Promotion of Diversity

Promotion of the Advancement of Female Employees

In line with our basic policy on diversity and inclusion (D&I)¹, we are intent on creating an environment that enables women to demonstrate their abilities to the full. In Japan, we have drawn up a General Employer Action Plan based on the Act on the Promotion of Women’s Active Engagement in Professional Life. Among other things, this plan sets a target of hiring women to fill at least 25% of new graduate positions, a target that has been met each year over the five years from FY2019 to FY2023. Another example of our efforts was our hosting in FY2021 and FY2022 of a seminar for all executives and employees on the subject of unconscious bias, to deepen their understanding of unintentional bias related to gender, encourage greater workplace diversity, and promote the establishment of a foundation for advancing the role of women within the Company. Our target was for women to fill 3% of management positions (as defined by our grading system in INPEX²) by March 31, 2023. As of that date, we had achieved that target, with women filling 3.7% of management positions. Going forward, we aim to lift this figure to 6% during FY2025 through more intensive mid-career recruitment of women capable of performing management roles. In promoting or appointing employees, we evaluate employees who are temporarily restricted in their work duties due to life events in an appropriate manner so as to not impede career advancement.

In this way, women have become increasingly active in all job categories in recent years, but we observe the level of women’s involvement is still uneven across job categories and the percentage of females in senior management positions remains low. We therefore continue in our efforts to advance the role of women at the Company. Besides appointing one female Outside Director and one female Outside Auditor, we are steadily making progress, including the appointment of a female Executive Officer promoted from within the organization for the first time in our history in March 2020.

¹ Basic policy on Diversity and Inclusion

² Non-Consolidated employees including seconded employees but excluding the employees who are temporary transfer to INPEX

LGBTQ＋

Within the Group, the term “diversity” refers to all differences related to people or businesses, including sexual orientation and gender identity.

To promote understanding towards LGBTQ+ matters, we have conducted an ongoing in-house training program since FY2017, and in FY2018, held lectures for executives concerning LGBTQ+ matters. Efforts have also been under way to upgrade internal systems. In FY2020, employees were given the right to refuse requests to undertake business travel on the grounds that they are LGBTQ+, and in FY2021, “family” was redefined to include same-sex partners and their children under the Company’s benefit program. Employees are also encouraged to start using names (including pronouns and titles) that reflect their gender identity. In addition to an in-house LGBTQ+ consultation desk, we set up a second consultation desk managed by outside experts in FY2022. Our continuing positive action in these areas has won us recognition in Japan for our pioneering efforts in the workplace. For two consecutive years, in FY2021 and FY2022, we received the Gold Award (the highest rating) in the PRIDE Index, Japan’s first index evaluating initiatives related to LGBTQ+ and sexual minorities.

Employment of Foreign Nationals

We actively employ foreign nationals as we believe that diversity brings vitality to the workplace. To achieve inclusion—which means to build workplace environments and interpersonal relationships that contribute to business through mutual respect and recognition—we provide relocation support services for foreign nationals, in particular those who normally use English in their daily work, to minimize the challenges they may experience living and working in Japan. In addition, we prepare intranet postings and documents in both Japanese and English, and offer weekly Japanese-language lessons with an external teacher.

Efforts to Engage Older Workers

In FY2019, we started career training for employees aged 30, 40, and 50 years to understand the importance of career development and learn to design their own course for future success and growth, using techniques such as self-reflection and career experience inventory. Since FY2022, we also offer career consultation by qualified personnel to employees aged 55 years to support the autonomous career development of our senior employees.

In FY2019, we set up INPEX Solutions as a fully owned subsidiary within the Group. INPEX Solutions functions as a think tank for the Group, conducting surveys and research as well as providing support in consulting and talent development. Many retired Group employees transfer to this company where they can make use of their expertise, such as by passing on the know-how they have accumulated during their career, or in exploring new business opportunities for the Company

Promotion of Employment of Persons with Disabilities

We have been proactive in hiring persons with disabilities, taking into account such factors as the nature of the work and the workplace environment. As of the end of FY2022 (December 31, 2022), we employed 44 persons with disabilities, representing 2.9% of the workforce in Japan.

Since FY2020, it has become common to work from home, a more amenable and conducive workplace environment for persons with physical disabilities. This has enabled us to maintain an employment rate of people with disabilities that exceeds the legally required rate in Japan. The wearing of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges for employees with hearing disabilities, who rely on lip reading to communicate. We are providing these employees with support, including digital solutions such as chat-enabled virtual social gatherings and closed captioning for videoconferences.