Kowa Kowabo Company, Ltd.

Social

While always being aware of respect for human rights, as stipulated in Kowa Group Charter of Corporate Behavior, the Kowa Group shall establish an organization where employees can improve themselves and work with good quality of life. We shall also prevent forced labor and discrimination throughout the entire supply chain.
The Kowa Group will continue to keep people healthy and improve medical care by developing new medications, providing health-related information, and other activities. We also understand that improving our employees’ health is an important issue in corporate management and we will strive to make improvements in health issues.

●Basic Concept

While always being aware of respect for human rights, as stipulated in Kowa Group Charter of Corporate Behavior and Kowa Group Human Rights Policy, the Kowa Group shall establish an organization where employees can improve themselves and work with good quality of life. We shall also prevent forced labor and discrimination throughout the entire supply chain.
Kowa Group shall respect internationally recognized human rights and never allow discrimination or harassment based on nationality, race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, education, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity.

●Kowa Group Human Rights Policy

The Kowa Group sets forth respect for human rights in the Kowa Group Charter of Corporate Behavior and, in its Code of Conduct, declares that it will understand and respect internationally recognized human rights such as the prohibition of child labor and forced labor. This Kowa Group Human Rights Policy has been formulated to better clarify the Kowa Group’s position on human rights and pursue initiatives.

1.Basic Position
The Kowa Group respects human rights as expressed in the internationally recognized International Bill of Human Rights and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of the International Labour Organization. The Group also conducts initiatives based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

2.Scope of Application
The Policy applies to all officers and employees of the Kowa Group. The Group also asks its business partners and their associates for their understanding and support of this Policy and engages in the respect of human rights toward them.

3.Compliance with Laws and Regulations, etc.
The Kowa Group will comply with laws and regulations, etc. that apply in the various countries and regions in which it conducts business activities. In the event of contradictions between internationally recognized human rights and the laws and regulations, etc. of an individual country or region, the Group will pursue ways of respecting international human rights principles.

4.Human Rights Due Diligence
Based on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Kowa Group will implement human rights due diligence and strive to identify, prevent, and mitigate negative impacts on human rights by its business activities.

5.Education
The Kowa Group will conduct appropriate education of all its officers and employees.

6.Disclosure
The Kowa Group will conduct appropriate disclosure of its human rights initiatives.

September 29, 2021

●Basic Concept

Enhancing the stratified education and training so that all employees can utilize their own abilities and make a great leap forward, Kowa Group is promoting development of human resources who can respond to changes in business environments and create changes by themselves. We provide overseas language training programs, supports for self-development and various opportunities of career selection.

●Educational System・Program

Kowa Group is taking actions to respect and develop spontaneity of its employees, and to open up the future possibilities.

※B.U.：Business Unit

  General Trading
B.U.		 Lifestyle
B.U.		 Pharmaceutical
B.U.		 Hospitality
B.U. 		Administration Unit Kowa Group
New employees Orientation
Pre-sales practical training Divisional training
MR training
Self-care training		 Divisional
training		 OJT  
Young employees Hierarchy-specific training
Overseas language training program
Young employee training Research secondments   Participation in workshop  
OJT
Mid-level employees Training for mid-level employees
Management position Training for new managers
All employees   Product education･
Ongoing training		  
Compliance training
Participation in workshop
Before
retirement age		 Life planning seminar

●Basic Concept

Based on its “Kowa Group Charter of Corporate Behavior”, Kowa Group prevents industrial accidents and promotes management that take health and safety into consideration. Furthermore, we make efforts to realize workstyles that respect diversity, personality and individuality of our employees.

●Health and Productivity Management

We are engaged in the Health and Productivity Management of Kowa Group by introducing the “Health and Productivity Management Program” which is an integrated approach combining some tools such as a health application “KOWA MILEAGE CLUB” and the “LEBER” application with which you can remotely consult a doctor anywhere and anytime you need.

●Implementation Structure for Health and Productivity Management

The Representative Director, Executive Vice President, serves as the Chief Health Officer(CHO), and Selfcare Promotion Dept., Human Resource Division, act as the Head Office to set policies, goals and measures at the health and productivity management meetings and promote health and productivity management in collaboration with Kowa Health Insurance Society, Kowa Workers Union, occupational physician and public health nurse.

●Declaration of Kowa Group Health and Productivity Management

December 16, 2020

Declaration of Kowa Group Health and Productivity Management

Kowa Group has continued to develop itself with the corporate philosophy of “Consistency and Initiative”. The spirit of consistent and reliable manufacturing and the spirit of initiative in keeping up with changes of the times and constantly taking on a challenge have been two cores in the development.

We believe that, in order to continue such development, it is absolutely essential for each one of Kowa Group employees and their families to be physically, mentally, and socially in the state of “well-being”.

Therefore, the Group considers improving health of its employees and their families as one of its key management issues, and declares herein to promote the “Health and Productivity Management”, which is an advanced version of the health improvement efforts to date, in collaboration with the Kowa Health Insurance Association for achieving the “well-being” of the employees and their families.

Chief Health Officer: CHO
Akiteru Nonomura

●Occupational Safety and Health

Kowa Group complies with the labor laws and regulations of each country or region and develops safe and hygienic workplaces. We also prevent industrial accidents and promote management that fully considers health and safety.
In addition, we make efforts to achieve workstyle reforms that respect diversity, personality and individuality of our employees.
In the domestic offices where at least 50 employees are working, the Safe and Health Committee is established based on the Industrial Safety and Health Act, and discusses employee health and improvement in the workplace environment while receiving advice from our industrial physician.

●Mental Health

With the aim of enhancing employees’ self-care and creation of a worker-friendly workplace environment, we have provided stress check to domestic workers including secondees from other companies since FY2016 in accordance with the Industrial Safety and Health Act. We offer consultation with an industrial physician for workers who have high level of stress.
Furthermore, as a part of mental health management, we have provided our workers with opportunities to consult with industrial health staffs, including medical interviews in periodical check-ups. From FY2023, we offer stress check conducted by industrial health staffs based on the Industrial Safety and Health Act.

●Basic Concept

Kowa Group aims to contribute to the resolution of social issues by promoting initiatives such as legal compliance, respect for human rights, and environmental conservation together with our suppliers in order to realize a sustainable and stable supply chain.
To this end, we will strive to deepen our understanding through two-way communication with our suppliers while at the same time requesting that our suppliers proactively implement the "Kowa Group Supplier Code of Conduct".

●Kowa Group
Supplier Code of Conduct

  • 1. To respect human rights, and avoid inhumane treatment including discrimination, harassment, cruelty, and child labor
  • 2. To respect employees’ right to organize and right of collective bargaining
  • 3. To prevent forced labor, excessive labor, and unfair low-wage labor
  • 4. To provide employees with a safe, sanitary, and healthy work environment, to prepare emergency countermeasures for dealing with disasters and accidents, and to publicize these countermeasures so that they are known by all concerned parties
  • 5. To work to prevent environmental problems through measures on biodiversity and global warming
  • 6. To observe relevant laws and international rules, to engage in fair business transactions, and to strive to prevent corruption such as bribery
  • 7. To work to ensure and maintain the quality and safety of products and services
  • 8. To strive to appropriately manage information security in order to protect personal information and confidential information
  • 9. To disclose information regarding the above items in a timely and appropriate manner

●Declaration of Partnership Building

Kowa Company agrees with the aims of the “the Council on Promoting Partnership Building for Cultivating the Future”, which consists of related ministries (the Cabinet Office; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary), the Chairman of Keidanren, Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, and announced the “Declaration of Partnership Building”.
We will build a new partnership by enhancing cooperation, co-existence and co-prosperity with all suppliers in our supply chain and business operators striving to create values.