Sustainability / Social Report / Creating Attractive WorkplacesPromoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Basic Approach
In addition to its human resources policy and guidelines, the Group has enacted the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Declaration and, based on these directives, is developing various human resources measures.
The Group's Sustainable Management Policy also clearly states that the promotion of "People-centered Management," in which diverse employees acknowledge each other and grow while enjoying a sense of presence and achieving fulfillment, will lead to the realization of a sustainable society and the expansion of the Group's business.
In line with this approach, the Group is working to create an environment in which each and every employee can maximize their individual abilities and play an active role with a sense of fufillment.
The Daicel Group DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Declaration
The Daicel Group, which was founded as a celluloid manufacturing company, has now grown into an entity that produces a wide variety of products and has a network in every country and region. At the heart of this growth is "People-centered Management", and the concept that "People" are the source of the Daicel Group's activities.
However, 'People-centered management' was not firmly established from the outset. It is no exaggeration to say that the history of the Daicel Group is the history of the pursuit of what 'People-centered Management' means. Going forward, we will continue to consider what it means to "follow the right path" and, based on the respect for human rights set out in the Daicel Group Code of Ethics, we hereby define the "DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)" of the Daicel Group.
DE&I (Diversity Equity & Inclusion) in the Daicel Group
- Diversity
Diversity is the utilization of all human strengths, including strengths and weaknesses, while respecting the individuality and differences of each person in order to realize common ideals and objectives.
People are irreplaceable entities with unknown potential, and by working together to contribute to society through co-creation of value, we provide opportunities for them to achieve greater potential. - Equity
Equity means creating an appropriate environment for people who are passionate about taking on challenges, providing a framework for nurturing their abilities, and properly evaluating the results of their efforts.
The Daicel Group provides equitable opportunities for those who take on challenges with a sense of mission to realize the company's vision, and fairly evaluates their challenges and contributions. Even if a challenge ends in failure, we learn from our mistakes and can try again. - Inclusion (Respect and Recognition)
Inclusion is about people recognizing each other's existence, engaging in dialogue and accepting each other.
In the Daicel Group, each and every one of us proudly takes on the challenge of achieving the company's goals and self-fulfillment.
In the process, we proactively set goals and are not afraid to discuss each other's arguments thoroughly. By essentially raising and stimulating each other, we expand each other's horizons and may find new ways to evolve and grow together with the company.
The Daicel Group declares the realization of the three sustainability principles of PRODUCT, PROCESS and PEOPLE by working together with its employees and all others to put DE&I into practice in its corporate activities.
Yoshimi Ogawa
President and Representative Director
Daicel Corporation
Date of Enactment: 16 January 2024
This declaration was approved and published by the Management Committee on 16 January 2024 as a declaration based on the "Daicel Group Code of Ethics (2.ii)".
Our Structure for Promoting Diversity
The Human Resources Division, supervised by the Executive Officer responsible for this area, leads the Company’s human asset management, in which a CAPD cycle* is applied for planning and implementing specific measures. The important measures from a management perspective are submitted for deliberation in major meetings such as the Management Meetings and Planning Meetings.
In addition, based on “sustainable people,” one of our sustainable management policies, we have set “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” as one of our key management issues. We are promoting measures according to the situation of each Daicel Group company.
*Instead of a Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA) cycle, the most widely known approach to continuous improvement, Daicel has adopted a CAPD improvement cycle to avoid the risk of overlooking crucial facts and realities that often lie hidden in the initial planning stage.
Initiatives for Promoting Diversity
Daicel promotes diversity, starting with the empowerment of female employees. In order to support the career development of motivated women and create workplaces that cater to everyone’s needs, we promote initiatives such as remote work and raising the annual paid leave usage ratio. As a result, these efforts are leading to the creation of workplaces and systems not only for women but also for all our employees in the Daicel Group so that they can fully demonstrate their talents. In its recruitment activities, the Group places emphasis on securing talented individuals regardless of gender or nationality, with “human resources who value communication between people from the standpoint and perspective of others” and “human resources who have passion and attachment to issues and take responsibility until the end.” Daicel is also working to achieve a target diversity ratio* of 30%.
In addition, we are actively recruiting mid-career employees to ensure diversity not only due to attributes such as gender and nationality but also experience, different cultures, and areas of expertise. We aim to create an organization where each and every one of our diverse employees can make the most of their individual abilities and individuality so that all can achieve self-fulfillment.
*The diversity ratio is a measure of the proportion of female or foreign national employees in Daicel.
Promoting Diversity and Reforming Work Styles
Empowering Women
Since we formulated an action plan based on Japan’s Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace in April 2016, we have been actively recruiting female employees and developing female leadership. In addition, we have established a system that allows employees to choose their own work style according to their life stage.
Received Certification of a “Leading Company for Women’s Advancement” from Osaka City in FY2020/3
Received Eruboshi Certification (3 stars) in FY2021/3
Action Plan Based on Japan’s Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace
Period: April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026
Target:
- Target 1Maintain at least two female officers, including executive officers.
- Target 2Increase the ratio of women in management positions to at least 10%.
- Target 3Raise the ratio of women in positions immediately under section managers to 15% or higher.
- Target 4Ensure that all employees take a five-day vacation once a year using paid leave and scheduled holidays.
Trend in Number and Ratio of Female Managers
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| FY2018/3 | FY2019/3 | FY2020/3 | FY2021/3 | FY2022/3 | FY2023/3 | FY2024/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 34 | 38 | 44 |
| 2.1% | 3.1% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 4.3% | 4.9% | 5.6% |
Trend in Number and Ratio of Women in Positions Immediately under Section Managers
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| FY2018/3 | FY2019/3 | FY2020/3 | FY2021/3 | FY2022/3 | FY2023/3 | FY2024/3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 35 | 42 | 47 | 52 | 56 | 70 |
| 7.8% | 7.2% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 12.1% |
Networking Events for Female Managers in Daicel Group Companies
In FY2023/3, Daicel and Daicel Group company Polyplastics Co. Ltd. held a networking event for female managers, in which highly experienced women with different skills were invited to a venue where they could share opinions, information, and current conditions with one another, in order to further improve their sense of solidarity.
On that day, 37 female managers participated in the event, which became an occasion for creating cross-organizational ties among the participants. Some of the comments from women present include: “I was able to exchange diverse opinions with a wide variety of people” and “I got to know employees whom I have never encountered before.”
A Networking Event for Female Managers (Happy Career) Held Jointly by 15 Companies
Ten Daicel employees participated in an online networking event held in FY2023/3 for female employees in their late 20s to early 30s, co-hosted by 15 companies participating in the Diversity Western-Japan Study Group.
About 10 female employees from each company participated in the event and exchanged opinions about balancing work and child-rearing, and their future careers. Participants commented, “I was able to resolve some of my concerns,” and “it was stimulating to exchange opinions with other employees of the same generation.”
Executive Mentor System
As the number of men and women in every job grade and occupation increases, one of our principal objectives is to build an organization that can make management decisions based on more diverse viewpoints. In order to achieve this, we targeted increasing the number of female directors and internally promoting female executive officers.
One of the initiatives for achieving these goals is our Executive Mentor System, which was instituted in FY2022/3, and is targeted at female managers. Under this system, female managers meet with executive officers regularly and, through discussions, broaden their outlook and learn to adopt managerial attitudes.
Roundtable discussion with female outside directors
Daicel regularly holds roundtable discussions with female outside directors to promote the career development of female managers.
Young mentor system
As part of our efforts to support the career development of female employees, we have introduced a young mentor system and hold regular dialogues with senior employees (mentors).
Support for female employees to balance between their careers and motherhood
Daicel has introduced PeerCross, a career development support service for working mothers, to support the mid- to long-term career development of female employees.
Declaration of Support for KEIDANREN’s “#Here We Go 203030 Challenge Initiatives for 30% of Executives to be Women by 2030”
“. The NEW Growth Strategy” announced by KEIDANREN (Japan Business Federation) in November 2020 focuses on “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I)” as the key drivers for achieving sustainable growth. It upholds the goal of raising the ratio of female executives to 30% or more by 2030. Daicel declared its support for this goal on April 5, 2021.
<About KEIDANREN’s “Challenge Initiatives for 30% of Executives to be Women by 2030”>
This is a goal based on the “. The NEW Growth Strategy” announced by KEIDANREN in November 2020, and it is guided by the following four points.
- （1）Positioning diversity and inclusion as key corporate strategies, we will carry out initiatives that lead to business impact.
- （2）By focusing on boards of directors, the decision-making bodies of companies, we will accelerate initiatives to apply the perspectives of a diverse range of people, including women, to the execution of operations and governance.
- （3）We will provide support in line with each career stage, from hiring to leadership development including identifying candidates, in order to strengthen the talent pipeline.
- （4）We will pursue the creation of organizations and environments that can maximize the performance of all employees by breaking away from conventional employment practices and reforming the organizational culture.
Keidanren “Challenge Initiatives for 30% of Executives to be Women by 2030”
Advancing the Careers of Non-Japanese Employees
Daicel provides the following assistance when hiring non-Japanese employees.
- Assistance with visa application
- Explanation on company systems (policies, personnel system and other issues)
- Information required for working in Japan
As of March 31, 2024, there are 26 non-Japanese employees working at Daicel Group companies in Japan.
Promoting Employment of Persons with Disabilities
Daicel systematically hires persons with disabilities and creates workplace environments that enable them to fully demonstrate their individual abilities. This is done to fulfill our social responsibility of maintaining the ratio of persons with disabilities in the total workforce above the statutory employment rate and also to provide support so that persons with disabilities can contribute as members of society.
As of June 1, 2024, the rate of persons with disabilities in the total workforce was 3.11% (non-consolidated), which is above the statutory requirement. We aim to ensure that each individual can contribute in the best possible way at each worksite.
Ratio of Persons with Disabilities in the Total Workforce (non-consolidated)
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| FY2021/3 | FY2022/3 | FY2023/3 | FY2024/3 | FY2025/3 | |
| Ratio of persons with disabilities in the total workforce | 2.17％ | 2.43％ | 2.88％ | 3.29％ | 3.11％ |
*The most recent statutory employment rate in Japan is set at 2.5%.
Daicel Ohtake Sangyo Co., Ltd., a Daicel Group company, is proactively working to create workplaces that are comfortable for people with disabilities, and on August 4, 2023, was certified under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s MONISU Certification System. The MONISU Certification System is a system in which the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare certifies excellent small and medium-sized business operators that have implemented measures to promote employment of people with disabilities and stabilize employment.
Initiatives for Realizing a Sustainable Society > “Yell Hiroba Challenge Net” initiative
Collaboration with the NPO Japan Blind Football Association
In FY2024/3, Daicel concluded a partnership agreement with the NPO Japan Blind Football Association (JBFA). We are promoting cross-sectional initiatives in cooperation with the JBFA and local communities to deepen understanding of visual impairments and realize a society where everyone naturally mingles together.
Encouraging Senior Employees to Remain Active in the Workforce
Daicel has a continuous employment system in place that allows employees who have reached the retirement age of 60 to continue working for the Company and use their extensive knowledge and experience in the workforce. In accordance with the revised Law Concerning Stabilization of Employment of Older Persons, the system applies to employees seeking to continue to work to the age of 65.
In FY2024/3, 74 out of 79 employees who reached the retirement age were re-employed under the system, and 318 senior employees are currently working at the Company after passing their retirement age as of March 31, 2024. Daicel will continue to maintain working environments where veteran employees can make use of their careers, knowledge, and experience.
ESG DataRefer to page 7 "Total Number of Rehired Post-retirement Employees."
Life Planning Seminars
Daicel has held Life Planning Seminars for employees between the ages of 55 and 59, covering topics related to their post-retirement life, such as health and receiving pensions. They consist of a Health Care Seminar from a corporate health nurse, explanations about the severance pay system and continuous employment system from the Human Resources Group, and a Second Life Seminar and a Defined Contribution Pension Seminar by Nippon Life Insurance Company. We are engaged in proactive efforts to ensure that our retirees have the information they need to lead active and fulfilling lives.
Consideration of Employees Identifying as LGBTQ
The Daicel Group aims to create attractive workplaces in which every employee, including those identifying as LGBTQ, can fully demonstrate their abilities. We set up an LGBTQ consultation desk in April 2020 toward creating an attractive workplace for all employees. The Daicel Group is promoting conversations with their LGBTQ employees. For example, as a result of such discussions, the changing room policy was adjusted to accommodate transgender needs.
A Human Rights Seminar Focused on LGBTQ Issues for managers and non-managers of the Daicel Group
In FY2023/3, 357 of our managers participated in training to learn about the environment surrounding sexual minorities and the inherent risks to human rights, and to think about creating workplaces where those involved can play an active role and creating a society that is easy to work in. Through discussions on how to respond to coming out, we discussed specific ways to create an organization where everyone can work with peace of mind. In FY2024/3, we expanded the scope of participation to non-managers, deepening their understanding of LGBTQ-related social issues.
Introduction of Same-sex Partnership System
In order to further create an environment where everyone can work in their own way, the Daicel Group introduced a same-sex partnership system on April 1 2023, which stipulates that the Daicel Group regards the same-sex partners of employees as equivalent to legally married spouses, and made it possible to apply for various allowances and benefits under relevant rules.