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Promoting Work-Style Reform

Policy and Approach

Skylark Group regards human resources as one of its most important business management resources. In response to the introduction of the Act on the Arrangement of Related Acts to Promote Workstyle Reform in April 2019, we have worked to limit long working hours and make improvements with regard to other problems, such as failure to ensure that employees take annual paid leave. We are also implementing various measures such as reviewing business hours, with a particular focus on the way we work during the year-end / New Year holiday period and late-night hours.
In anticipation of the post-COVID era, we will work to create an environment where diverse human resources can play an active role with the aim of further improving employee satisfaction.

Risks and Opportunities

Risks Opportunities
Slowdown in growth due to a shortage of human resources and lack of diversity
Increased personnel costs
Securing excellent human resources
Productivity improvement
Improving hiring and retention rates

Indicators/KPI

Major indicators KPI
2030 2050
Percentage of female employees in management posts 30% 50%
Percentage of employees who smoke 15% Zero
Improvement of overtime hours 20 hours Zero
Percentage of paid leave taken 80% 100%

Examples of Action

Limiting Long Working Hours

Under the Upper Limit on Overtime Work Regulations introduced in April 2019, as a general rule, the upper limit for overtime work is 45 hours per month, and 360 hours per year. Even under special temporary circumstances, the upper limit has now been set to 720 hours per year, less than 100 hours per month (including work on days off), and an average of 80 hours per month across multiple months (also including work on days off).
In 2018, Skylark set its own upper limits of less than 80 hours per month (including work on days off) and an average of 60 hours per month across multiple months (also including work on days off), and continues to monitor overtime in order to ensure legal compliance.

FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021
Prescribed regular working hours per year 1,984 1,984 1,984 1,984 1,984
Prescribed annual overtime working hours 404.4 416.4 379.2 254.4 247.2

Ensuring that Employees Take Annual Paid Leave

At the same time, we have also made it mandatory for all employees who have been granted 10 days or more of annual paid leave to take at least 5 days at a specified time of the year. We create a paid leave management log for each individual employee, have employees take leave in a planned manner, and obtain feedback on actual results.

Responding to Equal Pay for Equal Work

Legislation prohibiting irrational disparities in treatment between permanent and temporary workers was introduced in Japan in April 2020. In accordance with this legislation, Skylark has done a thorough check on whether or not our treatment of non full-time employees of all types is equal and balanced in comparison with permanent full-time employees within the Group. Based on the results of these assessments, we have produced a manual to facilitate rational explanation of any differences in treatment, and worked to develop an organizational structure that enables the explanation of such differences, led primarily by the Human Capital Management Division.

Reviewing and Revising Operating Hours

Since a revision of late-night operating hours at around 350 stores in 2017, we have been reviewing and revising operating hours and shortening late-night operating hours at each store as part of annual labor-management checks. In 2019, we contributed to improving the work-life balance of our employees by shortening of operating hours during the year-end / New Year holiday period. Since 2020, this policy has been applied at around 2,800 stores every year.
From July 2020 onward, we have shortened our late-night operating hours for all Group stores to close at 23:30 as a general rule. The aim of this is to operate restaurants that continue to be chosen by customers by focusing our human assets on day parts where guest counts are high, and selling our products in the ways they demand (i.e. delivery and take-out) in accordance with new customer lifestyles; thereby securing employment for our employees and profits to ensure the survival of the company itself.

Interview Article on "Reform of Work Styles” by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries