Health & Productivity Management Initiatives

KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION has declared it is committed to improving the mental and physical health of each employee and will proactively carry out the following activities accordingly. 

In order to promote the health of employees, we set reducing “obesity rate (for those 40 and above)” and “smoking cessation rate” as key targets, and carry out the following measures to achieve those targets.

We implemented a health management system, which enables the status of checkup appointments and participation to be shared with managers. Thanks to providing thorough follow up to ensure appointments are kept, we have achieved a 100% participation rate. We also take preventative measures by using the system in health guidance and encouraging employees to take follow-up tests.

We are also enhancing a wide range of health education efforts and strengthening efforts to achieve targets.

In fiscal 2022 we launched a new initiative called “Vegetable Check,” where employees get their vegetable intake levels checked and receive advice from a registered dietitian. The event is held regularly, once every three months.

Participation has grown each time. Many who had not been eating enough vegetables have shown improvement by the next Vegetable Check. We will continue to regularly hold the event in an effort to improve dietary habits.

In line with World No-Tobacco Day and No Tobacco Week, we distribute questionnaires on smoking and provide no smoking education to smokers by an occupational doctor.

We are also strengthening efforts to lower the smoking cessation rate, such as providing online quit smoking programs in collaboration with our insurer and offering financial assistance for smoking cessation outpatient treatment.

In fiscal 2022, KOKUSAI ELECTRIC saw a decrease in overall health risks from stress checks, but a sharp increase in workers taking mental health leave. We are taking the following measures to detect and respond to mental health problems early to ensure they do not become serious.

Creating an environment that enables workers to take stress checks via the health management system has increased the participation rate.

Based on the stress check group analysis results, we provide feedback to each workplace to improve the workplace environment. When there is a high-stress workplace, we send an occupational doctor to conduct interviews on the circumstances at the workplace and develop and implement an action plan to improve the workplace environment.

Regular consultations with an occupational doctor are provided to workers with mental health issues in collaboration with an occupational psychiatrist and nurse. We also utilize treatment handbooks to help those who take mental health leave recover and get back to work without worry.

We established an internal consultation desk that employees can contact anytime, where nurses are available to respond and provide follow-up as needed. We also established a health consultation desk with a female occupational health staff (occupational doctors and nurses) to provide support so employees can work without worry.

We are enhancing our consultation system so that employees and their families can use external consultation desks to ensure they can work with peace of mind.

In an effort to enhance the training of supervisors to notice potential mental health problems in employees, we have been offering training courses by an occupational psychiatrist since fiscal 2022. Consisting of small classes, the course aims to strengthen practical management skills by allowing participants to engage in discussion, talk about their concerns, and ask questions.

We measure employee satisfaction by category through conducting regular surveys on all Group companies within and outside Japan. Based on the results, we develop and implement action plans to make improvements in each department. We also carry out initiatives to activate the workplace. One example of this is creating opportunities for employees to engage in dialogue company-wide.

In order to help employees who have job anxiety or have missed work due to illness or injury, we have implemented measures such as a health consultation desk, an accumulated annual paid leave program workers can use for inpatient and outpatient treatment, a long-term leave compensation program, and regular consultations with an occupational doctor.

When an employee is ready to return to work, they consult with an occupational doctor and are given regular follow-up and support after they have returned.

The long-term leave compensation program allows employees to take up to 36 months off work due to illness or injury. They also receive an illness and injury allowance (for 18 months) from the health insurance society, and treatment compensation from the company for up to 36 months.