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Employees

EmployeesWe seek to create a comfortable work environment in which a diversity of people can work actively, pleasantly, and cheerfully, and have pride in their own company.

Employment of People with Disabilities

Based on the principle of "Achieving the legally mandated employment rate," the company works to maintain and create employment opportunities for people with disabilities on an ongoing basis. Specifically, employment promoters at each business site, led by the person in charge of promoting employment for persons with disabilities, identify workplaces and jobs that are suitable for persons with disabilities, and work with local Hello Work offices to match persons with disabilities with workplaces and jobs, and provide support for workplace adjustment.

Conclusion of labor agreement

Gunze respects the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. Gunze has established the sound development of its business and the improvement of the social and economic status of its employees as common goals of labor and management, and strives to establish constructive and stable labor-management relations. We have a union shop system, and all employees who are "eligible to join the union" under the labor-management agreement are members of the union.

Work-Life Balance at GunzeGunze has established various human resources systems to enable people with diverse characteristics, perspectives, and circumstances to work with high performance. We are reforming to a flexible work style that is not restricted by location or time by promoting telecommuting, flextime, and remote work, as well as introducing time-based annual leave and a comeback system.

Annual Leave (full day, half day, time)

In addition to paid leave in units of a day or half a day, employees can also take paid leave in units of hours. We also have a well-developed paid leave system, including the "three-day off system" introduced in fiscal 2017 and an increase in the target number of days to be taken annually.

Flextime

In March 2018, Gunze introduced flextime. By leaving the start and end times of work to individual employees, the company aims to increase their independence and initiative and improve productivity through flexibility.

Working from home

In March 2018, Gunze introduced working from home to enable a more productive and efficient work style that fits each employee's diverse lifestyle and work style.

Comeback System (Reentry System for Retirees)

This is a system that allows employees who left Gunze due to unavoidable circumstances such as child care, family care, or spouse transfer, or for career advancement due to study or job change, to return to work for Gunze.

Career change system

Gunze has a career change system to encourage a variety of work styles, such as employees who want to change from a general position to a career track position to take on different challenges, or employees who want to change to a regional career track position because marriage has made it difficult to move to a new city.

Refreshment Year System

In order to refresh and further motivate employees to lead a healthy and fulfilling professional life, the company provides consecutive paid leave (Refresh Leave) and incentive payments according to the number of years of service.

Refreshment Year 10

Three consecutive days of refreshment leave for employees with 10 years of service.

Refreshment Year 25

Five consecutive days of refreshment leave and a 25-year service award (100,000 yen) for employees with 25 years of service.

Self-development Support System

Employees who obtain the qualifications specified in the "List of Qualifications to be Encouraged to Acquire" or those approved by the company are eligible to receive an incentive (10,000 to 100,000 yen) and assistance with tuition and other expenses.
In addition, under the distance learning support system, employees who complete a distance learning course can apply for support for approximately half of the course fee. These self-development support programs are also available during leaves of absence, allowing those who have taken unavoidable leaves of absence to develop their careers.

Childcare and Nursing Care Support System

Since April 2015, managers have been conducting "support interviews for balancing work and childcare," as we believe it is necessary to create an environment in which employees can continue to work while taking advantage of the system. The company has also prepared a Q&A manual for managers so that not only those who use the system, but also managers, can properly understand the system and smoothly manage the entire department.

Childcare Leave

You can take childcare leave up to the day before your child's second birthday.

Reduced Working Hours for Childcare

In principle, 6-hour days until the end of March when the child enters the third year of primary school. If desired, the hours can be reduced in 15-minute increments, from 30 minutes to 2 hours per day, as needed.

Child Care Leave

Five days (10 days for employees with two or more children) per year to care for sick or injured children or to obtain immunizations or physical examinations through the end of March of the child's third year of elementary school.

Nursing Care Leave

A period of up to one consecutive year (which may be divided into several periods) to care for an eligible family member, combined with reduced work hours for caregiving.

Reduced Work Hours for Nursing Care

When caring for an eligible family member, for a period of up to one year in the aggregate with the period of caregiving leave; may be up to two hours per day in 30-minute increments; may be divided into multiple periods; may be taken concurrently.

Nursing Care Leave

Five days per year (10 days for two or more eligible family members) to care for or otherwise attend to an eligible family member.

Fringe benefits

Dormitory for single employees, company housing system, stock ownership plan, welfare fund (refreshment plan, various congratulatory gifts such as wedding gifts, various loans such as housing loans and sympathy money, etc.), defined contribution pension system.

Gunze's support for women's activitiesIn addition to maternity leave, parental leave and reduced working hours for childcare, Gunze has established various systems to support a good balance between work and childcare. Here we present some of these systems and initiatives. In the future, we will continue to improve and promote various systems and initiatives that will lead to a better working environment for women in the Gunze Group.

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave can be taken during pregnancy or within one year after childbirth if the employee receives medical advice from a doctor, or if the employee is unable to work due to morning sickness up to four months into pregnancy.

Hospital Visit Leave

Leave may be taken when a pregnant woman or a woman within one year of giving birth has to go to the hospital during working hours for health check-ups, etc. under the Maternal and Child Health Act.

Wife's Maternity Leave

When a woman gives birth, she may take up to three days' leave and the number of days required for a round trip to and from the place of birth.

Child Care Leave

Employees may take the necessary number of days (hours) to care for sick or injured children up to the third grade of elementary school, or to receive medical checkups or vaccinations.

Support Meetings for Employees on Parental Leave

In an effort to help employees continue to thrive after a life event, as of April 2015, we conduct interviews with employees who have taken parental leave and their managers at the following times to support a smooth return to work after parental leave.

When reporting pregnancy
When taking maternity leave
Before returning to work
After deciding where to return to work
3 months after returning to work

Mentoring

Mentoring is provided for the purpose of "building human networks" and "supporting the education and career development of future business leaders.

General Employer Action Plan for Promotion of Women's Active Engagement

●The ideal state: A company that is fair to both men and women, where each individual can fully demonstrate his or her abilities, shine brightly, and be rewarded for his or her work.

Plan Period: April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2025 (4 years)
Plan Details (Implementation Measures)

Gunze has been certified as an
"Osaka City Leading Company for Women's Activities"
since January 15, 2015.

Action plan based on "Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children"

●The goal: By promoting Diversity & Inclusion, companies aim to "foster an organizational culture where diverse human resources are motivated to work and become a dynamic company with dreams and a company of choice.

Plan Period: April 1, 2023 - March 31, 2025 (2 years)
Plan content～

Initiatives to Promote a Corporate Culture of Respect for Human RightsTo promote a corporate culture of respect for human rights, we participate in external human rights organizations such as the Osaka Liaison Association of Companies Concerned with Dowa and Human Rights Issues. In addition, we strive to raise awareness of human rights through initiatives such as the "Human Rights Slogan" campaign during Human Rights Week.

Whistleblowing System

The "Anything Goes Hotline" has been established as a whistleblower hotline under the direct control of the President. In accordance with the Company's Anti-Harassment Policy and Whistleblower Protection Policy, consultations and reports are handled with care and respect for the privacy of the whistleblower and other parties involved. The number of consultations decreased from the previous year, but the number of consultations related to harassment increased. There is no record of the number of consultations based on the Whistleblower Protection Regulations. The company continues to strive to respond in good faith from a fair and impartial standpoint.

Efforts to Eliminate Workplace AccidentsThe company promotes activities aimed at "creating a safe, comfortable and enjoyable workplace" with zero occupational accidents. Specifically, the Health and Safety Committee plays a central role in reducing the risk of occupational accidents through risk assessment, strengthening safe work training, and raising the safety awareness of each individual employee.

Mental HealthIn order to prevent the occurrence of mental health problems, the company is promoting line care training for managers and counseling services through the Mental Health Telephone Counseling Service. In the future, we will conduct stress checks (including at workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, which are not legally required to conduct stress checks) to help employees understand their own stress status, and promote workplace analysis and counseling for high-stress employees in cooperation with occupational health physicians and others.