Providing a Comfortable Work Environment

Initiatives for Respecting Human Rights

Kobe Steel is actively working to create a healthy work environment free of discrimination.

In the Groupwide stratified training for managers and new employees, we explain the importance of respecting human rights in conducting corporate activities and creating a healthy work environment free of discrimination, while raising awareness about the corporate ethical principles and standards of conduct established in our "Corporate Code of Ethics”.

To all employees, we have also distributed the “Conduct Guide for Employees” in an effort to urge all persons to respect human rights in their actions. We are also working to prevent human rights-related problems by improving awareness of human rights through training at each business location.

Initiatives for Preventing Harassment

Kobe Steel does not tolerate any harassing behavior in the workplace, including sexual harassment and power harassment. When a problem arises, we take swift and decisive action.

Our company has established policies and rules of conduct on harassment in its "Corporate Code of Ethics” and conducts e-learning and training on the theme of harassment prevention for our managerial and supervisory staff to create an environment that keeps harassment at bay.

In addition, to ensure that each and every person in our workplaces has a correct understanding of harassment and to avoid overlooking issues, we are making efforts to raise awareness of this issue with compliance manuals such as "Sexual Harassment Prevention Manual." We've also established a point of contact for consultations about sexual harassment at all business locations and provided training for contact persons so that they can handle consultations appropriately. We are making wide-ranging efforts to prevent harassment and quickly resolve incidents when they occur.

Sexual Harassment Prevention Manual

Sexual Harassment Prevention Manual

E-learning Book Aimed at Managers and Supervisors

E-learning Book Aimed at Managers and Supervisors

Training for new managers is conducted annually.

Corporate Code of Ethics and Corporate Code of Conduct

No. 2.3: Items Related to Respecting Human Rights and Forbidding All Types of Discriminatory Treatment

The Company is committed to maintaining a healthy and productive workplace free from harassment and discrimination based on race, creed, color, gender, religion, nationality, language, physical traits (disability), wealth, origin or any other reasons whatsoever. The company has zero tolerance for any sexual harassment, which is recognized as a social issue these days. Should a violation of this policy be found, the Company will investigate immediately, provide aid to the victim, and take necessary action to prevent reoccurrence.

Creating a Healthy Work Environment

Promoting diversity and women's participation in the workplace requires a reform of the entire company's work styles, including male employees. Our efforts are not limited to initiatives aimed at reducing long work hours, improving the usage rate for annual leave, and improving productivity. Reforming the workplace climate is another important part of our initiatives aiming to create a healthy work environment with no interference caused by the perception gap about gender differences.

Since fiscal 2017, we have been conducting diversity training at all business locations in order to create healthy workplaces. The purpose of this diversity training is to raise awareness of the preconceptions that one may have about gender roles* while introducing the principles of diversity promotion to each workplace. We held a total of 60 sessions in fiscal 2017 for managers and supervisors, which were attended by approximately 1,400 people, and in fiscal 2018 we held 56 sessions for mid-level employees, which were attended by approximately 1,500 people.

From fiscal 2019 onward, our goal is to further promote communication based on diversity by providing the groundwork for understanding what is necessary to create a workplace where personnel with a variety of attributes, not just gender differences, can take active roles.

Training at Kobe Headquarters

Training at the Kobe Head Office

Training at Chofu Works

Training at Chofu Works

Training at Takasago factory

Training at Takasago Works

* Having preconceptions about gender roles means having a mindset that uses gender as a reason for dividing roles, such as "men work, women do chores and raise children."

Revitalizing Communication Within the Company

Employees call each other not by their position, but their names. This helped to make internal communication smoother.

Revitalizing Communication Within the Company

Facilitating communication is an essential part of the initiatives to generate time. To achieve this, we encourage employees to call each other by their names in e-mails and at the workplace. While it is only an encouragement, employees and managers are taking the lead in using names in order to revitalize communication in the workplace.

Diversity Support Network

We have established a point of contact for employee consultations so that they can freely talk about issues that are difficult to share with their immediate superiors or issues that have arisen in their work or daily lives in company housing or dorms.

Initiatives for Effective Use of Office Space

Kobe Head Office / Tokyo Head Office

  • In an effort to make effective use of the company cafeteria as a space for communication, the cafeterias at the Kobe and Tokyo head offices underwent renovations starting in fiscal 2017.
  • • Furthermore, to promote reforms in work styles, we designed the cafeteria to serve the following purposes as well, based on the responses to our employee survey and other information.
  • Effective use of offices:
    Reducing lack of meeting rooms at the Kobe and Tokyo head Offices
  • Establishing autonomous work styles:
    Creating a solo work area to promote autonomous work styles

Cafeteria Renovation Concept

Revitalizing communication

Communication Area
The Communication Area promotes casual communication with co-workers at the cafeteria.

Making effective use of the office

Meeting Area
The Meeting Area can be used without reservations or payment. Perfect for last-minute guests and meetings. Fully equipped with monitors.

Establishing autonomous work styles

Solo Work Area
The Solo Work Area facilitates concentrating on work for a short period of time.

Technical Development Group

The Technical Development Group has been pursuing "Initiatives to Support Raising Awareness" since fiscal 2014, in an effort to further promote the activities of its members who are aiming to make changes. As a part of these initiatives, they are promoting the creation of innovative environments.

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