulting office set up in the head office provides full-time counselors available to offer advice at any time. Specialists and clinical psychologists (counselors) provide detailed support for employee's mental health. External consultation service can be used 24 hours a day, and we accept consultations by email or telephone for overseas employees and their families as well.
Improving Engagement with Employees
Obayashi is aiming to improve employee engagement. Under this aim, we are working to create a rewarding environment for work. For example, we conduct various surveys on all our employees and hold discussions with our employees union. We then reflect the views of our employees in the review and expansion of systems.
We publish the survey results in the Monthly Obayashi internal newsletter and on the Intranet so that our employees can check them.
In addition to these surveys, we are also widely accepting the unvarnished opinions of our employees on the work style reforms we are currently promoting. For instance, we have established a suggestion box on the Intranet.
Surveys
| Survey name | Survey results etc. |
|---|---|
| Attitude Survey on Telecommuting under a Declaration of a State of Emergency [FY2020] | Response rate: 60.4% (8,010 out of 13,261 people) |
| Survey contents: We conducted a survey on the causes of obstructions to telecommuting and lower operational efficiency and ideas to promote telecommuting. |
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| Feedback of survey results: Analysis of the results revealed the ICT environment and document circulation to be issues. We had employees switch from desktop to mobile computers and are applying electronic seals to internal documents. |
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| Fact-finding Survey on Harassment (Including a Level of Happiness Survey) [FY2020] | Response rate: 53.5% (7,079 out of 13,233people) |
| Survey contents: We conducted a survey on whether our employees had experienced or observed harassment within the past year and what was said and done at that time. We held interviews with all employees who requested an individual consultation. |
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| Feedback of survey results: We analyzed the characteristics and background of harassment. We are now giving education with e-learning to all employees in addition to manager training. Moreover, we are providing information to employees on the Intranet and the Monthly Obayashi internal newsletter. |
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| Opinion Survey on Benefits Programs [FY2020] | Survey contents: We conducted a survey on opinions and requests relating to the benefits programs in general. |
| Feedback of survey results: We have partially revised the personnel system concerning overseas work based on the requests of our overseas staffs. ・We have expanded the number of vacations to temporarily return to Japan. ・We now permit families to temporarily remain for the purpose of educating children when returning to Japan or moving to another country. |