We understand and support the following international principles and standards as the principles and standards to be observed with respect to human rights and have established policies accordingly.
- ”The International Bill of Human Rights” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)
- International Labor Organization (ILO) “Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work”
- ”Convention on the Rights of the Child”
- UN “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”
- The Board of Directors, the highest decision-making body of management, shall determine the Human Rights Policy.
- In formulating the above policy, the Company shall obtain expert advice from external professional organizations.
- Through contracts and other written documents, we will inform our employees, business partners, and other parties directly involved in our business, products, or services of our stance on respect for human rights and share it with them.
- We will make the above policy available to the general public, both internally and externally, including all employees, business partners, and other related parties, by posting it on our website.
- We will penetrate the above policy throughout our company by holding regular internal training sessions.
Scope of Application
- All executives and employees of Skylark Group
We will strive to create an environment in which officers and employees can work in a safe and secure workplace free from discrimination and with a sense of fulfillment, as “beings whose human rights are to be respected. We also understand that our officers and employees are “beings who should respect the human rights of others,” and we will put this policy into practice.
- All business partners of Skylark Group
We will continue to encourage all our business partners to support this policy and work together to respect human rights. If a business partner is found to be involved in human rights violations, we will encourage them to take corrective action.
Approach to Initiatives in Labor Standards
We support and respect the fundamental rights under the following labor principles regarding labor standards.
We encourage our employees to share these principles with all of our employees.
- Freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining
- Prohibition of all forms of forced and compulsory labor
- The effective abolition of child labor
- The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Freedom of Association and Support for the Right to Collective Bargaining
We shall comply with the spirit of the guarantee of the three labor rights (basic labor rights) in Article 28 of the Japanese Constitution, support the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, and cooperate in good faith.
We also recognize and support the fact that the labor union formed by our employees based on the freedom of association is the only negotiating body that can conclude agreements with the company on working conditions.
Prevention of Forced Labor
As stipulated in Article 1, Paragraph 2 of our Employment Regulations, which states "as stipulated by the Labor Standards Law and other laws and regulations," we also comply with the prohibition of forced labor as stipulated by Article 5 of the Labor Standards Law.
We encourage our overseas operations as well as suppliers through on-site inspections and audits.
- The Company prohibits the use of forced labor against the will of workers by means of assault, intimidation, confinement, or other unreasonable restraints on mental or physical freedom.
- Employees shall be aware that all work must be voluntary and that they may leave or terminate their employment of their own volition, and shall take necessary measures to ensure that this is the case.
- Employees must not be required, as a condition of employment, to surrender officially issued identification, passports or work permits, or to incur any costs for the opportunity to work or to continue working under the contract.
Child Rights and Labor Prevention
We agree with and abide by the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We do not give priority to the rights of children or children's rights, even if this gives us a business advantage.
We also agree with the following as required by the International Labor Organization.
- Provide all children with a good quality free compulsory education, at least until they reach the minimum age at which they are allowed to work. Efforts should also be made to reach children who are currently engaged in child labor
- New efforts should be made to make national policies on child labor and education consistent and effective
- Ensure all children can access quality education and implement investment policies for teachers
We encourage our overseas operations as well as our suppliers through on-site investigations and audits. If we discover child labor, we will immediately consider and take action to address the issue. Since the background of child labor is considered to be deeply related to social backgrounds such as poverty, we will investigate the root causes of child labor and work with suppliers to find solutions to the problem. *There have been no cases of child labor found during past on-site inspections or audits.
Labor Exploitation/Trafficking in Persons
Due to the nature of our business, we believe that the likelihood of labor exploitation and human trafficking occurring is low. We will continue to take action to prevent labor exploitation and human trafficking within our company and at our suppliers and business partners.
Non-Discrimination and Employee Diversity
In compliance with the spirit of the prohibition of discrimination and equality before the law as enshrined in the United Nations International Bill of Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we will work toward equal opportunity for our employees and the elimination of discrimination based on race, religion, gender, age, sexual preference, disability, and nationality, and toward equal compensation for work of equal value for men and women workers.
Commitment to Local Employment, Local Procurement and Commitment Regarding Suppliers
We will respect internationally recognized human rights by meeting all standards set forth by the United Nations regarding human rights, even when conducting business or collaborating with businesses outside of Japan.
We will not do business with suppliers who do not agree with our commitments, and we will strive not only not to be directly involved in any human rights abuses, but also not to be indirectly complicit in them through external parties.
As of the end of 2021, all of our overseas subsidiaries are operated by locally hired employees, with the exception of a few seconded employees from Japan.
We will continue to promote job creation through local hiring, placing importance on community investment and contribution to the local community.
Reduction of Overtime Work
We aim to reduce overtime work to 80 hours per month and an average of 60 hours for a period of two to six months, both of which are 20 hours less than the standard of 100 hours per month and an average of 80 hours for a period of two to six months, respectively, as set by the Work Style Reform, and also aim to strictly adhere to the standard of 45 hours per month and 360 hours per year based on our 36 Agreement.
To achieve this goal, we share information on the actual status of overtime work through labor improvement meetings and labor-management meetings and take necessary measures for improvement.
Target on Overtime Reduction
|
Goverment's Guidelines for Workplace Reform |
Our Group’s Own Standards |
| Single month
|
Less than 100 hours |
Less than 80 hours |
| Average on 2 to 6 months
|
Less than 80 hours |
Less than 60 hours |
Employee Skill Development
Recognizing that human resources are the source for realizing our management philosophy of "Creating Richness with Value to Society" and that the growth of individual employees leads to the development of the company, we are strengthening training opportunities and working to develop and educate our employees. We support our employees's skill development through both On-the-job and Off-the-job training.
Specifically, we have created a system where we make our procedure manuals into videos so that our employees can watch videos of their tasks from their own digital devices.
Efforts to Prevent Harassment
As required by labor laws and regulations, we have established an external Sexual Harassment and power Harassment Consultation Desk, which is confidential and clearly stated in our employment regulations, and have built a system to respond to inquiries from employees both by phone and e-mail.
In addition, we hold training sessions on harassment to educate our employees.
（Harassment Training Contents）
https://corp.skylark.co.jp/en/sustainability/social/employee/diversity.html
Compliance with Minimum Wage
We have established a system to check the content of laws and regulations on a regular basis so that all employees can work at a wage that is above the minimum wage, which is updated annually under the Minimum Wage Law.
We thoroughly manage not only domestic but also overseas affiliates and supply chains, taking compliance with minimum wages as a matter of course.
Endorsement of the UN Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is the world's largest sustainability initiative, in which the United Nations and the private sector (companies and organizations) join hands to build a healthy global society. The UNGC requires that companies and organizations that are signatories to the UNGC endorse the 10 principles related to the protection of human rights, the elimination of unfair labor practices, environmental responsibility, and the prevention of corruption, and continue their efforts to realize them.
In December 2023, Skylark Group signed a statement of endorsement and joined the Global Compact Network Japan (hereinafter "GCNJ"), a local network of the UNGC. In addition to adhering to the 10 principles advocated by the UNGC, we aim to realize a sustainable society through the promotion of sustainability measures.
In addition, our staff members participate in subcommittee activities organized by GCNJ, sharing information with other companies and holding discussions to resolve issues.