Human Resources

Human Resources Principles

The Asahi Kasei Group's Human Resources Principles, established in March 2006, outline the values and behavioral guidelines that should be embraced by each and every employee—our human resources. By ensuring that our employees act in accordance with these principles, we aim to establish it as part of our corporate culture and achieve both growth for each and every employee and development for our Group.

  • [Corporate Commitment] The basic commitment to human resources is to provide the venue for a dynamic and fulfilling career as a part of a lively and growing corporate group. [Basic Expectations] • Enterprise and growth through challenge and change • Integrity and responsibility in action • Respect for diversity [Expectations of Leaders] • Building the team, heightening performance and achievement • Going beyond conventional boundaries, in thought and action • Contributing to mutual development and growth

The Asahi Kasei Group Human Resource Strategy

In 2022 we celebrated the centennial of our founding. Since the beginning, we successfully grew our business by solving social issues that have changed with the times, and continuously transforming our business portfolio. In light of these circumstances, and the recognition of the need for further transformation towards a sustainable society, we launched a Human Resources Strategy Project in fiscal 2021, led by the President, and developed our human resources strategy aligned with our medium-term management plan for fiscal 2024 focused on the theme “Be a Trailblazer,” which began in fiscal 2022.

Two-pillared human resources strategy: lifelong growth and co-creativity of diverse individuals

The current medium-term plan uses the term “A-Spirit” to describe what we expect out of our employees. The 'A' represents the first letter of ‘Asahi Kasei’, signifying that our employees are expected to have ambitious motivation, a healthy sense of urgency, quick decisions, and a spirit of advancement as they embrace new challenges.
We believe that these efforts will enable us to further develop and leverage our intangible assets, including our open and frank corporate culture, diverse talents and technologies, as well as the Group Values of sincerity, challenge, and creativity that have been nurtured over the past 100 years. A fundamental transformation of our business portfolio will require us to reawaken the A-Sprits, and we need human resources and organizations that will keep taking on challenges and making changes proactively and decisively. With this in mind, the current medium-term plan identifies “lifelong growth” and “co-creativity” as the pillars of our human resources strategy.

Our lifelong growth strategy focuses on the following two areas in particular: 1) Encourage all employees to envision their own career goals and continue learning/challenging for growth, 2) Strengthen management skills to maximize the abilities of individuals and teams.
In order to enhance our co-creativity, we will focus on ‘expanding’ and ‘connecting’ diversity. By organically linking the Asahi Kasei Group’s diverse technologies, businesses, and human resources, we will create value that is distinctively ours.

The Asahi Kasei Group Human Resource Strategy

  • 	People are our most valuable assets, everything starts from people Discovering the future with lifelong growth and co-creativity of diverse individuals (1) Promoting challenge and growth Life-long growth Autonomous career development and realization of growth Improving management capabilities to draw out the strengths of individuals and teams (2) Leveraging diversity Co-creation Expanding diversity Diverse expertise, individuality, and work styles Connecting diversity Combination and integration of knowledge Enhancing employee well-being and work engagement Strengthening competitiveness of the Asahi Kasei Group Main KPIs Number of Group Masters FY24: 360, FY21: 259, FY22:294 Growth behavior index Continuous actions to monitor and maintain/improve Engagement survey results on 5-point scale FY2020: 3.65, FY2021: 3.69, FY2022:3.71 Diversified HR index Proportion of women working as managers and Group Masters FY2030: 10% (FY2018: 2.2%, FY2021: 3.4%, FY2022:3.8%) Proportion of women and non-Japanese executive officers FY2018: 8%, FY2022: 22%

Specific initiatives related to “lifelong growth” are described on the "Human resources development and active engagement" page, and those related to “co-creativity” are described on the “DE&I” page.

Policy

Based on the idea that "everything starts with people — people are our most valuable assets," the Asahi Kasei Group upholds a policy of “lifelong growth” whereby we encourage challenge and growth in the development of our human resources. Regarding this policy, we will focus on the following two objectives: 1) Encourage all employees to develop their career path independently and continue learning and challenging themselves for growth, 2) Strengthen management skills to maximize the abilities of individuals and teams.

Human resource development system

We offer a combination of ‘training by rank’ and ‘training by goal’ programs to help employees develop their skills and improve job performance. In addition to building basic skills to carry out their tasks, we support the line managers, develop top management candidates in the next generation, and foster individuals who will be successful globally.

Diagram of human resources development system in fiscal 2022

  • 〈Organizational development〉 【Job rank:Executive Officer Managing Executive Division head Department head Section head Manager】Using KSA for organizational development Field practitioner training course 【Job rank:Division head  Department head Section head Manager】Experiential learning (career hires) Note:Now closed 〈Training by rank〉【Job rank:Executive Officer】Executive Forum New Executive Officers' seminar 【Job rank:Managin Executive】Leaders' forum 【Job rank:Division head】New Directors at development companies E-learning New division head management reinforcement (Coaching program) New division head e-learning(Internal controls/personnel management) 【Job rank:Division head Department head】Financial accounting practical training 【Job rank:Department head】New L2 Management Training(with MBO-S. 360° FB) Business management transfer training(L transfer) 【Job rank:Section head】Business management candidate training(L-training) E-transfer basic knowledge training 【Job rank:Manager】Problem solving practical training Second-year followup training New hire training 〈Training by goal〉[Management support measures]【Job rank:Division head Department head】1-on-1 training 【Job rank:Department head Section head】Problem solving support training Evaluator training* [Next generation management leader development system]【Job rank:Division head Department head Section head】FLY(Future Leader of Young and next generation) BAC(Business Advanced Course) 【Job rank:Division head Department head】Education for management leaders(E-learning & external training) [Global]【Job rank:Division head Department head Section head Manager】Intercultural communication training Global business skills training 【Job rank:Division head Department head Section head】Global management training 【Job rank:Department head Section head Manager】Short-term dispatch* 【Job rank:Section head Manager】Designated study abroad & practical training Open study abroad* 【Job rank:Managing Executive Division head Department head】Career training (50s)* Note: Now closed for 40s 【Job rank:Department head Section head Manager】Career Hire Roundtable Meeting Now closed 〈System〉【Job rank:Managing Executive Division head Department head Section head Manager〉Self-improvement support system* 【Job rank:Division head Department head Section head Manager】Position posting system* 〈Other〉【Job rank:Division head Department head Section head)Local staff (management personnel education)* * Training programs held by organizations other than Human Resources and Organization Development.
  • 1 KSA is the name of our engagement survey for vitality and growth assessment.
  • 2 FLY is an abbreviation for Future Leaders of the Young and next generation, a selective program to foster next-generation leaders.

Reference: Asahi Kasei Group's investment in training per employee (actual)

FY2020 FY2021 FY2022
Investment in training (total) 2,129,282 (thousand yen) 2,806,147 (thousand yen) 3,471,596 (thousand yen)
Investment in training (per employee) 126 (thousand yen) 166 (thousand yen) 198 (thousand yen)
Time invested in training (per employee) 21.5 (hours) 22.3 (hours) 25.7 (hours)

Measures to support self-directed career development

Introduction of “CLAP” reskilling program

CLAP stands for Co-Learning Adventure Place, our unique program for employees to learn any content from over ten thousand courses for free. This program supports employees in acquiring necessary skills for their workplaces and facilitates reskilling to adapt to environmental changes and business transitions. As part of the CLAP rollout, we have incorporated the “learning together” concept, while helping continuous learning to fulfill their responsibilities and career goals. By leveraging people’s appeal and relationships, we offer opportunities for them to learn together and have fun at the same time.

  • つながる。ひろがる。CLAP

Encouraging the senior generation’s participation by extending the retirement age

In this rapidly changing era, there is a growing number of issues that require the wisdom and experience of diverse human resources. Given the age distribution, it is also imperative to transfer technological skills to younger generations. Therefore, we have extended the retirement age to 65, effective from fiscal 2023, hoping that all employees will further develop their expertise and remain active beyond the age of 60. In addition, we have updated our rehiring program and introduced a new benefit plan to empower employees so that they can enhance their skills and fulfill their expected roles, reach their full potential, and lead fulfilling lives.

Position posting system

We adopted an open recruitment policy in fiscal 2003. Since then, dozens of employees voluntarily move from one department to another to take on new challenges each year. The number of transfers under this program has been growing in recent years, from 25 employees in 2020, 53 in 2021, to 67 in 2022. To support lifelong growth and self-directed career development, which are the pillars of our human resources strategy, we aim to revitalize the workforce by expanding the scope of concurrent roles within the company, enabling employees to gain experience outside their departments for a certain period.

Supporting independent study

In October 2003, the Asahi Kasei instituted a program to support independent study by employees. To encourage employees to acquire higher level specialized or technological ability, the company will pay part of the cost of attending courses or lectures. In fiscal 2022, a total of 1,260 employees utilized the program.

Measures to improve management capabilities to draw out the strengths of individuals and teams

We aim to create an organization that can enhance vitality and spur the growth of both individuals and the organization.

Action for improved engagement KSA (vitality and growth assessment)

In fiscal 2020, we reviewed the content of our existing employee awareness survey and introduced KSA (vitality and growth assessment), a new survey that aims to confirm work engagement and behaviors conducive to growth. The survey is provided once a year to all employees in Japan, and the report is provided to line managers as reference information for understanding the current state of their organizations. We also engage in activities aimed at creating a better workplace through dialogue with employees.

At the same time, we conduct stress checks to identify health risks and create an environment in which each employee can achieve sustainable growth while maintaining good physical and mental health.

  • 	KSA is based on the Vitality and Growth Environment Model in Organizational Behavior by Professor Hirakimoto of Osaka University, and assesses the state of individuals and organizations in terms of three indicators: (1)supervisor-subordinate relationship, workplace environments (2)employee empowerment (3)action driving growth. By assessing the level of impact of those three indicators, it can:・Clarify the effects of initiatives taken so far ・Indicate the current state of the organization to guide next steps. The KSA(Vitality and Growth Assessment) Structure (1)Supervisor-subordinate relationships, workplace environments→ (2)Employee empowerment→ (3)Action driving growth→ Individual and organizational growth→ (1)Supervisor-subordinate relationships, workplace environments/(2)Employee empowerment Items measurable by KSA(Vitality and Growth Assessment) (1)Supervisor-subordinate relationships, workplace environments(Organizational resources) ・Supervisor encouragement ・Interpersonal relationships supporting work ・Inspiring ingenuity ・Respecting diversity ・Workplace encouraging frank discussion (psychological safety)  (2)Vitality (Engagement)  ・Ability to maintain a positive outlook(Individual capabilities) -Self confidence, self actualization -Ability to overcome adversity -Ability to set a path toward a goal -Optimism ・Work engagement (3)Action driving growth ・Experiential learning behavior ・Contribution to the organization ・Problem solving, making improvements ・Job crafting
  • Trends of the 3 KSA indicators Supervisor-subordinate relationships and workplace environments:FY2020 3.77, FY2021 3.81, FY2022 3.83, Vitality (Engagement):FY2020 3.52 FY2021 3.54 FY2022 3.54 Action driving growth(To be monitored as the challenge and growth KPI):FY2020 3.65 FY2021 3.69 FY2022 3.71
    Note: Answer on a scale of 1 to 5.

Enhancing management skills and developing upper-management candidates

We offer an extensive training program for manager-class personnel, who play a key role in organizational management. The program includes group training on management, e-learning, 360-degree feedback, 1-on-1 lectures, and courses on KSA (see above). In fiscal 2020, we started offering personal coaching for department managers to help them solve problems on their own. As of February 2023, two hundred people out of 680 manager-class employees have already completed the program.
We also put emphasis on the development and acquisition of upper management talent. In addition to encouraging their personal growth through coaching, we offer programs to strengthen leadership and teamwork. Every year, several employees are designated as Group Executives* through this program. As of April 2023, there were 36 Group Executives, and 76 department/division manager-class individuals in the candidate pool to become Group Executives. We will maintain this talent pool in terms of both quality and quantity.

  • * Those selected from among the Executive Officers, who have the responsibility and authority to enhance the Asahi Kasei Group’s value as a whole, are designated as Group Executives with the approval of the Board of Directors. Specifically, these are Lead Executive Officers or above in Asahi Kasei, as well as Executive Officers of equivalent standing in the core operating companies.

Developing digital human resources to promote Digital Transformation (DX)

In 2021, we formulated DX Vision 2030 to promote the development of DX as a pillar of our growth strategy. We will strive to achieve a sustainable society a reality by maximizing the benefits of digital technology.
The most important factor in promoting DX is digital human resources. While enhancing DX training by employee level, we are working to increase the number of digital professionals who can promote advanced digitalization to 10 times as many as in fiscal 2021 by the end of fiscal 2024. As part of our DX training for all employees, in April 2021 we launched an internal “Open Badge System” to promote the acquisition of fundamental digital knowledge, and we are also developing a DX training program for business managers.

  • Human Resources Digitization Plan for All Employees→Level3 Digital Professional Human Resource Candidates→Level4&5:Digital Professional Human Resources

Functional enhancement of HR Dept.

For successful human capital management, it is essential to enhance the organizational capacity of the HR department, which plays a crucial role in achieving this goal. Upon redefining the capabilities required for the HR department in the future, we put particular emphasis on improving data utilization skills and career consulting capabilities. As for the data utilization skills, we have developed an in-house program, supervised by Professor Hiroya Hirakimoto of Osaka University, to equip all HR members with data collection and analysis skills (as of the end of fiscal 2022, 77 people have completed the courses). We also encourage employees to obtain national career consultant certifications. As of April 2023, 27 employees have been certified. In fiscal 2022, we established the Career Development section to support the career development of our employees, as a measure to provide enhanced career solutions for the senior generation, young and mid-career workforce.

Policy

The Asahi Kasei Group Code of Conduct clearly stipulates that "we must respect individuals' basic human rights and diversity, not discriminate on the basis of nationality, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, gender, ideology, age, physical characteristics, sexual orientation and gender identity, employment status, form of contract, etc., nor condone such discrimination" as company policy. We promote the establishment of a vibrant workplace that ensures equal opportunity and enables all employees to perform at their best without experiencing discrimination. We aim to instill our company policy to prevent any discrimination or harassment through corporate ethics training for employees at each level, including new hires, newly appointed assistant managers, and section managers. Additionally, we consistently provide corporate ethics training tailored to specific business units and geographical areas.

We have also identified “co-creativity” as one of the pillars of our human resources strategy in the current medium-term management plan. To respond to a rapidly changing business environment and continue creating new value, it is essential for us to enhance “co-creativity” by leveraging diverse human resources to collaborate in new business development. Diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) is one of our key management strategies. To leverage our co-creativity, we must ‘expand’ and ‘connect’ our diversity, organically integrating technologies, businesses, and human resources to bring out our unique value.

Management Framework

Recognizing the importance of developing an organization comprised of talented individuals with diverse backgrounds to ensure our sustainable growth, we promote the diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives group-wide, led by the Diversity Promotion Office, a department dedicated to addressing this subject. At the same time, we are working to strengthen our promotion framework by establishing a committee led by the upper management and business unit leaders to monitor and expedite the progress of DE&I initiatives.

Development of diverse professionals through the Group Masters program

We employ a "Group Masters" program to broaden the segment of human resources with expertise that holds universal value through the appointment, training, and treatment of human resources expected to be actively involved and participating in creating new business and strengthening existing business as "Group Masters." Under the program, we have defined five categories of Group Masters. We have clarified the respective roles of each Group Master category and enhanced treatment to create a mechanism that encourages the growth of human resources while securing outstanding external human resources at the same time.
We have also formulated a succession plan for Group Masters in each field, and have linked the succession plan to business reinforcement and human resource development, which will strengthen our competitive edge.

Categories and roles of Group Masters

  • 	[Categories] Executive Fellow (status equivalent to Executive Officer):Person who newly developed or considerably expanded a field of technology Principal Expert(status equivalent to Managing Executive or Senior Managing Executive):Person who takes the lead in a field of technology Senior Fellow(status equivalent to Managing Executive, Senior Managing Executive, or Executive Officer):Person whose term as Executive Fellow or Principal Expert expires after retirement age but who is expected to continue the roles shown at right [Roles] 1. Actively participating in and contributing to new business creation and strengthening operations by cultivating and enhancing their skills and abilities as a leading specialist. 2. Fostering younger personnel in the relevant areas. [Categories]Lead Expert:Person ranked below Principal Expert(candidate to be Principal Expert) Expert: Person ranked below Lead Expert(candidate to be Lead Expert) [Roles] Actively participating in and contributing to new business creation and strengthening operations by cultivating and enhancing their skills and abilities. Expertise/Compensation

Target areas

  • 	Changes to the Group Master Technical Fields in FY2022 [Core Platform Fields]Digital Innovation Digital Innovation Administrative staff・Legal affairs ・Accounting・Tax ・Trade・Customs ・M&A ・IT ・Institutions and shares・Pension Asset Management ・Insurance and risk management ・Internal Audits ・Human resources and organizational development ・Marketing ・Procurement and logistics Quality Assurance・Quality assurance ・Reliability assurance ・Chemicals management Environment & Safety・Workplace safety ・Environmental protection ・Process safety ・Machine safety [R&D]・Intellectual property ・Clinical research ・R&D ・CVC [Core Technology Fields]・Membranes・Separation ・Electrochemistry (electrolysis and batteries) ・Fibers・Polymers ・Catalysts・Chemical processes・Inorganic synthesis ・Compound semiconductors ・Analysis technology and computer simulation ・Biotechnology  ・Chemical process technology・Polymer processing technology CAE technology・Measurement, control, and mechanical systems technology ・Design and construction technology  [Business unit-specific fields][Homes]・Inorganic construction materials technology ・Homes technology development ・Homes product development ・Real estate・Development ・Real estate financing ・Architecture・Civil engineering technology ・Homes procurement [Material]・R&D ・Technical ・Services・Process development ・Quality assurance [Health Care]・R&D ・Drug discovery research・Regulatory affairs・Reliability assurance ・Medical/scientific affairs ・Pharmaceutical licensing・Pharmaceutical business development・Project management・China pharmaceutical business・Pharmaceutical marketing・Medical technology・Regulatory affairs & reliability assurance

Changes to the Group Master Specialization Fields in fiscal 2023

Core Technology fields

Among Core Technology fields, three related to production technology were reclassified into the following six:

  • Chemical process technology
  • Polymer processing technology
  • CAE technology
  • Measurement, control, and mechanical systems technology
  • Design and construction technology
  • Plant engineering

Core Platform fields

The following were newly added among administrative staff fields:

  • Procurement and logistics
  • Insurance and risk management
  • Institutions and shares

Business unit-specific fields

The following was newly established in the Homes sector:

  • Homes procurement

To achieve the objectives of creating new business and expanding our businesses through the Group Masters system, we have been reviewing and enhancing our specialization fields every year in line with our business policy.
In fiscal 2023, new fields were established and appointment requirements were reviewed as follows.

  • In the field of production technology, key technologies have changed considerably in response to changes in the business environment. We have created an environment enabling us to develop highly skilled human resources and pursue technological advancement by optimizing the division of fields to match the actual situation. We have recategorized the fields to facilitate collaboration with other areas and contribute to the Asahi Kasei Group’s business.
  • The growing complexity of procurement and logistics operations has urged us to strengthen the expertise of the organization through the development of personnel with high expertise who can lead in this field. Given this situation, we set up a new field specializing in procurement and logistics along with its assignment requirements. Furthermore, since Asahi Kasei Homes needs expertise specific to the housing business as well, we established Homes procurement as a separate field and defined its assignment requirements.
  • To address the need for risk financing and avoidance/mitigation measures for the qualitatively and quantitatively visualized risks, we established a new field of insurance and risk management, along with its assignment requirements.
  • In response to the increasingly sophisticated demands of investors for corporate management coupled with the need for better corporate governance based on an understanding of the Group's business, we established a new field for institutions and shares along with its assignment requirements.

Number of Group Masters and Targets

In our medium-term management plan that began in 2022, we set the KPI for the number of Group Masters to reach 300 in total by fiscal 2024, but because we are almost there as of 2022, we have increased the KPI to 360.

  • Group Master Numbers and Targets Expert,Lead Expert,Principal Expert,Executive Fellow,Senior Fellow,Honorary FellowTotal January 2018 124 October 2018 180 October 2019 229 October 2020 250  October2021 259 As of October 2022 294
    Group Master Numbers and Targets

Expansion of opportunities for women

Based on the belief that the expansion of opportunities for women is one of the key elements of DE&I promotion and that advancing this initiative will lead to an environment in which a diverse array of human resources can play an active role regardless of gender, other attributes and age, etc. we established a dedicated organization (currently the Diversity Promotion Office) in 1993 to foster an environment in which women can continue working through expanded job opportunities and support measures that help them to balance work and family life. Since the 2010s, we have supported career development by providing handbooks to supervisors containing reference information on nurturing female employees who joined the company right after college. We also conducted seminars prior to maternity leave and on returning to work. Additionally, we offered a mentor program to support the career development of female managers after experiencing childbirth, child care, and other life events. In 1994, we had only three female managers, but as of June 1, 2023, the number has increased to 309. At the upper management level, we currently have two female Executive Officers, two female Directors, and one female Audit & Supervisory Board Member.
Under our medium-term management plan announced in April 2022, we declared our intention to focus on the ratio of female managers in leadership positions (for line posts and highly specialized positions) as an indicator to measure the success of our diverse human resources (FY2030 target is 10%). The ratio is also reflected to the remuneration of Executive Officers. In addition, based on these developments, our Action Plan for the expansion of opportunities for women has been revised as follows.

  • Changes in the number of female managers '18 193,'19 212,'20 231,'21 257,'22 277,'23 309
    Changes in the number of female managers
Asahi Kasei Group Action Plan* We have developed an action plan to promote the active participation of women more than ever. As part of our efforts to create an environment in which diverse human resources with various values and backgrounds can play an active role together and contribute to the growth of our business and organization.
Term FY2022 to 2025
Content
Objective 1
Expand the human resources that can be candidates for senior management who play a leading role:
Increase the number of female managers by 40% from the number as of March 31, 2021
Latest status: 36% increase (as of June 1, 2023)
Objective 2
Aim for a situation where women are active in positions where they play a leading role:
Aim to increase the ratio of women in positions of Manager and above and in Group Master positions to at least 10% by the end of fiscal 2030, and implement the following during the term:
(1) Formulate and implement action plans for promoting women’s active involvement within business organizations
(2) Spread understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion initiatives, including the promotion of women's active involvement
Latest status: 3.9% (as of June 1, 2023)
  • * Asahi Kasei, Asahi Kasei Microdevices, Asahi Kasei Homes, Asahi Kasei Construction Materials, Asahi Kasei Pharma, and Asahi Kasei Medical

Promotion of work style reforms

The Asahi Kasei Group is promoting work style reforms to enable all employees to reach their full potential in alignment with social trends.
In response to the spread of COVID-19, the work-from-home program introduced in 2019 was extended as a temporary work-from-home policy. In July 2022, this temporary arrangement became permanent with the introduction of telecommuting aid. Specifics are as follows:

Work from home program Eliminated limit on number of times the program can be used
Expanded eligibility for new employees, etc.
Introduced work-from-home allowance
Flexible work hours without core hours Systematized concept of “interval” between working hours and applied to eligible employees

Balancing work and family life

In order to improve the balance of work and family life, the Asahi Kasei Group complies with laws and regulations aimed at eliminating and reducing long working hours and provides various forms of support for employees to work with security and vitality in accordance with their individual circumstances and values from the perspective of balancing work and family life. At the same time, we also foster a workplace environment that facilitates utilization of the provisions by raising awareness of them through our corporate intranet and offering management support for superiors. Many of the provisions we offer are also available to non-regular employees with some changes to the details, and are actually utilized by them.

Parental leave

Our parental leave is available through the fiscal year in which the child turns 3 years old at Group companies in Japan*.
In fiscal 2022, 844 people took advantage of the parental leave, of which 538 were men and 306 were women. The parental leave utilization rate for men who had a newborn child was 77.5%.
As an initiative to support male employees in taking parental leave, we launched the “Papa and Pre-parent Seminar” in April 2021. The program includes explanations of the parental leave system and other systems to support balancing work and child care, as well as case studies shared by those who have taken child care leave. A total of 110 individuals participated in fiscal 2022.

  • * Regular employees of Asahi Kasei, Asahi Kasei Microdevices, Asahi Kasei Homes, Asahi Kasei Construction Materials, Asahi Kasei Pharma, Asahi Kasei Medical, and major affiliates in Japan are eligible.

Employees using parental leave Women Fiscal ‘18 236,Fiscal ‘19 251,Fiscal ‘20 265,Fiscal ‘21 287,Fiscal ‘22 306, Men Fiscal ‘18 392,Fiscal ‘19 417,Fiscal ‘20 433,Fiscal ‘21 420, Fiscal ‘22 538 * Number of employees who took parental leave in each fiscal yearEmployees using parental leave

Shortened working hours for child care

At Group companies in Japan*, employees are able to utilize shortened working hours to care for preschoolers, with the working day shortened by up to 2 hours until the child enters elementary school. In September 2007, a provision called “Kids Support” was added to enable employees with children until the end of the third grade of elementary school can work in a short time as well. These provisions may be used concurrently with a "flex-time" system for flexible working hours.
In fiscal 2022, 462 employees took advantage of shortened working hours for childcare and kids’ support, one of whom was a male employee. In April 2020, we began to expand the applicable period of the shortened working hours system for childcare for contract employees (up to the start of elementary school) and the application of the kids support system.

  • * Asahi Kasei, Asahi Kasei Microdevices, Asahi Kasei Homes, Asahi Kasei Construction Materials, Asahi Kasei Pharma, and Asahi Kasei Medical

Shortened working hours for child care・Utilization of “Kids Support” shortened working hours for child care Short working hours (women) Fiscal ‘18 356,Fiscal ‘19 350,Fiscal ‘20 366,Fiscal ‘21 322,Fiscal ‘22 307,Short working hours (men) Fiscal ‘18 3,Fiscal ‘19 3,Fiscal ‘20 4,Fiscal ‘21 2,Fiscal ‘22 1,Kids Support (women)Fiscal ‘18 92,Fiscal ‘19 141,Fiscal ‘20 123,Fiscal ‘21 135,Fiscal ‘22 154 Kids Support (men)Fiscal ‘18 1,Fiscal ‘19 2,Fiscal ‘20 0,Fiscal ’21 0, Fiscal ’22 0Shortened working hours for child care・Utilization of “Kids Support” shortened working hours for child care

Platinum Kurumin certification mark

In 2016, Asahi Kasei Corp., Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corp., Asahi Kasei Pharma Corp., and Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. received Platinum Kurumin certification from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Platinum Kurumin certification is awarded in recognition of proactive support for the development of the next generation which is particularly outstanding.

Platinum Kurumin We Support Child Care

Support for family care

Group companies in Japan* have established systems to support caring for family members that go beyond legal stipulations to provide support for balancing work with care for family members.

  • Leave of absence for family care:

    A leave of absence of 245 days in total is available for each disease of each family member who requires care.

  • Shortened working hours for family care:

    A total of 1,225 days for each family member who requires care

  • Flexible working hours for family care:

    Flex-time system for working with short core times, etc.

Since 2011, our Group has held seminars on balancing work and family care at various locations throughout Japan. Since 2020, the seminars have been held online for our Group employees throughout Japan. We are working to meet a diverse array of needs, such as by offering “Seminars for Supervisors with Subordinates Balancing Family Care and Work” from 2018 to 2020, “Seminars on Balancing Work and Family Care: Basic Knowledge” in 2021, and “Seminars on Balancing Work and Caregiving: Long Distance Caregiving” in 2022.
The free caregiving telephone consultation service (available 365 days a year and 24 hours a day to all Group employees and their family members), which was launched in April 2019, has been used for over 18 cases over the year. Furthermore, in April 2020, we expanded our short-time work program for caregivers as a measure in response to the increase in the number of at-home caregivers.

At the same time, in order to create an environment that facilitates utilization of these systems, we disseminate information on balancing work and family care and information about these provisions through our corporate intranet and distributed booklet on balancing work with care for family members (since January 2013).

  • * Asahi Kasei, Asahi Kasei Microdevices, Asahi Kasei Homes, Asahi Kasei Construction Materials, Asahi Kasei Pharma, and Asahi Kasei Medical

Caring for Your FamilyBooklet on balancing work with care for family members

  • Pregnancy, Delivery, Child care: One year old, Two years old, Three years old, Entry to elementary school, End of third grade, Family care, Time off/leave, Others (Women only: Time off for morning sickness, Maternity leave, 42 days, 56 days, Plus 14 days off before/after delivery), Up to April 1 after child reaches three years of age, Parental leave, Leave of absence for family care (245 days per illness), Time off for family care, Expanded application of unused paid days off to care for family members (up to 40 days), Time off for family illness, Shortened working hours for child care, Kids Support shortened working hours for child care, Shortened working hours for family care (1,225 days per person requiring family care), Flexible working hours for family care, Financial assistance for employing babysitters/caretakers
    Main provisions to support balance in work and family life

Personnel transfers across business sectors

We have been engaged in cross-sector personnel transfers for some time. In fiscal 2022, approximately 300 employees were transferred across our business sectors. (The number includes those affected by organizational reforms.) A recent example of our expansion through these efforts is the overseas expansion of Asahi Kasei Homes. We expanded the business at a faster pace by leveraging our group-wide resources, knowledge, and business foundations. This overseas expansion has led to growth in Asahi Kasei Homes business and increased its cash generating capacity. Our group-wide efforts to expand business by leveraging human resources like this are the fruit of our “diversity in business and technology” referred to as intangible assets. We plan to further strengthen such efforts in the future.

Introduction of CaMP (talent management system)

In fiscal 2022, we began using this talent management system to visualize our human resources. We call this talent management system as CaMP, which stands for Career Management Place. Using the CaMP, we aim to promote “co-creation” by centrally managing personnel information, including career plans, expertise, and experience, and by providing support for growth, such as human resource development and personnel allocation.

Development of global human resources

We have implemented measures aimed at promoting global business development from the human resources perspective, as defined in our medium-term management plan. These include “Study Abroad Program Open to All” and “Short-Term Overseas Training Program” for young employees who wish to gain overseas experience, as well as “Overseas Practical Training Program” for selected employees aspiring to be a manager of our overseas subsidiaries, and “Study Abroad Program for Nominated Employees" for those who want to be involved in global business development. We are also working to develop local talent in our overseas subsidiaries to strengthen their co-creation skills.
We provide and administer programs tailored to their situation, including the relocation of local employees overseas, raising awareness about our philosophy, providing intercultural communication and manager training.
For example, in China, Asahi Kasei (China) Co., Ltd. provides all local subsidiaries of Asahi Kasei in China with open lectures, as well as human resource development programs based on their job function and level.
In addition to increasing the number of foreign nationals and local hires in key positions overseas to support business development outside Japan, we promote initiatives that foster talented individuals who will contribute to the Asahi Kasei Group’s success beyond their roles in the respective fields. For example, during the review of the medium-term management plan that began in 2022, the leadership candidates in the U.S., Europe, China, and Japan discussed the ideal for the Asahi Kasei Group in 2030. The recommendations made during this discussion formed the basis of the “Be a Trailblazer” concept of our medium-term management plan.
We also actively promote talented individuals who joined the Asahi Kasei Group through international M&A and became involved in management as Executive Officers.
Note that Asahi Kasei Corporation has seven non-Japanese Executive Officers in fiscal 2023.

Employment of persons with disabilities

The Group supports all employees regardless of disability status so that they can fulfill their potential and work in comfort.
Asahi Kasei Ability Corp. was established in 1985 as a special subsidiary for the employment of persons with disabilities, performing a wide range of services for the Asahi Kasei Group, including office automation services such as data entry, digitizing documents (conversion to PDF files), website design, printing of business cards, document printing and binding, dispatch of sample products, cleaning, copying, and planter box gardening. Our Group offers a variety of services, including data entry, digitization of documents (into PDFs), OA services such as website creation, business card creation, printing and bookbinding, serving as an agent for sample shipments, cleaning, transcription, and tending to flowers.
The statutory employment rate for persons with disabilities in fiscal 2022 was 2.3%, while the Asahi Kasei Group’s annual hiring rate for the year was 2.40%*. As of March 31, 2023, it was 2.38% (657 persons), which is above the legal requirement.

  • * The rate of employment and the number of persons employed are the average figures for each fiscal year for applicable companies of the Asahi Kasei Group. Calculations are based on total employment of 27,607 persons at the 23 applicable companies as of March 31, 2023. (number of persons calculated in accordance with the Act on Employment Promotion, etc. of Persons with Disabilities)

Rate of employment and number of persons with disabilities employed [Asahi Kasei Ability] FY 2018: 379, FY 2019: 418, FY 2020: 438, FY 2021: 453, FY 2022: 464 [Other companies] FY 2018: 195, FY 2019: 191, FY 2020: 185, FY 2021: 190, FY 2022: 188 [Employment rate] FY 2018: 2.23%, FY 2019: 2.31%, FY 2020: 2.38%, FY 2021: 2.42%, FY 2022: 2.37% [Statutory employment rate] FY 2018: 2.2%, FY 2019: 2.2%, FY 2020: 2.3%, FY 2021: 2.3%, FY 2022: 2.3%Rate of employment and number of persons with disabilities employed*

Initiatives at Asahi Kasei Ability

(1) Expanding Existing Operations

  • 1.Creating banana paper business cards

    We use banana paper, which is made from banana fiber extracted from organic banana stems, as a material for making business cards, whereas previously it was disposed as waste. In terms of SDGs, these business cards have been attracting a lot of attention within our Group as well, and requests for their production have increased, leading to their expansion.

  • 2. Expansion of ceramic business (handmade ceramics)

    We have been developing job duties suitable for the unique natures of various disabilities, and we have continued conducting operations in the agriculture industry, ceramics industry, and coffee processing. This allows us to ensure a wide variety of work processes and provide manufacturing work experience by having employees use their hands and fingers. In March 2023, we purchased a new electric furnace and began using it in production to meet the rising demand for products like chopstick rests and small plates.

  • Working with ceramics
  • Crafted chopstick rests

(2) Abilympics (skills competition for people with disabilities)
Many employees from Asahi Kasei Ability participate in the Abilympics (a skills competition for people with disabilities) in various prefectures every year and win prizes. In fiscal 2022 national competition (held in Chiba Prefecture), nine employees participated as prefectural representatives, and two employees won Silver Awards in the office assistant category. In March 2023, the 10th International Abilympics was held in Metz, France, and a member of Asahi Kasei Ability represented Japan to compete in the dressmaking category, showcasing skills acquired through daily work in Japan and abroad.

  • A scene from the sewing competition
  • Group photo of the participants

System to Support the Activities of All Motivated Human Resources

In addition to promoting the active participation of women and people with disabilities, we have developed a wide range of supportive measures to create an environment that supports the individual circumstances of our employees and allows them to fully demonstrate their abilities.

For example, we have established a rehabilitation work system that allows employees to resume work in a phased manner in accordance with the instructions of an industrial physician to support a smooth return to work after a period of medical treatment. In March 2023, we launched a new program called “Time off for medical appointments” to assist employees in balancing work responsibilities with necessary medical care. This program provides support for employees who are in need of hospital visits for medical care or infertility treatment.
As globalization continues to advance, an increasing number of personnel have a spouse who is transferred to an overseas assignment. In fiscal 2013 we adopted a provision for such personnel to take a leave of absence to accompany their spouses living overseas. In fiscal 2022, this provision was utilized by 11 personnel (including 0 male employees).
In January 2021, we began offering equal recognition to same-sex partners as married couples under our internal rules to support LGBTQ employees. The head office building has genderless restrooms that are accessible to anyone regardless of their sex or gender identity. We will continue to promote LGBTQ awareness among employees and create a more comfortable workplace.

Policy

The Asahi Kasei Group believes that all of the human resources working at the Group are the source of new value creation based on their diversity and capability to change.

As a signatory to the UN Global Compact, the Group supports and respects the labor-related principles set forth therein. We also endorse the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Children's Rights and Business Principles, and we will use these frameworks to grasp and appropriately address labor issues in our business.
The United Nations Global Compact stipulates the following labor principles.

  • Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining
  • Businesses should uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor
  • Businesses should uphold the effective abolition of child labor
  • Businesses should uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

Furthermore, the Asahi Kasei Group Code of Conduct clearly states that the Group, as well as its suppliers, does not allow inhumane practices such as child and forced labor, prohibits discrimination for any reason including employment status, respects human rights and diversity, and carries out its business with sincerity and a sense of responsibility.

Based on the above approach, we will not only comply with domestic and international labor laws and regulations on the following labor issues, but also strive to create a work environment where employees can reach their maximum abilities while working with safety and peace of mind.

  • Prevention of child and forced labor
  • Reduction of excessive working hours
  • Formulation of working conditions based on consultation between labor and management

    Asahi Kasei Corporation offers new graduates a starting salary of at least 115% above the national weighted average of regional minimum wages in Japan.
    We maintain a set standard of living for our employees by complying with each region’s decided minimum wage and paying a fair living wage.
    We also adhere to the minimum wage regulations set by local ordinances and provide equal remuneration for the same positions, without considering gender or other differences, based on the fundamental principle of equal pay for equal work.

  • Guarantee of freedom of association and collective bargaining rights

    We guarantee the freedom of association and collective bargaining rights for the employees we hire.

The Asahi Kasei Group's working conditions are formulated and implemented based on consultation and agreement between labor and management.

Management Framework

General Affairs and Human Resources of Asahi Kasei Corporation oversee the Asahi Kasei Group’s initiatives related to personnel and labor management. Each Group company has its own HR policy and is actively engaged in human resource development. Regular audits are conducted to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, as well as to prevent any improprieties. The results of these audits are reported to the Board of Directors as necessary.

Compliance with labor standards

Consultation between labor and management regarding labor standards

We strive to ensure legal compliance through such means as sharing information on topic and amendments to labor-related laws with Group companies in order to ensure Group-wide legal compliance.
In fiscal 2017, our Group also established an expert committee for the labor union and company to examine work style reform, and measures such as a telecommuting system have been implemented.
Moreover, we have promoted the use of annual leave days to reduce working hours. In addition to this, we monitor workplaces that have comparatively long working hours with the aim of preventing excessive working hours at the level of each organization.

In fiscal 2022, there was three violations of the Labor Standards Law. The amount of overtime and holiday work exceeded the monthly limit (80 hours). After the violation occurred, we promptly held a hearing with the senior manager of the affected organization to determine the cause and implement preventive measures. We also adjusted workloads and enhanced the workplace support structure.
In fiscal 2022, we started offering e-learning courses on attendance management to all personnel responsible for work hours and attendance in order to enhance labor-management awareness on a company-wide level.

Communication between management and labor

The Group supports employees' freedom of association and right to collective bargaining and strives to maintain a constructive partnership between management and labor.
Discussions on the overall management of the Asahi Kasei Group are held on a regular basis between the management of Asahi Kasei Corp. and the labor union, and separate discussions are periodically held at each business unit and operating site. We also hold regular management roundtables with the Asahi Kasei Group Federation of Labor Unions, which is an alliance of our individual labor unions, to provide opportunities for discussion and to facilitate communication between workers and management.
We have concluded a union shop agreement with the Asahi Kasei Labor Union (an agreement under which all employees, except managers and supervisors, are members of the union), and the union has 9,713 members (as of June 1, 2023).

Creating Regional Employment

In the regions where our Group‘s businesses operate, we will contribute to local communities through employment and procurement activities in those communities.