Human Rights
Funai Soken Consulting Group Basic Policy on Human Rights
At the Funai Soken Consulting Group, respect for human rights is not just an obligation but a fundamental precept of our consulting and other business operations. To that end, we have established the Funai Soken Consulting Group Basic Policy on Human Rights to ensure that people’s basic rights are protected and respected in all areas of the group’s activities.
Basic Policy on Human Rights
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1. Compliance with Laws and Regulations and Respect for Human Rights
We respect human rights in line with international norms such as the International Bill of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, Children’s Rights and Business Principles, and the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
We will not discriminate in hiring, treatment, or any other aspect of employment against any employee based on birth, race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or physical disability, and we prohibit harassment of any kind. We are committed to responsible employment practices, including ensuring safe workplaces, reducing overwork, paying decent wages, and keeping working hours within reasonable levels. Moreover, our people have the freedom of association, and we recognize the right to collective bargaining. We reject and will not tolerate human trafficking and other forms of slave labor, forced labor, or child labor. With regard to these and all other matters, we will comply with laws and regulations in all jurisdictions where we operate. Where one country’s laws and regulations conflict with international human rights norms, we will strive to ensure that international human rights norms are respected. -
2. Scope of Application
This policy applies to all officers and employees of the Funai Soken Consulting Group. We will also encourage our business partners to abide by this policy. -
3. Due Diligence
We will strive to identify any adverse impact the group’s business activities may have on human rights, and will conduct periodic risk assessments and take action to prevent and mitigate the occurrence of such effects. If any such adverse impact is deemed to have arisen, we will act swiftly to correct the situation and provide redress appropriately and effectively. -
4. Education
All group employees undergo periodic training aimed at eliminating all forms of harassment in the workplace. In addition, officers and employees undergo training that encourages them to reflect this policy in all areas of the group’s business. -
5. Transparency Regarding Human Rights Initiatives
We will disclose, via our website, information regarding the progress of initiatives implemented under this policy.
Instituted: March 1, 2022
Last updated: December 16, 2022
Takayuki Nakatani
President and CEO
Funai Soken Holdings Inc. -
Due Diligence
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To ensure consideration and respect for human rights in an age when people and working styles are diversifying, we have established a framework of due diligence to ensure we comply with the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as shown to the right.
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Identifying and Eliminating Potential Human Rights Risks
Our employees are not just our most valuable form of capital, they are true stakeholders in the group's business and we are serious about protecting their human rights. Due diligence includes identifying and assessing areas with potential for adverse impact, and we conduct thorough studies to seek out potential risks to the human rights of our stakeholders.
Moving forward, we will expand the scope of scrutiny of our operations to ensure no potential risk goes unnoticed.
| Target | Risks to group employees’ human rights |
| Potential risks |
・Discrimination, harassment ・Infringements of freedom of association and collective bargaining rights ・Working hours, wage levels ・Occupational health and safety ・Infringement of rights to privacy ・Infringement of access to remedy (e.g., whistleblower system) |
| Impact on business |
・Damage to human capital ・Decline in engagement ・Higher staff turnover rate |
| Prevention |
・Use of whistleblower system ・Follow-ups by specialist department dedicated to eliminating such risks ・Ongoing education through e-learning courses, etc. |
| Remedy |
・Notify Risk Management Committee, ascertain facts of the matter ・Once facts are established, take corrective action ・ Raise awareness to prevent recurrence …and more |
Human Rights Education
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Through education programs covering issues such as preventing discrimination and harassment, we seek not only to instill an understanding of the basics and highlight the signs that might help prevent harassment and human rights violations, but also to develop a mindset conducive to maintaining a workplace in which these are unlikely to occur.
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e-Learning
We provide anti-harassment e-learning programs designed to create a corporate culture in which all employees can respect and spur each other on to success. -
Manager Training
Managers with staff undergo training to learn what they can do to ensure workplace compliance and prevent harassment. -
Employee Training on Human Rights and Labor Standards
All group employees undergo annual training on human rights and labor standards.
In 2023, the Human Resources Department introduced new, video-based training material, which focuses on the group’s human rights policy, labor standards, and our efforts toward upholding human rights.
Training is designed to raise awareness across our whole workforce of the importance of human rights, and to inform employees of the various tools at their disposal, including labor unions, working hour management, mental health initiatives, and insurance.
Moreover, to ensure the employees in our Shanghai subsidiary are as well informed as their Japanese counterparts, the Japanese training materials are translated into Chinese.
Basic Policy on Human Rights: Our Initiatives
- 1. Prevention of Child Labor and Forced Labor
To prevent child labor, we thoroughly verify the age of employees at the time of hiring. To prevent forced labor, we do not engage in restrictive practices such as holding employees’ passports or other important documents or restricting their freedom of movement. - 2. Minimum Wage Compliance and Prevention of Wage Inequality
We comply with the legal minimum wage. Our compensation framework stipulates the same wage is paid for the same work regardless of gender. - 3. Whistleblower System
As described in the Governance section of this website, we have instituted established an Internal Whistleblower System and established a separate mechanism for reporting harassment. Reports can be made anonymously, and the rules oblige those handling the reports to keep strict confidentiality. - 4. Harassment Help Desk & Grievance Processing
We have established a dedicated help desk for employees to seek advice about workplace harassment. The help desk is staffed by the head of the Personnel Department, who handles consultations in person, either alone or, if the employee permits, together with a designated case worker.
The help desk is available for all employees to seek advice and report grievances about behavior that is detrimental to the work environment. Upon receiving a consultation, the head of the Personnel Department seeks genuine resolution of the matter by taking whatever measures are necessary to improve the working conditions and environment of the victim, including removing the offender to another workplace or duties. When we find harassment in the workplace, we seek proactively to prevent recurrence, such as by re-emphasizing to our workforce the importance of a harassment-free workplace and the very real risks harassment poses to our business, conducting training, and analyzing the causes of the incident.
Creating Employment Opportunities
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Funai Consulting Shanghai, the Funai Soken Consulting Group’s subsidiary in Shanghai, contributes to local job creation and economic development. Meanwhile, Funai Consulting has a satellite office in Matsuyama, Ehime, that provides jobs for local people with disabilities, and will continue its efforts to expand employment.
Close Communication with the Labor Union
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Employees of Funai Soken Holdings, Funai Consulting (incl. former affiliate company Funai Soken Digital), Proseed, and Funai Soken Logistics, and HR Force have formed a labor union. Membership was 1,359 in 2023, and members from each of those companies vote to elect an executive board. The union is not part of any larger organization. No other Funai Soken Consulting Group companies have formed labor unions.
Group management and union representatives meet monthly to maintain communication between company and union. Meeting minutes are shared with union members to keep them informed of what was discussed.
This open communication has clear benefits: for instance, a request for a revision of the saved leave policy resulted in a revision of our Employment Regulations to allow employees to take leave in one-day increments for purposes such as doctor’s appointments. With the relocation to new Tokyo Headquarters in 2024, we held a Family Day to let the group’s employees and their families get to know our new premises. The event attracted some 590 visitors.
