Respect for Human Rights
Human rights policy and management framework
We view respect for human rights as one of the Group’s key responsibilities and are committed to advancing it. Our Group Human Rights Policy states that we do not t olerate discrimination, harassment, or human rights abuses such as forced labor or child labor. We strive to respect the human rights not just of our officers and employees but of all stakeholders and work to prevent or reduce negative impacts on human rights through human rights due diligence.
In addition, the Group Sustainability Committee, chaired by the President and Representative human rights-related efforts and reviews their progress. With strong backing from management, the Company is committed to respecting human rights. The Board of Directors receives and oversees reports on the discussions from the Group Sustainability Committee.
Key initiatives on respect for human rights
We aim to prevent and reduce negative impacts on human rights for a wide range of stakeholders including our employees, clients, investment and loan portfolio companies, and suppliers. Following the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we put in place a human rights policy, carry out human rights due diligence, and build mechanisms for taking corrective action and handling grievances.
As part of initiatives towards employees, we work to provide a workplace where employees can maintain good mental and physical health and work with peace of mind. To this end, we have introduced measures such as a work interval system, reviewing and digitizing tasks, and encouraging employees to go home early and take leave, thereby changing employee behavior and workplace culture. Through these efforts, we aim to curb overwork and reduce overtime. In addition, we regularly hold training and workshops to raise employees’ awareness of respect for human rights. Topics include preventing harassment and increasing understanding of LGBTQ+ issues.
As for initiatives for investment and loan portfolio companies, we have set an investment and loan policy (Sector Policy) that considers negative impacts on the environment and society. The policy bans investments and lending in businesses that use child or forced labor, to ensure respect for human rights. It also calls for a cautious assessment of investments and lending in projects that harm indigenous communities or involve involuntary land seizures, aiming to reduce or avoid such risks. We check policy compliance when granting new credit and set up regular monitoring. We also disseminate video and other content as part of our internal communication efforts to promote understanding among our employees.
We have revised relevant rules and guidelines to embed human rights due diligence in our internal processes. We will ramp up our efforts on respect for human rights to identify, assess, prevent, and mitigate any negative impacts of our business activities throughout the Group.
Mechanisms for taking corrective action and handling grievances
We have set up harassment consultation and internal reporting desks for the Group to handle various human rights concerns. Our system uses confidentiality agreements to strictly manage information such as the content of the consultation. This ensures the protection of the privacy of anyone making a consultation and of all parties involved. We also handle human rights complaints at our Customer Consultation Office, which deals with customer inquiries and complaints.