Promoting the success of diverse employees
Basic approach
Thoughts on women's empowerment
Idemitsu Kosan positions the promotion of women's empowerment as one of its key DE&I promotion measures, and aims to be a company where all employees, regardless of gender, can work with enthusiasm and co-create new value with various stakeholders.
Strategy
General business owner action plan based on the Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace
At our company, we have formulated the following action plan to enable the further growth and success of female employees as part of the promotion of women's empowerment, which is one of the important measures for promoting DE&I.
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[Target 1: Increase the ratio of women in management positions to 5%* (*as of July 1, 2026)] <Initiatives to achieve goals> Initiative 1: Creation and monitoring of development plans for female managers (from April 2023) Initiative 2: Securing training and growth opportunities by expanding internal and external mentoring systems (from April 2023) Initiative 3: Support for information exchange and network formation among employees (from April 2023) ・Network between women [Target 2: Increase the ratio of women among graduates or above to 50%] <Initiatives to achieve goals> Initiative 1: Promotion of recruitment public relations activities (from April 2023) Initiative 2: Strengthen collaboration with universities, mainly science departments (from April 2023) Initiative 3: Strategic use of mid-career recruitment (from April 2023) (2) Creating an employment environment that contributes to a balance between work life and family life [Target: Achieve a paid leave acquisition rate of 85% or higher] <Initiatives to achieve goals> Initiatives: Strengthen initiatives to promote paid leave taking (from April 2023) ・Establishment of paid leave incentive days and dissemination of information ・Visualization of paid leave usage rate ・Thorough work management |
Metrics and targets
Numerical targets for women's empowerment
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New graduates + career hires (both university graduates or above)
Initiatives
Initiatives to promote women’s empowerment
・Holding health support seminars: Newly established as an opportunity to deepen understanding of women's specific health issues such as menstruation and menopause, as well as pregnancy and childbirth, in addition to the perspective of health management, regardless of gender. It will be held three times in 2022.
・Training to promote understanding of diversity for employees (age-based training, etc.)
・Training for executives (DE&I understanding in training for new executives, etc.)
・Holding social gatherings (meetings for exchanging opinions among female technical employees, etc.)
・We will launch the Idemitsu Women's Network in October 2022 to strengthen our promotion of women's advancement. To date, network subcommittees have been held 14 times, with a total of 59 participants.
・Mentoring aimed at supporting the career of female employees
Cross-mentoring program by four companies: Idemitsu Kosan, Tokio Marine & Nichido, Teijin, and Ricoh
Cross-mentoring program is a type of mentoring where the mentor (supporter, advisor) and mentor (recipient of support and advice) are from different companies. The mentoring is carried out by executives and female managers as mentors, with the aim of accelerating the elimination of the gender gap by encouraging independent career development for female managers and allowing diverse human resources to learn and develop each other across companies.
In fiscal 2023, the program was implemented by two companies, our company and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd., but this year, four companies are participating, including Teijin Limited and Ricoh Co., Ltd. A total of 56 people will participate, consisting of seven mentors and mentors from each company, who will form 28 pairs to participate in group training and mentoring.
Initiatives to promote female participation in manufacturing sites
Starting in fiscal 2023, we will be holding a women's career forum to promote the active participation of female engineers working at our company's Complex and group refining companies. The forum was held at Tokuyama Complex in fiscal 2023 and at TOA Oil Co., Ltd. in fiscal 2024, with approximately 50 female engineers and managers with female subordinates participating at each event. Through the exchange of opinions, this initiative aims to increase motivation for work and careers and build networks.
Promoting the active participation of seniors
In order to allow employees to play an active role regardless of their age, we have introduced a retirement age selection system for those aged 60 to 65 from fiscal 2021. As of the end of March 2024, 739 senior employees (aged 60 or older) are working under the same grade, evaluation, and compensation system as employees aged 59 or younger. By introducing this system, we will encourage the senior generation to utilize their experience and knowledge to train their juniors, pass on their knowledge and skills, and challenge themselves to new fields of activity through updating their "mindset" and "reskilling." The period covered by this system is until fiscal 2024, and we are considering extending the current system from fiscal 2025 onwards.
| Retirement age | Retirement age selection system from 60 to 65 years old * (choose your own age) |
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| Working conditions | Same system as under 60 years old |
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| Severance pay | No increase in retirement allowance after age 60 |
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Scheduled until 2024.
We are currently considering extending the current system for fiscal 2025 and beyond.
Promoting the success of mid-career hires (employees with experience)
Our company positions mid-career hires as "ready-to-work" and hired 33 people in fiscal 2022. Although we do not set promotion targets based on recruitment categories, in order to enable diverse human resources to demonstrate their abilities, we evaluate their abilities and achievements fairly, regardless of nationality, employment category, etc., and promote them to positions. We are hiring.
Initiatives related to LGBTQ+
Based on our "Human Rights Policy" and "DE&I Policy," we do not tolerate any discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, understand diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity, respect and enhance each other's individuality, and strive to create a work environment where teams can maximize their capabilities.
In addition to implementing the same-sex partner marriage system introduced in fiscal 2023 and informing employees through e-learning, in fiscal 2024 we will launch the Idemitsu Ally Community, a company-recognized volunteer networking activity, with employees taking the lead in carrying out activities with the vision of "creating a place where everyone can shine as their true self."
These efforts were recognized, and the company was awarded the highest rating of "Gold" for the second consecutive year in the PRIDE Index 2024, an index that evaluates LGBTQ+ initiatives.
Promotion of active participation of people with disabilities
We are working to provide an environment in which everyone can work to their full potential, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, and to provide opportunities for them to thrive.
At each department at the head office and each base across the country, we individually create and accept working environments for people with disabilities, and we also develop "team employment" type employment for people with disabilities at the head office, Chiba Complex, Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, and Tokuyama Complex.
The "team work" style is a way of working in which each department in the company takes on tasks and contributes as a team to improving the productivity of the entire company. We aim to realize DE&I through interactions in daily work, without relying on the special subsidiary system *.
In addition, we will establish Employment Diversification Promoting Section in the Human Resources Department in July 2024 to further promote the active participation of people with disabilities.
* If an employer establishes a subsidiary that takes disabled people into consideration and employs them, and meets certain requirements, the employee can be treated as an exception to the rule and the actual employment rate can be calculated by treating the employee at the subsidiary as if they were employed by the parent company (special subsidiary company system).
Promoting the success of foreign employees
Our company has approximately 40 foreign employees, and we are implementing various initiatives to ensure that they can devote themselves to their work with peace of mind. As one of our measures, we have formed the Global Nakama Initiative (GNI), which is a place for foreign employees to interact and exchange information, and is developing it as a system where they can freely exchange opinions and consult. Currently, when foreign employees work at Japanese companies, their ways of thinking and customs often differ from those of Japanese people. Through this activity, we aim to create an environment where each foreign employee can play an active role while supporting their life and work in Japan.
The activities of national staff at important overseas bases
At Idemitsu Group's overseas subsidiaries, there are over 3,000 national staff working at 68 locations. Currently, Japanese seconded employees are in charge of management, but we are also working to develop and empower national staff by introducing a personnel system that emphasizes the degree to which they demonstrate their abilities and by implementing leadership training. In terms of diversity, Idemitsu Innovation Europe has members of eight nationalities working there.
Evaluation
Selected as Nadeshiko Brand
Our company has been selected as a "2025 Nadeshiko Brand", jointly selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Stock Exchange, as a company that excels in promoting women's participation in the workforce. This is the third consecutive year that our company has been selected.
The company was recognized for its proactive approach to employing women, including its management's commitment to increasing the proportion of women in the manufacturing department, as well as for its implementation of "Cross-mentoring program" programs with other companies for female managers.
Acquired Eruboshi certification
In 2024, we were the first to receive the "Eruboshi" certification (second level) under a system in which the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare recognizes companies with outstanding initiatives for promoting women's participation in the workforce. We achieved this by meeting the certification criteria in terms of the ratio of female managers and hiring ratios, etc.