The Group designated “Respect for Human Beings” as its principle of management and has practiced “people-centered management” consistently since its founding. Essentially, respect for human rights is an indispensable foundation of management and should be prioritized in all decisions and actions. We have made this the Idemitsu Group Basic Human Rights Policy, which all executives and employees comply with.
Based on this policy, we continually address global human rights issues while referencing the cultures, customs, and social norms of different countries and regions. In addition, in response to human rights issues faced by the Group’s affiliates and supply chain in Japan and overseas in recent years, we have focused our efforts on conducting human rights due diligence and identifying where human rights violation risks exist within the Group and at relevant suppliers. We are also strengthening our efforts to mitigate risks and build a rescue mechanism.
Moreover, we formulated the Compliance Code of Conduct to instill and promote a compliance mindset within each employee working around the world, including in Japan and overseas. The code clearly states that we will create a sound and appropriate workplace free from harassment that accepts diversity in such areas as race, nationality, and gender and that does not tolerate any kind of human rights violation.
We regularly disclose to stakeholders these kinds of human rights-related initiatives and actions.
Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd.
President and Representative Director
Shunichi Kito
Idemitsu Group believes in the infinite possibilities of “the power of human beings”. By maximizing the full potential of all our employees, trusting, and cooperating with each other, we aim to contribute to the energy security of countries and regions around the world for the brightness and prosperity of the people who live there.
With this vision for Idemitsu Group, respecting human rights is at the core of everything we do and is the fundamental element of our business.
This policy applies to all executive officers and employees of Idemitsu Group. We also expect all business partners, including our suppliers, to understand and comply with this policy.
This policy has been approved by the Board of Directors of Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
Effective: December 17, 2019
The Group formulated the Idemitsu Group Human Rights Policy in 2019 and declared its respect for internationally recognized human rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, as we conduct business both in Japan and worldwide. In addition, in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we codified conducting human rights due diligence in our policy and launched specific initiatives in fiscal 2020. We clarified nine human rights priority issues and promoted in-house awareness-raising activities. We established a reporting and consultation desk for executives and employees to respond to violations of the code of conduct, overt or potential, including matters related to human rights. We established a desk for stakeholders to report concerns regarding business activities. These and other human rights-related initiatives are regularly disclosed on our website.
We promote human rights through the system shown below.
We conduct human rights due diligence according to the Idemitsu Group Human Rights Policy. From FY2021 through FY2022, we used a questionnaire to survey affiliated companies about the status of response to human rights risks in each company. The questionnaire includes risk evaluation items related to on-site occupational problems, serving as a mechanism that enables us to swiftly identify where risks lie. Companies first respond to questions on the four issues regarded as particularly serious issues (force labor and human trafficking, child labor, discrimination, and freedom of association and collective bargaining rights) under the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) core labor standards. For affiliated companies that need further subsequent investigation, we confirm details to ascertain the actual status and draft and implement necessary measures. Regular checks will be subsequently performed in an effort to mitigate risks.
The survey results from 176 affiliated and related companies in Japan and overseas confirmed that performance of risk mitigation activities related to human rights is good overall, and many categories were scored as low-risk, at 90% or higher. The results also indicated the need for improvement on the following points and we will work to address these as issues in the future.
The Group has established a basic procurement policy based on the Management Philosophy and Action Mindset. We also established the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines and posted them on our official website. In these guidelines, we clarify the Group’s stance related to human rights, such as respect for basic human rights and the prohibition of forced labor, child labor, harassment, and discrimination. We revealed a policy of exchanging information on initiatives related to sustainability with business partners and working to mutually increase the level thereof.
The Idemitsu Group believes that respect for human rights must be the highest priority in all of its decisions and actions. Accordingly, we seek to maintain harmonious relationships with international society and local communities, and do not discriminate against any stakeholder group. Furthermore, we do not condone violence or words or deeds that are detrimental to human dignity, whether physically or mentally. To ensure sound, harassment-free work environments, we seek to deepen the understanding of all employees and have established a basic policy for harassment prevention measures and appropriately responding to incidents of harassment. By doing so, we aim to create and maintain work environments in which the human rights of all employees are respected and employees can utilize their abilities to the fullest. In addition, the Human Resources Department, General Affairs Department, and Corporate Sustainability Department engage in concrete cross-departmental initiatives.
From October to November 2020, we provided training aimed at building skills for those responding to requests for consultation about harassment, including the HR managers of company departments and affiliates and officers in charge of responding to consultations. This training taught participants the skills to appropriately respond to consultations from employees about harassment. A total of 98 participants took part, deepening their understanding of the appropriate mindset and key points to keep in mind when fielding consultations as well as the perspectives and feelings of employees making such consultations.
Beginning in December 2018, we have been holding anti-harassment training for management-level employees with the goal of eradicating all forms of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority over, and harassment related to maternity. A total of 1,065 members of management and management-level employees from the Head Office, complexes, and branches have participated in this training (as of September 30, 2020). The training has served as an opportunity for participants to deepen their understanding of workplace sexual harassment and abuse of authority and reflect on their role as managers in preventing such issues. Going forward, we will continue this training as we strive to ensure harassment-free workplaces.
To create and maintain sound, harassment-free workplaces, we have prepared a guide to concrete prevention measures to help raise awareness among all employees, instructing them to not engage in or tolerate harassment.