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.
Shunichi Kito
President and Representative Director
Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd.
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.
The Group is working to promote human rights initiatives in line with its stance on the three lines of defense.
As the first line of defense, affiliates and subsidiaries and their supervising departments check risks through self-inspections. As the second line of defense, the self-inspections are supported through cooperation with corporate departments, including the Corporate Sustainability Department and Internal Control Planning Section of the General Affairs Department. As the third line of defense, human rights risk items are checked and monitored through regular audits conducted by the Internal Audit Department, which is an independent organization under the direct supervision of the President.
As reporting desks related to human rights, we established the Idemitsu Global Hotline, Compliance Consultation Center, and Harassment Consultation Center and built a system for reporting issues to the management committee through various other committees.
Regarding human rights due diligence, the Corporate Sustainability Department, main departments, and subsidiaries are all working together to steadily conduct individual surveys. The survey results will be reported to management as appropriate.
In line with the Group Human Rights Policy, the Idemitsu Group has conducted human rights due diligence since fiscal 2020. First, we scored all 241 affiliates (as of July 2020) in Japan and overseas based on a survey containing around 80 queries covering social, environmental, and occupational safety themes based on international standards. Using this data to create a human rights risk map for the entire group, we elucidated the possibility of latent human rights risks.
In fiscal 2021, we used the aforementioned risk map to rank our priorities and are conducting a detailed risk survey. As the first batch, we selected 19 affiliates based on (1) overseas location, (2) possession of a manufacturing base, and (3) a business scale of 50 or more employees, and conducted a survey of each affiliate’s response to human rights risks using a questionnaire comprising around 360 questions. 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. From the second batch onward, we will methodically conduct surveys, beginning with those affiliates assigned the highest priority.
We will assess the direction of the risk response for each business and region while holding dialogues with each affiliate to gain a more detailed understanding of the real situation on the ground for overseas Group companies and promote the creation and implementation of necessary measures. As for new investment projects, we maintain a mechanism for checking investment proposals for social issue risks (unjust labor practices, human rights violations, and unfair trade) and natural environment risks (climate change, use of land, water and natural resources).
In the first half of fiscal 2021, we selected 19 top-priority affiliate companies and surveyed them.
A questionnaire comprising around 360 questions in the three fields of society, environment, and health & safety.
We identified the following areas for improvement.
The Group promotes various awareness-raising activities to enhance in-house understanding of respect for human rights and the focus on compliance. In fiscal 2020, we distributed awareness-raising materials using the intranet with the purpose of facilitating Group employees’ understanding of the content of our basic human rights policy. In addition, with the aim of ensuring compliance, we conducted compliance training for the compliance managers of each department. For details, please refer to the compliance promotion activities described on pages 88 and 89.
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 Group holds dialogues with partners to promote initiatives to respect human rights across the entire supply chain, going beyond just Group companies. For details on initiatives with suppliers, please refer to the sustainable procurement initiatives on page 72.
The Group takes advantage of various opportunities to promote communication with all stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, shareholders, local communities, and relevant organizations. We also work to ensure understanding of the Group’s stance on human rights. In addition, through dialogues with stakeholders, we continue to work to appropriately undertake initiatives necessary for the Group.
The Group’s stance is that respect for human rights should be prioritized in all decisions and actions. We strive to achieve harmony with international and local communities, and do not take discriminatory actions toward any stakeholders. In addition, we do not condone words, actions, or violence that damages human rights in a physical or psychological way. With the aim of maintaining healthy work environments free from harassment, we formulated measures to prevent harassment, as well as basic policies on appropriate responses when harassment does occur. We want to create a work environment where all employees can deepen their understanding of human rights, where their rights are respected, and where they can tap their full potential.
The Group upholds diversity and inclusion in its management vision. We regard work-life balance and training of the next generation as key measures for promoting diversity and inclusion, taking various measures to achieve these goals. We foster a work culture where employees who balance work and life (including childcare and caregiving) can work freely and feel a sense of purpose. This helps to create an environment where all employees realize their full potential. We aim to be a company that can co-create new value with various stakeholders and an employer where a diverse team of employees thrives.
Basic Policy on Harassment in the WorkplaceFrom 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.
