Human Rights

Basic Approach

The Sanyo Trading Group’s Code of Conduct Manual stipulates “We shall respect human rights and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, nationality, gender, religion, creed or other reasons and shall not commit sexual harassment or other harassments in connection with pregnancy, the birth of a child, childcare leave, family care leave or other situations.”
Sanyo Trading works to maintain a healthy workplace environment where every employee is able to demonstrate their capabilities and work comfortably.

Initiatives to Prevent Harassment

Establishment of Consultation Services

We have internal and external Sanyo Trading Group Compliance Consultation Desks. When the Consultation Desk receives a report of harassment or a request for consultation regarding harassment, the Consultation Desk investigates the facts promptly and then provides relief to victims and acts resolutely, including the implementation of disciplinary actions against offenders, to prevent any recurrence.
The Sanyo Trading Group Compliance Consultation Desks can be used by any officer or employee working for the Group regardless of their employment status. In addition, Sanyo requires that the people responding to whistleblowers keep information about whistleblowers confidential, prohibits employees from seeking to identify whistleblowers, and prohibits any disadvantageous treatment of whistleblowers. Sanyo Trading positions the consultation system as a system that enables whistleblowers reporting issues or requesting consultation to provide information without worries and without being treated disadvantageously.
Sanyo Trading works to ensure that its officers and employees are aware of its Consultation Desks by posting information about them on its internal portal site and providing information about them in training and e-learning programs.

Education

Sanyo Trading provides all officers and employees with training and e-learning programs to increase their understanding and raise awareness of harassment internally. Additionally, we provide training for eliminating unconscious biases when necessary.

Dialogue with Stakeholders

Sanyo Trading posts an inquiry form on its website for diverse stakeholders, such as business partners and the general public.
Your opinions and suggestions are reflected in improving customer satisfaction, promoting stakeholder understanding, and preventing risks accordingly.

Human Resources Development

Basic Approach

Investing in human resources is one of the fundamental strategies of Sanyo Trading’s long-term management plan with the goal of cultivating talent capable of succeeding globally.
Through a review of role grade and evaluation systems, Sanyo Trading is advancing a shift in consciousness among employees towards considering and taking action on what they should do to obtain the work they desire and the rewards they deserve, regardless of years of service or age.
To help employees to be able to think about their own careers and become active in the workforce, we are strengthening our investment in human resources through a major review of the grand design of our training system and expansion of our programs. In addition, employees take the Universal Manners Test to learn and acquire the mindset and actions to interact with diverse people.

Training System: Sanyo Academy

Sanyo Academy is the foundation for supporting the continuous growth of our employees from various directions and making them constantly needed both internally and externally.
We ensure diversity in terms of time, location, and methods of taking training so that all employees can acquire the knowledge and skills needed to take on new tasks and themes, and to grow continuously.

1. Job-class-specific Training
   • New employee training: New employees receive internal training for basic knowledge, which provides an overview of the transactions in each business unit and basic knowledge provided by the administrative divisions as well as external training.
   • Follow-up training for second and third-year employees: Employees are encouraged to reflect on the challenges they have faced and the things they have learned since joining Sanyo Trading. The goal of the training program is to help employees think for themselves about how they will work and grow through self-control.
   • Training for managers and officers: Sanyo Trading provides training programs for group leaders, general managers and senior general managers of business units tailored to their specific roles to enhance their knowledge and thinking. Officers are provided with training to acquire the knowledge required of executives.
2. Selective Training
   • NY English language training: One-month training in the U.S. (New York) is provided for young main career track employees selected from among those who wish to participate. Through local language training, the program supports the acquisition of language skills for global activities.
   • Overseas training: We offer one-year dispatch training at our offices in China, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries. In addition to on-the-job training at local workplaces, we provide full support, including attending language schools, to ensure that employees can maximize their growth during their one-year period.
     For mid-career employees, we offer a business development survey dispatch program to promote voluntary actions to take the first steps, such as surveys, toward developing new business.
   • Pre-management school: The program is designed for pre-managerial grades, encouraging them to acquire the necessary background for management positions with subordinates at the very least.
   • Management school: Future management candidates comprehensively learn corporate and organizational management basics. During the training program, we assess their knowledge to determine whether they have the knowledge necessary for becoming executives.
3. Optional Training
   • Optional training (external training): Training contents are established based on each position’s requirements, enabling participants to attend trainings selected based on their wish. With this, training supplements the skills needed for the roles they will play in the future.
   • E-learning: Employees can choose e-learning courses related to operational skills, interpersonal relationships, support for acquiring qualifications, and specialized areas like lending and accounting.
4. Training by Age Groups
   • Career design training: We offer opportunities to think about career development based on employees’ age groups, aiming to promote their autonomy for their career development.
5. Training Provided for Newly Appointed Presidents
   • Training for new presidents of domestic and overseas Group companies: We offer training to acquire necessary knowledge as presidents at domestic and overseas business sites.

Diversity and Inclusion

Basic Approach

The Sanyo Trading Group workforce is diverse. In addition to differences in gender, nationality and age, employees have different backgrounds and values. With the rapid diversification and globalization of businesses, to accomplish its mission, “We foster an open, down-to-earth and entrepreneurial corporate culture that drives our collective efforts to deliver the best solutions flexibly and in a timely manner so that we can help achieve the sustainable development of the global community and fulfill employees’ aspirations for well-being.” it is essential for the diverse employees of the Group to play active roles lively.
As a trading company, our most valuable asset is our people. We prioritize diversity as a crucial aspect of our corporate strategy to become a company where a diverse workforce and diverse knowledge come together and create new value.

Sanyo Work Style

It is a system that always enables maximum performance, without being limited by time or location. We bring out the lively potential of our employees through telework and staggered work hours (a difference of two hours maximum), and by providing comfort through Everyday Casual and free-address systems.
Through multiple committees’ activities conducted each fiscal year, proposals for diverse ways of working for diverse employees are made. By embodying those proposals, we have organized a working environment in which all employees can continue to work while respecting each other.

A system that enables all employees to continually progress in their careers

We strive to create an education system and a working environment that enable employees to work long term with peace of mind. The prescribed working hours are 7 hours per day, allowing time for personal life and study.
Childcare leave is available for up to two years, and after returning to work, shorter working hours are available to ensure the work comfort of families with small children. In addition, we have established a job transfer system to accommodate the diversified work attitudes of our employees.

Ensuring diversity in recruitment, cultivation, and job rotation, and fostering a diversity mindset

Sanyo Trading continually hires women on its main career track, and provides equal opportunities to people, regardless of genders, to improve their skills, including overseas training and language training. As the Group expands globally, the Group hires more local employees at overseas companies as well as more foreign nationals at head office. Sanyo Trading and the companies that have joined the Group through M&A activities attempt to diversify career and knowledge by mutual exchange of personnel through secondments.
In addition, employees take the Universal Manners Test to learn and acquire the mindset and actions to interact with diverse people.

Health and Productivity Management, and Occupational Safety and Health

Health and Productivity Policy

Basic Approach

Sanyo Trading believes that the mental and physical health of each individual employee is important for the active participation of diverse, motivated human resources. We have established the “Sanyo Trading Declaration of Health and Productivity Management” believing that employees who are mentally and physically healthy are highly motivated and create new value, thereby contributing to the provision of enriched lifestyles through the discovery and stable supply of commercial products.
Based on this declaration, Sanyo Trading will promote health and productivity management initiatives as a company to achieve “Challenging ourselves for the BEST solution”.

Sanyo Trading Declaration of Health and Productivity Management

• Enhancing the workplace environment: Sanyo Trading will continue to provide a safe and secure work environment where our employees can work healthy and energetically.
• Promoting health awareness: Sanyo Trading supports a wide range of health initiatives to raise employee awareness of physical and mental health.
• Responsibility toward the future: Sanyo Trading will continue to maintain and improve the health of employees, enhancing the productivity of organization, and thereby achieving sustainable business growth.

Structure for Health and Productivity Management

The Company has established a Health and Productivity Management Committee as a subcommittee of the Sustainability Committee. The subcommittee aims to identify and solve issues related to employee health management, which will lead to solutions to management issues. The subcommittee is chaired by the head of the Human Resources & General Affairs Department, and the results of its discussions are reported to the Board of Directors via the Sustainability Committee.

Balancing Work and Nursing Care

To prevent employees from being forced to leave the company due to the need to provide nursing care for family members, Sanyo Trading is developing a work environment that enables employees to balance work and nursing care. We have obtained the Tomonin symbol, a certification by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which can be used by companies that are developing a work environment that enables employees to balance work and nursing care.

Ensuring the Safety of Employees and Customers

In the event of natural disasters, infectious diseases, and similar situations, Sanyo Trading places the highest priority on ensuring the health and safety of employees and their families. In addition to leaving it to individual discretion, we will issue instructions for proactively transitioning to teleworking (implemented as part of Sanyo Work Style) and staying at home.
Furthermore, for various infectious diseases, we run prevention campaigns (such as providing vaccinations and testing kits) as needed, aiming to protect not only our employees but also our customers from the spread of infection.

Communities (Social Contribution Activities)

Social Contribution Activities Policy

The Sanyo Trading Group is aware of its role as a good corporate citizen with global operations, and we encourage and support the social contribution activities of each individual officer and employee. The Group actively engages in unique activities that it has developed through its business activities in harmony with local communities and the global community, aiming to realize its vision, “Deliver tangible solutions to social issues to make the world a better place for everyone.”

Main Initiatives

• Support for “Bridge for Smile”
  We support a non-profit organization “Bridge for Smile” to support children living in childcare homes make the transition from the childcare home into society.
  Bridge for Smile
• Supporting Next-generation Education
  To support the education of the next generation, the Company co-sponsors Wagyu Koshien, a competition for high school students at agricultural high schools nationwide that raise cattle. In the event, the students compete on the quality of the meat of the cattle they raise and their day-to-day efforts.
  The competition is designed to motivate high school students to engage in livestock farming, create networks among high school students, and improve their motivation and skills.
• Introduction of a System Supporting Employee Participation in Volunteer Activities
  To encourage employees to participate in volunteer activities, Sanyo Trading has introduced a volunteer leave system and started a service providing volunteer information.