Diversity Promotion Initiatives
Diversity Promotion Initiatives
Each of MARUI GROUP's approximately 5,000 employees is different. We believe that innovation is assured when these employees are accepting of the differences in others and are able to unite with an eye toward social change and demand. We are therefore promoting diversity with regard to individual talents, gender, and age.
Innovation and Evolution of Diversity Promotion Initiatives
MARUI GROUP's diversity promotion initiatives began from the starting point of gender diversity. The number of employees involved has grown with each coming year since these initiatives were kicked off in 2013. As a result, these initiatives have continued to evolve through the gradual broadening of their scope, from only women to including men, from management to employees, and eventually to encompass a greater range of workplaces and finally the entire Group.
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| 2014 |
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| 2015 |
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| 2016–2017 |
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| 2021 |
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| 2023~ |
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Approach toward Promoting Diversity
The promotion of diversity has been clearly identified as a management strategy in the Company's medium-term management plans since the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015. Specific diversity promotion initiatives include MARUI GROUP's participation in A Group of Male Leaders Who will Create a Society in which Women Shine, a committee headed by the Gender Equality Bureau of the Cabinet Office of Japan. In addition, we distribute Diversity Books containing messages from senior management to all employees. At the same time, to address emerging challenges in promoting diversity, we have established Certified Projects and Certified Initiatives. By recruiting members on a voluntary, “raise-your-hand” basis, we promote diversity efforts from the bottom up.
Top-Down Directives, Bottom-Up Initiatives
Top-Down
- Identification of diversity promotion as a management strategy in the Company's medium-term management plans since the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015
- Participation of President Hiroshi Aoi in A Group of Male Leaders Who will Create a Society in which Women Shine (Cabinet Office) as a founding member
- Distribution of Diversity Books containing messages from senior management to all employees
Diversity Book (Japanese only)
Bottom-up
- The Group’s Gender Equality Project (a Certified Project) and the Post-COVID Workstyle Initiative (a Certified Initiative) play central roles in driving diversity across the Group.
- Certified Projects: Medium- to long-term activities where employees with shared interest in Group- or society-wide themes voluntarily gather to propose and implement concrete initiatives.
- Certified Initiatives: Activities where employees with an interest in specific issues gather to propose Group-wide solutions.
Activities of the Gender Equality Project Team(April 2021～March 2023)
The official Groupwide Gender Equality Project Team was launched in April 2021. MARUI GROUP recognizes that empowering its female employees in the workplace requires the development of gender-equal work styles. Developing these work styles is a task that cannot be accomplished by women alone, but rather one that requires real change in the mindsets of their families and coworkers and of society as a whole.
This project team features a diverse membership of employees from a variety of workplaces and age groups. These individuals are engaged in self-propelled action for the purpose of achieving the project team’s expressed goal of fostering a corporate culture encouraging employees to reach their full potential regardless of their gender. Moreover, as is the case with other project teams, members are changed on an annual basis, which produces a new set of employees with increased knowledge and awareness each year and thereby contributes to the cultivation of a corporate culture that lends itself to business innovation.
Activities of the Post-COVID Workstyle Initiative (from August 2023)
In August 2023, MARUI GROUP launched the Post-COVID Workstyle Initiative as a certified initiative to foster a corporate culture where a more diverse range of employees can excel.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, while there has been a shift back to office work from telework and more employees wish to autonomously choose their workstyles, managerial workstyles have seen little change. Against this backdrop, managers who voluntarily raised their hands came together to promote reforms in managerial workstyles.
Human Resource and Evaluation Systems
A Groupwide committee was assembled in December 2015 to examine the Group's human resource and evaluation systems. To date, this committee has held discussions on the implementation of these systems and their quantitative and qualitative targets with a total of 2,600 representatives from the employee base and from the Personnel Division. Based on these discussions, we launched new systems centered on value evaluations, which assess employees based on the sensibilities necessary for exercising our management philosophy and how well they are suited to each position, and performance evaluations, which look at the results of teams over a given period.
Work Style Reforms
Teleworking
In addition to improving individual productivity, telework has been introduced as a new workstyle option that enables diversity to flourish. We have established clear regulations for telework and provide allowances for working from home to ensure a safe and supportive telework environment.
Flextime System
Since April 2022, we have introduced a flextime system that allows employees to manage their prescribed monthly working hours autonomously, with the aim of enhancing performance while achieving better work–life balance.
Annual Paid Leave in Half-Day or Hourly Units
Employees are able to take annual paid leave in half-day or hourly increments (from one hour).
Step-Up Leave Program
The Step-Up Leave Program is a long-term leave system that can be used not only for self-development but also for exploring one’s personal passions and reassessing one’s career. The program consists of two courses designed to encourage individual growth and new challenges.
Course Overview
| Course | Self-Development Course | Career Review & Passion Exploration Course |
|---|---|---|
| Reason | For academic study, overseas study, qualification acquisition, or side jobs | For initiatives that contribute to personal growth and |
| Duration | Up to 2 years and 6 months (can be taken in segments) | 6 months |
| Compensation | Unpaid (with the option to use expired paid leave from the past three years) | Unpaid (with the option to use expired paid leave from the past three years) |
| Eligibility | Employees with 3 or more years of service | Employees with 3 or more years of service |
| Other | Tuition support is available for professional degrees |
Shorter Working Hours System
Employees who face difficulties working standard hours due to pregnancy, childcare, or nursing care may work between 5 hours 30 minutes and 7 hours per day (in 30-minute increments).
*Applicable for childcare until the end of a child’s third year of elementary school.
Limited-Time Full-Time System
Employees who face difficulties working standard hours due to childcare may limit their working hours for a certain period.
*Working hours vary depending on job type and work location.
*Applicable until the end of a child’s sixth year of elementary school.
Shortened Workdays System
Employees may shorten the prescribed number of working days for a certain period for reasons such as childcare, nursing care, self-development, or side jobs.
