Safe and Healthy Workplaces and Work-Style Reforms: Building More Engaging Workplaces

It is our conviction at the NSK Group that having safe workplaces and employees who enjoy and are actively engaged in both their work and personal lives will have a beneficial impact on our business. An improvement in employee productivity will lead to an improvement in their ability to produce quality work, which will ultimately foster a more fulfilling life both at work and at home. For this reason, we strive to better manage employee working hours, to encourage employees to take their annual paid leave, and to provide a variety of work-style options to fit their diverse lifestyles. In order to boost job satisfaction, we are also promoting work-style reform to change employee attitudes.

At NSK, we believe that helping employees stay focused and efficient on the job will allow them to enjoy greater productivity and produce higher quality work, without wasting time. For this reason, in addition to making flextime available to employees, we are striving to better manage working hours using objective records and to encourage employees to take their annual paid leave. In particular, labor and management have been calling on employees to use all of their annual paid leave. As part of the effort to prevent COVID-19 infection, working from home was quickly introduced at the head office and the sales and technology divisions. Remote work has now become another work style option for employees, adding to other styles we offer to fit their changing lifestyle needs.

Main Initiatives

• Remote work system
• Flextime and discretionary labor system
• Objectively ascertaining hours worked using time clock and similar records, and proper work rules application
• Promoting time management based on labor-management collaboration
• Promoting full use of paid leave
• “No Overtime” days

And others

Re-energized employees provide higher work productivity and efficiency. We also offer programs to support employee social activities, aiming to facilitate their growth as members of society.

Main Initiatives

• Refresher leave
  To provide opportunities for employee self-development and re-energizing, this program allows employees to take leave for up to five consecutive days every five years, beginning after they complete five years of service with the company.
• Volunteer leave
  To help employees contribute to society by being involved in volunteer work relating to their local communities and social welfare, this program allows employees to take up to 12 days of special paid leave per year. They must work for a non-profit organization and carry out activities such as supporting people with disabilities and promoting international exchange.

And others

NSK provides opportunities for employees to think about and plan for retirement, including ways to maintain their motivation, health, and personal finances. The aim is for participants to enjoy rich and rewarding lifestyles after mandatory retirement. Many employees participate in the training and seminars to learn about pensions, employment insurance, and taxes.

The NSK Group is building workplaces that meet the wide-ranging needs of a diverse workforce and allow each and every employee to enjoy job satisfaction. NSK wants every employee to enjoy a healthy work-life balance. Our system for ensuring employees can balance their work and child/nursing care responsibilities exceeds legal requirements. As part of this approach, we not only provide comprehensive support for working parents and caregivers, but also strive to create a work environment where they can realize their full potential.

In recognition of our efforts to support working parents of small children, the Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare awarded NSK the Platinum Kurumin^* certification.

* Platinum Kurumin: A special certification awarded to select companies among those granted Kurumin certification by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare that have displayed particularly outstanding initiatives as a “company that supports child-rearing parents”.

NSK has established an action plan based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children.

Action Plan Based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children (in Japanese only) 

The NSK Group provide even better support for employees balancing work and childcare responsibilities, we obtain feedback from those with childcare experience. NSK is working to create and improve programs that not only exceed statutory requirements, but are also as very convenient for employees to utilize.

《Other Main Initiatives》

• Prenatal interview
• Return-to-work interview
• Return-to-work support seminar
• Career support
• Providing opportunities for self-learning and development (online educational programs)
• Remote work system
• Maternity uniform
• Work-Childcare Balance Support Guidebook
• Changing room exclusively for pregnant employees
• Holiday daycare
• Affiliated daycares
• Providing babysitting discount coupons
• Financial gift for birth of child (from company and labor union)

As part of measures to support employees who are providing care to a family member, NSK is aiming to create an environment where employees can easily raise any concerns about work-life balance.

《Measures to support work-caregiving balance》

• Seminars to help employees balance work and caregiving

Major NSK Caregiving Seminars

• Caregiver allowance (unique NSK benefit)
• Caregiver leave benefits

《Work Style Systems for Caregivers》

• Exemption from overtime work
• Limited work over statutory working hours
• Reduced hours for working caregivers (may be extended beyond 3 years depending on circumstances)
• Limited late-night work

《Other Main Initiatives》

• Publication of work-caregiving balance support guidebook
• Publication of email newsletter for HR personnel regarding family caregiving
• Compilation of reference materials to support family caregiving

In support measures for balancing work and medical treatment, we are promoting each measure so that employees can balance work with medical treatment and hospital visits and continue to work in their own way.

Main Initiatives

• Internal Information Meeting on Balancing Work and Medical Treatment
• Guidebook for balancing work and medical treatment

In addition, we focus on awareness-raising activities and consultation on health issues specific to women.

Main Initiatives

• Awareness-raising activities: Awareness-raising on health issues specific to women, such as menstrual pain, pregnancy, and menopause, through training, information sessions, etc.
• Consultation: Online obstetrics and gynecology consultation for women's health issues with a physician at any time
• Others: Awareness-raising about postpartum blues in the support for balancing work and health promotion from a young age before pregnancy (preconception care) in the guidebook on balancing work and infertility treatment.

At NSK, we see an investment in health as an investment in corporate value, and as such, we are committed to a full range of initiatives to promote the health and wellness of our employees and their families. With the NSK Basic Policy on Health and Wellness (Employee Wellness Declaration) and a company-wide health management promotion system, we are developing activities and implementing specific initiatives to address health issues, as part of NSK's Three Main Health Focal Points.

At the core of NSK’s Vision to set the future in motion is a desire to create a brighter tomorrow where we can all lead safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives. It is NSK’s firm belief that the health of our employees and their families is foundational to achieving this future. The health—both of body and mind—of each one of our employees and their families is an invaluable asset to the Group. As such, NSK has established a management structure that prioritizes health and is committed to a full range of activities to promote employee wellness, all with the aim of improving their physical and mental health.
In order to continue to be a company that is needed, trusted and relied upon by society, we position measures to maintain and improve health as an important investment that serves as the basis for maximizing human capital value, and we will continue to proactively pursue initiatives.

Akitoshi Ichii, President & CEO, NSK Ltd.

NSK is committed to helping employees maintain and improve their health and wellness. Our collaborative approach involves the executive head of HR, the Human Resource and General Affairs Division Headquarters, the Center for Wellness Promotion, labor unions, health insurance associations, onsite labor divisions, and occupational health staff—all working together under the supervision of the president & CEO of NSK Ltd.
In April 2019, we established the Corporate Health Management Office within the HR & GA Division Headquarters to enhance our capacity to achieve our health and wellness objectives. We also built an organization that is more conducive to coordination. The resident occupational physicians in each locality report to the Corporate Health Management Office, and nurses and health specialists also hold concurrent posts in the office. The Corporate Health Management Office regularly shares information and holds discussions with both the health insurance association and the labor union to ensure effective collaboration. Each site appoints a manager of occupational safety and health and  works to advance NSK’s health management. In addition, by holding regular meetings of occupational health staff and the Wellness Committee—a function established to oversee the activities of the NSK Central Occupational Health and Safety Council—we will continue improving our ability to support the wellness of employees.

At NSK, we have identified health and wellness challenges and specific initiatives as NSK's Three Main Focal Points of Health and Wellness based on an analysis of employees' health conditions and lifestyle habits. We carry out activities while periodically reviewing and refining these focal points according to the current status of the challenges.

1. Focus on prevention. Support employees to prevent aggravation of medical conditions.
2. Implement and promote mental wellness strategies to prevent the onset of mental health issues.
3. Reduce smoking rate and promote non-smoking on premises.

*1 NSK Ltd. and major NSK Group companies in Japan
*2 The target  percentage of employees participating in the Specific Health Guidance program is the industry average for insured employees.
   The NSK target for percentage of employees who smoke is calculated based on data on adult smoking rates in Japan.

[Physical Health]

To enable all employees to work as energetically as possible, it is important to help prevent and detect illnesses at an early stage. For this reason, employees whose annual health checkups reveal points of concern are provided with health counseling and given guidance on improving their lifestyles and habits.

While 100% of employees undergo annual health checkups, only about 30% employees currently opt for detailed examinations, based on the results we have been able to track. NSK is working to further improve this rate.

To help prevent infectious disease, we provide workplace vaccinations for seasonal influenza, and about 30% of employees participate.

The company’s health insurance associations provide specific health guidance, along with screening for cancers of the stomach, colon, and breast. We are working to maintain and improve the health of our employees and their families, by promoting early detection and helping to prevent disease progression. Regarding breast cancer screenings for employees, we also offer screenings using mobile units at sites where many women work. The screening rate is 54% of eligible individuals. In addtion, recent health data analysis has revealed a certain number of metabolic syndrome cases among younger employees, and we intend to develop targeted support programs and other measures for this group. Regarding a project to prevent illnesses from getting worse, 21 employees participated in fiscal 2022, for a participation rate among eligible employees of about 10%. We are implementing measures to further increase the number of participants.

To improve employee health awareness, we implemented health management e-learning starting in fiscal 2022. For the target employees, the participation rate was 96.2%, satisfaction was 96.2%, and understanding was 98.9%. We continue to conduct e-learning in fiscal 2023, aiming to further raise awareness.

[Mental Health]

As a company, we provide mental health education and have consultation services available to help prevent mental illness. NSK also arranges relevant lectures for managers given by outside experts, along with practical training on how to notice and respond to mental health warning signs among subordinates. We strive to prevent mental health issues in the workforce through relevant training. This includes enhancing stress level awareness and teaching ways to deal with stress.

NSK believes it is important to build workplaces where employees feel free to ask for help. Therefore, we have set up consultation services at each business site and ensure that everyone knows about them. We have also established a telephone service for mental health consultation to make it even easier for employees and their family member to get help. We have adopted an employee assistance program (EAP) using outside experts to help prevent situations that could result in an employee taking mental health leave. The EAP also helps employees return to work after mental health leave and keep their health issue from recurring.

As measured by the stress checks conducted every year, the percentage of employees with high stress has hovered between 10% and 11%. We will redouble our efforts to keep it below 10%.

[Prevention of Secondhand Smoke Exposure]

To prevent secondhand smoke exposure in the workplace, we have relocated smoking areas outdoors at each manufacturing site.
To reduce employee smoking rates, NSK conducts activities such as "quit-smoking recommendation days" and offers free smoking cessation programs provided by the health insurance associations. In fiscal 2023, we launched a new initiative where smokers and non-smokers pair up to take on the challenge of smoking cessation. Over 40 pairs of employees are participating, with smokers attempting to quit while receiving support from their non-smoking partners.

* Employee assistance program: A program that supports employee mental health

【Goals and issues to be resolved through health management】

By setting the final goal indicators for health management of “reduction of absenteeism,” “reduction of presenteeism” and “maximization of engagement,” we are seeking to improve medium- to long-term corporate value while helping to build a sustainable world . We are making company-wide efforts to meet the management challenge of becoming a company that is needed and trusted.
By summarizing these health management goals and initiatives in the form of the NSK Health Management Strategy Map, we are enabling all employees to work together to further promote health initiatives.

【Status of indicators related to the NSK Health Management Strategy Map】*¹

Efforts for health management lead to improvement of employee presenteeism and absenteeism and maximization of engagement, creating a workplace environment where each and every employee can work with vitality. We believe that these efforts will improve employee performance and increase corporate value.