Human Resource Management

Basic Approaches

Sumitomo Warehouse believes that all officers and employees who conduct business activities being able to exhibit their own abilities and skills as they healthily and vibrantly engage in work will lead to the continuous development of the Company as a whole and the realization of a sustainable society.

In addition to changes in the business environment surrounding the Company such as rising costs set against the backdrop of the recent labor shortage, expansion of digital transformation initiatives and heightened awareness of ESG, as the needs directed toward the Company become more complex, it is our view that it is important to secure and develop human resources with diverse approaches, knowledge and skills.

For this reason, the Company provides a variety of education and training opportunities, and has established measures supporting the activities of each employee.

Furthermore, under the concept of “Connecting people” in the Moving Forward to 2030 long-term vision, the Company aims to further enhance development of our invaluable human resources, and address social changes, including the declining birth rate and aging population, adopt flexible and diverse work styles, and continue to be a company that attracts people to it.

Required Human Resource Form, Human Resource Training and Skill Development

Required human resource form

• People with the spirit of challenge thinking for themselves and acting with a sense of speed
• People who have the ability to think things through in order to provide high-quality logistics services, such as having sharp insight seeing through to the essence of a problem or flexible imagination not constrained by existing frameworks
• People with a sense of mission who sincerely engage in overcoming issues

Human resource training and skill development

The Company has established diverse training systems with consideration for the career advancement of each employee based on the belief that “growth of employees leads to growth of the company, and we would like to foster better company personnel for the development of society.”

Training for new employees includes one week of lecture and a six-month practical training period in which the employees receive guidance from more senior employees assigned as their training officers to provide support enabling them to get off to a start free of concern as a member of society. Many new employees are assigned to sites such as warehouses and harbors, and basically begin with on-the-job training provided by their superiors and more senior employees in the workplace. Following that, in order to supplement the on-the-job training, tiered training is provided according to seniority and position to provide an understanding of the current condition of the Company, expand knowledge and provide motivation to create a vibrant corporate structure and reform organizational culture. Training for employees at a general manager level is treated as a place for deeper thinking on the state of the business from a long-term perspective by fostering a management perspective with a view of the entire Group through discussion.

Furthermore, training through e-learning to supplement tiered training, language training and various business training providing certification and improving skills required in business such as bookkeeping, customs clearing agent, real estate transaction agent and international air freight handler certification are implemented to develop human resources capable of executing business with a broad perspective.

Development of global human resources (overseas training)

The Group would like to provide the detailed logistics quality developed in Japan overseas as well. Moreover, a global logistics strategy and the proposal of more innovative options are also essential for ensuring the sustainability of customers’ supply chains. In the Moving Forward to 2030 long-term vision, the Company states that it will provide multifaceted support for the overseas expansion of customers, further develop global logistics and increase operational capacity, recognizing that the development of global human resources is essential.

In order to achieve this, the Company encourages employees to obtain understanding of different cultures, communication skills and overseas logistics knowledge and skills required for working overseas through two-year overseas posting trainings and opportunities for overseas training, etc. to gain a deeper understanding of local logistics conditions.

Training System

Participation by a Diverse Range of Human Resources and the Active Participation of Women

To respond to the diverse needs in society and the trend of globalization, it is essential for companies to ensure diversity in its human resources.

The Company strives to ensure hiring is equitable, fair and transparent, and implements hiring practices in accordance with the Act on Securing, etc. of Equal Opportunity and Treatment between Men and Women in Employment, the Employment Measures Act and the Act for Employment Promotion, etc. of Youth.

Above all, women’s career advancement is one of the most pressing issues. The Company has formulated the General Employer Action Plan as follows and implemented a variety of measures, and has been working on the establishment of a system that encourages female employees to further exercise their abilities.

For activity by diverse human resources (re-employment after mandatory retirement)

As we enter the era of a hundred-year lifespan, the number of elderly people who want to work is increasing. The Company has rehired employees who wish to continue working after mandatory employment since before the relevant legislation was established. At present, the Company and Group companies have systems for re-employment of employees who wish to do so until the age of 65 under certain conditions. This is also a valuable system for transferring the knowledge of veteran employees to junior employees.

Working with disability consultation desk

The Company enables employees to consult and file complaints to the departments responsible within the Company (Personnel Section No.1, General Affairs Department and management sections in branch offices) by telephone or e-mail when having a disability may be an impediment to company life. The privacy of the people seeking consultation, such as the content of the consultation, is protected, and people are never treated disadvantageously due to consultation.

Support for participation by women

When hiring new graduates, Sumitomo Warehouse implements “Career Live” to provide deeper understanding of how easy it is for women to work in the Company and how work is done. The purpose of this is to clarify the image of the workplace and the work through gatherings of the Company’s junior employees and prospective employees.

However, there are still few female employees who have reached the age and career level to obtain management positions, and the lack of role models is an issue. In order to broaden horizons and provide contact with a variety of approaches, we will proceed with the development of women working in management positions through participation in training outside the Company.
Furthermore, due to the importance of men’s participation in raising children for expanding opportunities for women, male employees with children are encouraged to participate in raising them.

General Employer Action Plan based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace

Respect for Human Rights

The Sumitomo Warehouse Group Business Conduct Guidelines set forth “Respect for Human Rights and the Dignity of the Individual” and explicitly state that we will not discriminate based on race, national origin, beliefs, sex, gender, age, religion, social status, or physical or mental disability.

In the event an employee is subject to harassment or a problem related to harassment arises in the workplace, employees can consult and file complaints about problems related to human rights to the departments responsible within the Company (Personnel Section I, General Affairs Department and management sections in branch offices) by telephone or e-mail, or a helpline run by an external attorney. The privacy of the people seeking consultation, such as the content of the consultation, is protected, and people are never treated disadvantageously due to consultation.

Furthermore, in addition to providing training on human rights when employees join the Company, an effort is being made to raise awareness of human rights by publishing and disseminating a message on “Prevention of harassment in the workplace” on the Company’s intranet.

Determining human rights risks overseas

The Group operates a global business, and confirms that risks such as that of child labor are low when selecting partner companies overseas, with Group employees directly observing such companies as needed when commencing transactions.

Initiatives Aimed at a Fulfilling Work Environment

Human capital is a vital management resource for the Company because its principal business is logistics service.

We believe dialog with employees is very important for raising employee motivation, establishing a fulfilling workplace environment and helping to create a rich lifestyle.

For this reason, the Company endeavors to understand employee fulfillment and requirements through employee awareness surveys and labor-management consultations. We will continue to make an effort to strengthen management of human capital and create a fulfilling organizational culture through dialog with employees.

Management Related to Safety and Health

The Safety and Quality Subcommittee that is an organization under the Sustainability Committee is responsible for matters related to safety and health within the Company. In order to ensure safety and health in the workplace, periodic safety patrols are conducted in warehouse and harbor workplaces, and reports on the status of activities are made by the responsible departments in the Safety and Quality Subcommittee.

Furthermore, to fulfill its obligation to consider safety, the Company implements regular health examinations and also performs stress checks for all employees once per year as a measure to address mental health. Face-to-face guidance by an industrial physician and counseling by a clinical psychotherapist are provided to employees who have a certain number of overtime working hours. When conducting training for managers, training is provided on mental health management, which is a necessary skill when in a position responsible for the health of subordinates. Of the Company’s overseas subsidiaries, Sumitomo Warehouse (Singapore) Pte Ltd and Union Services (S'pore) Pte Ltd have obtained ISO45001 certification.