Relationships with Employees Back Number (2012)
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Basic Approach
Since its founding, the Minebea Group has recognized that employees are its most valuable resource, and one of our Five Principles is that the company should become a place where its employees are proud to work. The Minebea Group is committed to maintaining and improving workplaces where each of our employees can work safely and in good health, and fully exercise his or her abilities.
Minebea Group Workforce
| Employees | Japanese staff on overseas assignment | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Total | |||
| Japan | 2,796 | 572 | 3,368 | 0 | 3,368 |
| North America | 1,138 | 758 | 1,896 | 22 | 1,918 |
| Europe | 674 | 358 | 1,032 | 25 | 1,057 |
| Asia | 10,767 | 33,885 | 44,652 | 411 | 45,063 |
| Total | 15,375 | 35,573 | 50,948 | 458 | 51,406 |
Human Resources Development
The Minebea Group seeks employees who can work on the global stage, have the independence to develop their own ideas, and welcome challenges, and we work to provide education that encourages those qualities. We have specially tailored programs for every employee rank, including new and intermediate-level employees and newly-appointed managers, and we conduct training programs and on-the-job education to enable employees to acquire specialized knowledge and strengthen their skills.
Brother-Sister System
A Brother-Sister System was introduced for employees of Minebea Group's domestic sales division on an experimental basis in April 2010, and full-fledged implementation of the system began in FY2011. Under this system, a young employee takes on the role of mentor for a new employee. In addition to teaching business skills, the program supports relationship building so new employees can feel free to consult their mentors concerning non-work issues, and develop their independence. In FY2011, 12 new employees took part in this system.
Using the Brother-Sister System
I found there to be big advantages to this system. When I was assigned to my division, I didn't know anyone and felt very apprehensive. But having a senior employee around my age assigned to me as a brother really helped me to build relations with people inside and outside the company.
I had no experience, but my brother cared a lot about helping me get to the point where I could do my own work. There were private occasions when we went drinking together and I could consult with him about small problems and such. This was very supportive.
This year I will probably take on the role of a brother for a younger employee. I'd like to share my experience and the benefits of this system with others.
Global Human Resources Development
To promote its global human resources, the Minebea Group is committed to broadening the playing field for employees.
We want more employees to have an opportunity to engage in global activities, so if stationed overseas they can stay for a maximum of five years according to established guidelines.
To nurture our global staff, we also provide manager training opportunities for Japanese assigned to overseas subsidiaries based on the Japanese training program, as well as opportunities for local overseas staff to train for management positions under their subsidiaries' programs.
Global HR Meeting
In July 2011, the Minebea Group held a global human resources meeting which gathered HR managers from throughout Asia (Thailand, Shanghai, Zhuhai, Singapore, and Malaysia). The meeting provided an opportunity to share information on labor issues, employee development, and hiring. In the future, such meetings will be held regularly and successful initiatives will be shared laterally across the Group.
Experiencing an Overseas Assignment
After entering the company, I worked for three years in the Karuizawa Plant's fan motor business unit before being assigned to NMB-Minebea-GmbH for about 10 months.
Of course, the customers and the language in Germany are different from those in Japan, but there are also different demands with regard to the product compared to the Japanese market.
It would be difficult to understand the differences in the market environment without actually being there in Germany. I learned that we must provide products that meet the needs of the local market.
I'm still learning each day, but I'd like to use my valuable experience to help develop "products that sell."
Principal Domestic Training Programs by Rank (FY2011)
| Program | Participants | Aim of Training |
|---|---|---|
| New Employee Training | New employees |
|
| Junior Employee Training | Employees in their second year of employment |
|
| Intermediate Level Training I | Employees in around their fifth year of employment |
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| Intermediate Level Training II | Employees in around their 10th year of employment |
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| New Assistant Manager Training | Newly promoted assistant managers |
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| New Manager Training | Newly promoted managers |
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Fair and Balanced Evaluation
At the Minebea Group, impartiality and objectivity are our prime concerns in evaluating the abilities and performance of our employees. Compensation and benefits reflect the results of these evaluations so as to create a workplace where workers can feel that they are performing valuable work and where ambitious employees are encouraged to perform to their maximum potential. We will continue implementing personnel policies based on rewarding effort and achievement and permitting a flexible response to future changes in the workplace environment and employment structure.
Workforce Diversity
As the Minebea Group expands its global operations, we believe it is important to strengthen our human resources with diversity as a given. We are committed to creating an environment that maximizes the capabilities of diverse human resources regardless of such attributes as gender, age, nationality, or disability.
Developing Global Talent
The Minebea Group has set a goal to develop and utilize employees who can support global business expansion. As one initiative, the Group is actively hiring foreign exchange students studying at Japanese universities. In FY2012, five of the 60 new employees were non-Japanese.
Promoting Female Employment
Approximately 35,000 female employees are working for the Minebea Group worldwide, accounting for about 70% of our total workforce. For this reason, we will continue to actively work toward the promotion of female employees to management positions, and strive to create a workplace where they can continue to demonstrate their abilities and play an active role.
Special training sessions for female employees were held at the Karuizawa Plant in FY2011 and at the Tokyo headquarters in FY2012. The objective of the training was to have the female employees take a more active role in their work sites by delving into their work site issues and making reform proposals to their supervisors.
Comment from Female Manager
I'm responsible for customer service in China. The Chinese market is growing by leaps and bounds, and consequently customer demands are becoming more complex. In this business environment, I'm facing new issues daily at my work. But with the collaboration of others in the division, along with my superiors and employees from other divisions, we are finding ways to increase communication with customers and resolve our issues. I'm also the mother of three children, and I'm very pleased to be working at a company where I can both raise children and work. I'd like to use my valuable experience at Minebea to study many new things in the future.
Initiatives Regarding Employees with Disabilities
The Minebea Group actively promotes the employment of people with disabilities, and in January 2011 achieved an employment ratio of 1.88%, surpassing the statutory requirement of 1.8%.
In order to support the motivation of all employees, regardless of whether or not they have a disability, we assign employees with specialized knowledge to take leadership roles at their work sites as part of our policy of considering various factors in making assignments.
Initiatives Regarding Reemployment of Seasoned Employees
So that highly skilled and motivated employees may continue working longer, and to enable them to pass on their skills and expertise to younger employees, the retirement age for Minebea Group employees in Japan is 62. Furthermore, in response to the enactment of the Act of Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons, the Minebea Group also provides all employees who so desire with an opportunity to be rehired after compulsory retirement.
Respect for Human Rights
In light of the importance of corporate compliance (corporate ethics and legal compliance), the Minebea Group prohibits unfair discrimination due to race, age, gender, nationality and religion. Employees undergo training before assignment to regions with different cultures, and the Minebea Group Officer and Employee Compliance Guidelines are used for human rights education at every level of training for employees. Moreover, we are working to prevent human rights abuses by providing a consultation center and an internal reporting system.
Initiatives for Creating Environments Conducive to Working
Support for Diversity in Work Patterns
We believe that the Minebea Group's attention to the work-life balance of its employees will be rewarding them and lead to a sense of fulfillment.
To this end, we have a flexible system that enables employees to take time off for childbirth, childrearing, caring for family members, and other important events in their private lives. We have also established the Overseas Vacation for Veteran Employees Program, which gives employees who have worked for Minebea for over 30 years an opportunity to rest and recuperate.
The number of users has been increasing year by year, a sign that the system is functioning well.
We will continue to improve the workplace environment so our employees may work with peace of mind.
Using the Shorter Working Hour System for Child Care
I'm using the system to shorten my morning work hours by 30 minutes in order to care for my child. It takes time for me to commute from my home, so this is just the right system for helping me to take my child to preschool and then get to work. Previously the system fixed the shortened work hours to 45 minutes in the morning and 1 hour at night, but from April 2008, we have been able to choose the times with a maximum shortened workday of two hours. Some shorten their days by an hour, others by 1 hour and 45 minutes, and there are those who shorten it by the full 2 hours. Some shorten their hours in the morning or night, and others do both. If the system's easy to use, it makes it easier for us to work, so I think it's important to improve these systems. I'll continue to do my best at both work and childcare, with my child giving me bright smiles and "I love you mom" welcomes.
Principal Special Leave Benefits for Employees in Japan and the Number of Users (FY2011)
| Benefit | Description | No. of employees taking leave |
|---|---|---|
| Child care leave | Paid leave or shorter working hours for employees caring for children | 60 persons |
| Family care leave | Paid leave or shorter working hours for employees with family members requiring care | 1 person |
| Overseas vacation for veteran employees | Trip to Thailand, China (Shanghai), or Singapore for employees with 30 years of service, and their families | 21 persons |
Labor Relations
As recited in the Minebea Group Code of Conduct, the Minebea Group recognizes freedom of association and endeavors to build harmonious labor relations by actively communicating with labor unions and employee representatives on issues such as the work environment and working conditions.
Health and Occupational Safety Management
The Minebea Group firmly believes that a safe, healthy workplace is key to improving product and service quality, consistency of manufacturing operations, and employee morale.
Each of our plants has a Health and Safety Committee comprised of numerous working groups with responsibility for workplace safety, health issues, and other such concerns. These committees meet regularly to review working group progress toward individual targets. In addition, the Minebea Group's principal plants in Thailand, China, and Singapore have obtained OHSAS 18001 certification.
In the event of a fire, workplace injury, traffic accident, or other similar incident, safety managers take the lead in identifying the cause and handling the issue appropriately and ensure that information about such incidents is shared with other production sites in each country to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Conducting Regular Patrols at Production Facilities
A patrol at the Fujisawa Plant
Regular safety patrols are conducted monthly at every group plant, including the Karuizawa Plant. These patrols monitor progress against the previous month's findings, identify further areas needing improvement, and ensure that areas near production equipment are neat and tidy, that potentially dangerous tools are stored properly, and that safety glasses and earplugs are used.
Promoting Health Management
The Minebea Group offers regular health examinations and health counseling, and works to ensure and enhance the health of its employees in accordance with the laws of each country and conditions at each place of business; for example, an industrial physician makes regular visits to the Karuizawa Plant. In addition, we are strengthening our initiatives in the mental health field, which in recent years has become an object of heightened social awareness. For example, we offer opportunities for consultation with industrial physicians and industrial counselors, and hold mental health lectures.
Health and Occupational Safety Initiatives in China
Training to prevent leaks of chemical substances during an emergency drill (Zhuhai Plant)
At the Zhuhai Plant in China, groups of employees patrol the plant once a month based on the Health and Safety Committee's annual patrol schedule.
The committee also holds a monthly meeting to ensure that accidents that have occurred in other areas of the Minebea Group, as well as similar types of accidents, do not occur at the Zhuhai Plant.
The plant also conducts training drills as required by law. The fire safety subcommittee holds fire drills semiannually, which is very important given the large number of new employees entering the company each year.
Health and safety courses are a required part of the training for new employees. The training helps to instill a proper understanding before the new employees are assigned to a division. Training continues even after employee assignment as part of the daily efforts to prevent accidents at the plant.
Future Issues and Goals
We recognize that the training of human resources is an essential element for furthering our global expansion of a stable supply of high-quality precision products generated through manufacturing and technological innovation. Accordingly, we will continue working to convey education and expertise to our employees that can be applied anywhere in the world, and to implement personnel policies to support employees.
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