Relationships with Employees Back Number (2016)
.Back to Latest Relationships with Employees
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.
Number of Employees (Group)
| Employees | Japanese staff on overseas assignment | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 3,600 persons | n/a | 3,600 persons |
| North America | 1,646 persons | 26 persons | 1,672 persons |
| Europe | 1,873 persons | 31 persons | 1,904 persons |
| Asia | 54,910 persons | 394 persons | 55,304 persons |
| Total | 62,029 persons | 451 persons | 62,480 persons |
Work Status (Non-consolidated)
| Average length of employment | Average age | Retirement/Resignation | Turnover rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 years, 6 months | 43 years, 9 months | 118 persons | 3.2% |
Overtime Work Data (Non-consolidated)
| Average number of overtime hours/month | 8.11 hours/month |
|---|---|
| Average overtime wages/month | 18,123 yen/month |
Workforce Diversity
As an organization that conducts global business activities, the Minebea Group believes it is important to strengthen human resource capabilities through workforce diversity. We strive to create work environments in which a diverse group of employees can maximize their talents, regardless of gender, age, nationality, or disabilities.
Promoting Active Roles for Women
As one of its important management strategies, the Minebea Group promotes workforce diversity and encourages the active involvement of its diverse talent as a way to generate new values and competitiveness while supporting the company's sustainable growth.
We have made the promotion of active roles for female employees a priority. We formulated an action plan in March 2016 to establish employment environments in which female employees can perform at high levels, support an increase in the number of female managerial candidates, and establish work environments where female managers can thrive. The action plan includes a target of doubling the ratio of female managers by 2021 (compared with 1.2% in March 2016).
Additionally, in order to improve leadership and other skills, female employees need to perform managerial duties. In FY2015 we provided chief candidates and managers with training on leadership basics and execution, along with leadership workshops.
Appointment of Global Human Resources
The Minebea Group is strengthening initiatives to develop and utilize employees who can support global business expansion. As one initiative, the Group is actively hiring international students studying at Japanese universities. Among the 111 new hires joining the company in April 2016, five were non-Japanese.
We are also actively recruiting new employees outside Japan, including Japanese overseas students studying in the United States and new Chinese graduates in China. In October 2015, we hired three new Chinese employees, and in April 2016, we hired two Japanese overseas students who had just graduated.
Initiatives Regarding Employees with Disabilities
The Minebea Group actively hires persons with disabilities. As of June 2015, the percentage of employees with disabilities was 1.84%. We plan to bolster our efforts to raise employment of persons with disabilities to the legally mandated rate (2.0%).
Our initiatives also consider improvement in the workplace environment by ensuring that all employees, no matter whether or not they have a disability, are motivated to work by having people with specialized skills acting in leadership roles.
Initiatives Regarding Reemployment of Seasoned Employees
The retirement age for Minebea Group employees in Japan is 62. 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. In response to the implementation of the Act of Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons, in principle we re-employ all employees who have a desire to continue working after mandatory retirement. In FY2015, we rehired 39 employees in Japan.
Human Resources Development
The Minebea Group strives to develop human resources with a passion for manufacturing, a global mindset, and the ability to think for oneself and work independently with enthusiasm. In addition to establishing a specialized organization, the Human Resources Development Department, dedicated to the development of our personnel, we utilize rank-based group training, specialized skill acquisition and enhancement training, and on-the-job (OJT) training.
Sending Employees to Study at U.S. Business Schools
Taking a medium- to long-term view of nurturing the next generation of leaders, Minebea selects candidates to participate as visiting fellows at the Center on Japanese Economy and Business at the Columbia University Business School in the United States. We fully sponsor employees during the 10-month study program to give them the chance to interact with a diverse group of students and other fellows and learn the art of management.
Completing My Overseas Program
Beginning in September 2015, the company gave me the opportunity to spend 10 months at Columbia University Business School as a visiting fellow. During this program, I took elective courses at the university, attended speeches by member nation representatives at the United Nations in New York, and had seminars with Columbia business school graduates. This was my first opportunity to learn about case studies from people directly involved in frontline business, which was an invaluable experience I could only get from a place like Columbia.
I was somewhat concerned about leaving behind my work during my period overseas, but the experience that I gained through 10 months of study could not be traded for anything. Now I'm focused on applying the knowledge and experience from the program to my sales work and making greater contributions to the company.
Global Human Resources Development
The Minebea Group is actively developing global human resources. In FY2015, we conducted 19 training sessions for employees prior to their overseas appointments, which were attended by a total of 82 employees. Additionally, we are strengthening programs to support employees prior to their overseas assignments, including through opportunities to improve their English language skills.
Our personnel guidelines stipulate five-year terms for overseas assignments as a way to provide as many employees as possible with opportunities to work in the global arena.
In order to localize the management of overseas sites, our subsidiaries outside Japan provide training to local employees based on their respective training programs. Additionally, overseas employees are invited to Japanese plants as trainees so that we can share new technologies and manufacturing know-how. For management-level local employees, we offer an overseas local manager leadership training program to nurture talent capable of leading our global business. In this way, we are strengthening our systems for ensuring that employees throughout the Minebea Group, not just Japanese employees, can thrive in the global arena.
Principal Domestic Training Programs by Rank
| Program | Participants | Aim of Training |
|---|---|---|
| New Employee Training | New employees |
|
| Junior Employee Training | Employees in their second year of employment |
|
| Intermediate Level Employee 1 Training | In principle, employees in their fifth year of employment |
|
| Intermediate Level Employee 2 Training | In principle, employees in their tenth year of employment |
|
| New Assistant Manager Training | New assistant manager-level employees |
|
| New Manager Training | New manager-level employees |
|
Brother-Sister System
A Brother-Sister System was introduced for employees of Minebea Group's domestic sales division in FY2011. Under this system, a young employee takes on the role of mentor for a new employee and provides guidance and training over a period of six months. Brothers and sisters acting as mentors take part in seminars prior to their assignments to better understand the program and create six-month mentoring plans.
In addition to teaching business skills, the program supports relationship building so new employees can freely consult their mentors concerning issues unrelated to work as well. This helps raise new employees' motivation levels and supports their independence in accordance with the training program plan.
In FY2015, 11 new employees took part in this 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 Vacation for Veteran Employees Program, which gives employees who have worked for Minebea for over 30 years an opportunity to rest and recuperate.
In FY2015, we extended by one year the period under which employees providing childcare can work shorter hours. Additionally, we changed the childcare leave period from six months to one year. In these ways, we are enhancing our personnel systems to enable employees to flexibly choose their working style.
Main Welfare Systems and Number of Users (Japan Group Companies)
| Benefit | Description | Total users |
|---|---|---|
| Child care leave | Paid leave or shorter working hours for employees caring for children | 44 persons |
| Spousal childbirth leave system | System providing leave when a spouse gives birth (up to 2 days) | 37 persons |
| Family care leave | Paid leave or shorter working hours for employees with family members requiring care | 0 persons |
| Vacation for veteran employees | Travel coupons for employees with 30 years of service, and their families | 105 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 holding regular labor-management meetings and taking other measures to actively communicate with labor unions and employee representatives on issues such as the work environment and working conditions.
Global Personnel and General Affairs Meeting
In November 2015, the Minebea Group held a global personnel and general affairs meeting at the Cambodia plant, gathering personnel and general affairs managers from sites in Japan, Thailand, Shanghai, Zhuhai, Singapore, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Managers shared best practices from their sites regarding labor issues, employee training, hiring, and other matters.
Fair and Balanced Evaluation
At the Minebea Group, impartiality and objectivity are our prime concerns in evaluating the abilities and performance of our employees. In FY2014, we revised the personnel evaluation system to raise objectivity and are setting new standards for promotion based on ability, experience, and other factors. We held seminars to explain the new system to employees and raise transparency.
Moving forward, we will implement personnel policies to flexibly respond to changes in the workplace environment and employment structure, with the aim of creating workplaces where employees perform to their maximum potential and where high motivation is rewarded.
Respect for Human Rights
The Minebea Group prohibits discrimination based on such factors as race, age, gender, nationality, and religion. We provide various types of education to ensure this policy is followed, including new employee training using the Minebea Group Officer and Employee Compliance Guidelines, sensitivity training to employees before their assignments to regions with different cultures, and anti-harassment training as part of our rank-based training program. Moreover, we are working to prevent human rights abuses by providing a consultation center and an internal reporting system.
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 share each working group's progress toward its targets. In addition, the Minebea Group's principal plants in its mass production bases of Thailand, China, and Singapore have OHSAS18001 certification, and the Malaysian Plant has also newly obtained the 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. Information about such incidents is shared with other production sites in each country to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Regular patrols at plants
Employees conduct a safety patrol
We conduct monthly safety patrols at the Karuizawa and other plants to ensure that past issues have been addressed and to identify any new issues for improvement. The patrols help to confirm that areas around manufacturing equipment are kept clean and orderly, to request improvements when unsafe areas are discovered, to ensure that tools are stored properly, and to confirm that safety glasses and earplugs are being used.
Promoting Health Management
The Minebea Group strives to maintain and improve the health of its employees in accordance with health-related laws in each country and the circumstances of each work site. We provide employees with regular health checkups, offer health consultations, send notices to employees to curb overtime work hours, and have industrial physicians make regular rounds at work sites.
In regard to mental health care, which has drawn social interest in recent years, we have a consultation structure in place to ensure that employees can discuss issues with industrial physicians and counselors. Additionally, the health advisors working at each plant meet quarterly to discuss issues. Our employee magazine regularly publishes mental health information and we distribute mental health checklists during regular health checkups. In these ways, we are promoting prevention through employee self-assessment and care.
Future Issues and Goals
Moving forward, we will take various measures to improve work-life balance and strengthen health management in order to encourage high levels of motivation and maintain a work environment in which employees can work energetically.
Furthermore, we continue to take various measures to create work environments which can nurture global-minded employees, pass down know-how from one generation to the next, and leverage our diverse workforce. These measures will support our growth as a global enterprise.
Back Number
