Specific Initiatives for Diversity & Inclusion | Obayashi Corporation's Diversity & Inclusion

1Promoting Opportunities for Women

At Obayashi, we consider the advancement of women as the first step to achieve diversity and inclusion, and we are working to enable the success of all those involved in our group’s business starting with the construction business.

Formulation of an Action Plan based on Japan’s Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace

In April 2021, we formulated our Second Action Plan based on Japan’s Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace. Under the plan, we set our FY2025.3 target for the ratio of employed female engineers and managers at 12% and are acting accordingly.
Some female engineers are now in management positions such as Department General Managers and Project Directors, and the ratio of female managers at Obayashi is the highest in the industry.

Second Action Plan based on Japan’s Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace

The following action plan was created to enable individual employees to fully utilize their talent and flourish regardless of their gender by further promoting the advancement of women.
Plan period: Four years from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2025

Goal 1	Increase the ratio of female managers to 12% by FY2025.3 [Action Details] From April 2021: Continuous implementation of ability-based promotion evaluations regardless of gender. From April 2021: Periodic evaluation of the promotion status of female employees and understanding the progress in achieving the target. From April 2021: Provision of unconscious bias training (education for the elimination of subconscious gender discrimination and prejudice and training of management techniques to motivate and draw out the skills of staff members to the fullest without regard to gender) for all personnel at a management level.
Goal 2	Increase the ratio of female engineering staff to 12% by FY2025.3 [Action Details] From April 2021: Continuous hiring of talented personnel regardless of gender. From April 2021: Creation of an environment where female engineering staff feel comfortable at construction sites as a way of encouraging more women to join the construction industry. From April 2021: Carrying out PR aimed at wider society that showcases the working conditions of Obayashi’s female engineers as a way of encouraging more women to join the construction industry.
Goal 3	Establishment and enhancement of programs that enable flexible work styles for all employees [Action Details] From April 2021: Establishment and enhancement of systems that assist flexible work styles, such as telecommuting, the Staggered Work Hours Program, annual paid leave which may be taken in hourly increments, shortened work hours.
Goal 4	100% achievement of the ratio of eligible male employees taking childcare leave or other childcare related leave by FY2025.3 [Action Details] From April 2021: Deepening employee understanding of the childcare leave program primarily through the Human Resources Department’s website and handbooks, and encouraging eligible employees to take childcare leave. From April 2021: Examination of promotion measures with the Employees’ Union to encourage eligible male employees to take childcare leave or other childcare related leave.

Promoting Flexible Work Styles (telecommuting, Staggered Work Hours Program and annual paid leave which may be taken in hourly Increments)
Holding a meeting between the company and the labor union to discuss reduction in total work hours and distribution of posters encouraging employees to take holidays
Encouraging employees to take holidays (all employees taking annual paid leave together, annual paid leave which may be taken in half-day increments, ”Refresh” vacation program provided to employees at milestones of their consecutive years of employment, construction site paid vacation days for employees working at construction works offices, vacations during transfers available to transferred employees）
Holding No-Overtime Days
Helping Increase Operational Efficiency through ICT

Major Initiatives

Diversity & inclusion training and unconscious bias training
Career development seminars and workshops
Support for female employees at life-stage changes
Creation of an environment and programs that allow female engineering staff to work comfortably at construction sites
Support, including periodic information exchange and sharing, to employees on childcare leave
Hosting online group discussions (OBAYASHI Talk Café) with employees on childcare leave
Corporate parent classes, seminars on returning from childcare leave, and consultation for supporting return to work
Encouraging eligible male employees to take advantage of the childcare leave program
Setting up resting rooms and nursing areas

Endorsement of the Keidanren’s Challenge Initiatives for 30% of Executives to be Women by 2030

Highest Rank of "Eruboshi" certification as a Company that Promotes Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace

Participation in the Nikkei Women’s Empowerment Project

Participation in the “Women’s Empowerment Principles” （WEPs） subcommittee　in the Global Compact Network Japan(GCNJ)

2Global Human Resources

Development of global human resources
Meeting rooms can be used as prayer rooms
Listing of food ingredients in illustrations at cafeterias

3People with Disabilities

Our special subsidiary Oak Friendly Service Corporation, established in 2001, employs persons with intellectual and mental disabilities. Employees work at 11 offices around Japan. Job coaches with specialized knowledge guide the employees, who perform jobs that take into account the nature of their disabilities. The aim is to provide opportunities for independence and a place in society.

Continue to employ persons with intellectual and mental disabilities by our special subsidiary Oak Friendly Service Corporation
Employees with disabilities flourish at each office of Obayashi by performing duties, such as delivery of internal mail, basic office work, and cleaning
Acceptance of students from schools for special needs education as interns on a regular basis
Sales of bread and baking goods in the company made by a vocational training facility for the intellectually disabled
Request a vocational training facility for the intellectually disabled to manufacture signboards for all-gender restrooms
Improvement of workplace environment using ICT (subtitle display of online meetings and use of automatic minutes creation software, etc.)
Introduction of Braille Neue universal typeface that combines braille and existing characters

Registration in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s “Barrier-free mind program” supporting companies(Available only in Japanese)

4 LGBTQ+/SOGI（Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity）

Training regarding LGBTQ+/SOGI（sexual orientation and gender identity）
Periodic sharing of information and education on the intranet
Installation of all-gender restrooms
Awarded Silver in the PRIDE Index 2022　as a LGBTQ+ Friendly Company

Awarded Silver in the PRIDE Index 2022　as a LGBTQ+ Friendly Company(Available only in Japanese)

5Seniors

Creation of an environment where employees are able to exploit their vast experiences and knowledge, even after retirement
By taking advantage of the rehiring system for retirees, many employees flourish as “senior staff” from 60 years old and as “super senior staff” from 65 years old
100% rehiring of those requesting the rehiring system for retirees

6Human Resource Development and Career Support

Obayashi Training system
Diversity & inclusion training and unconscious bias training
Level-specific training, occupational-specific specialized training, training on the basis of business unit and type of operation, global leadership training, study in Japan or overseas, temporarily transfer to other businesses, OJT as a mentee for employees in their 20s, OJT as a mentor for employees in their 30s and older
Career support seminars for all employees
Career support for young employees
Support for earning qualifications and personal development

and more

7 Promoting Diversified Work Styles
（Work-life Balance）

For a good work-life balance as well, it is important that each employee be able to flexibly select their work location and working time. At Obayashi, we proactively introduce and operate highly flexible working systems that allow employees to choose and combine their work locations and times so employees, who are motivated to pursue their careers, can work with peace of mind without fear of losing their career even when raising children, providing nursing care to family members, or receiving medical treatment. We strive to build a framework which deepens the understanding of managers and colleagues to support diversified work styles in the workplace as a whole.

Measures to Support Raising Next-generation Children

Obayashi continuously formulates company action plans to create a society in which the children who will lead the next generation are born and raised in a healthy way.
We have achieved all the targets formulated in the 1st Action Plan (April 2005 to September 2007), 2nd Action Plan (October 2007 to September 2009), 3rd Action Plan (October 2009 to September 2011), 4th Action Plan (October 2011 to March 2015), 5th Action Plan (April 2015 to March 2017) and 6th Action Plan (April 2017 to March 2021). Currently, in the 7th Action Plan we are working to improve our internal systems and raise awareness.

7th Action Plan based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children

The following action plan was formulated to continue to work on the creation of working environments that support a positive work-life balance of employees and to enable every employee to maximize their strengths and abilities to the fullest.
Plan Period: Four Years from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2025

Goal 1	Examination and implementation of initiatives for the creation of comfortable work environments [Measures] From April 2021: The President sends messages to create a workplace that allows employees to take advantage of systems related to childcare and nursing care without hesitation. From April 2021: Continuous implementation of measures to reduce the overall work time and maintain and improve the health of employees. From April 2021: Launch of other measures leading to the creation of comfortable work environments.
Goal 2	100% achievement of the ratio of eligible male employees taking childcare leave or other childcare related leave by FY2025.3 [Measures] From April 2021: Deepening employee understanding of the childcare leave program primarily through the Human Resources Department’s website and handbooks, and encouraging eligible employees to take childcare leave. From April 2021: Promote measures to use childcare leave or other childcare related leave based on discussions with the Employees’ Union.
Goal 3	Enhancement of the Short-term Nursing Care Leave Program to care for sick or injured children [Measure] From April 2021: Examine to expand the range of eligible children and implement these guidelines during the action plan coverage period.

Long Work Hours and Work Style Reform

Promoting Flexible Work Styles(Telecommuting, Staggered Work Hours Program and annual paid leave which may be taken in hourly increments)
Holding council meetings with the Employees’ Union to reduce overall work time and distribution of posters encouraging employees to take holidays
Encouraging employees to take holidays (All employees taking annual paid leave together, annual paid leave which may be taken in half-day increments, ”Refresh” vacation program provided to employees at milestones of their consecutive years of employment, construction site paid vacation days for employees working at construction works offices, vacations during transfers available to transferred employees, etc.)
Holding No Overtime Days
Helping Increase Operational Efficiency through ICT

Support for Successfully Balancing Work and Childcare

Publication of Childbirth and Childcare Handbook
Support, including periodic information exchange and sharing, to employees on childcare leave
Hosting online group discussions(OBAYASHI Talk Café) with employees on childcare leave
Corporate parent classes, seminars on returning from childcare leave, and consultation for supporting return to work

Encouraging Male Employees to Use the Childcare Leave Program

Enhancement of the paternity leave program to enable male employees to take up to five days of leave during the six-week period before childbirth and up to four weeks of leave during the eight-week period after childbirth
Notify all employees of the company policy encouraging eligible employees to take childcare leave
Provide information about childcare leave related systems to eligible employees and encourage employees to take advantage of the said systems by email
Declaration of “Iku-Boss,” which can expect to heighten performance as an organization while supporting the professional career and personal life of subordinates, made by the President and senior management personnel
Encouragement by managers
Corporate parent classes, seminars on returning from childcare leave, and Iku-Boss training
Introduction of case examples of employees who used the childcare leave program

Join the Iku-Boss Corporate Alliance (Available only in Japanese)

Endorsement of Ikumen (men proactively involved in childcare) Project (Available only in Japanese)

Endorsement of initiatives for companies to declare that 100% of fathers take parental leave (Available only in Japanese)

Support to Successfully Balance Work and Home Nursing Care

Nursing care seminars and video streaming of said seminars
Information regarding nursing care
Publication of a nursing care Handbook
Introduction of case examples of employees who used nursing care programs

8Systems to Support Diverse Work Styles

Programs to Support Diverse Work Styles

Ensuring time for doctor’s appointments	Upon request, employees who are expectant and nursing mothers are able to secure time for prenatal health checkups prescribed in the Maternal and Child Health Act.
Change of break time	Upon request, employees who are expectant and nursing mothers are able to take break times at different times from the set break times during work hours.
Exemption from overtime, etc.	Upon request, employees who are expectant and nursing mothers are exempted from overtime work, working on day-offs and late night work.
Maternity leave program	Expectant and nursing mothers are eligible for a leave of up to six weeks (14 weeks in case of multiple births) before childbirth and a leave of eight weeks after childbirth.
Paternity leave program	Due to a spouse giving birth, employees are eligible for a leave of up to five days (which can be taken one day at a time) during a period of six weeks before childbirth (a period of 14 weeks before childbirth in case of multiple births) and a leave of up to four weeks (which can be split into two leaves) during a period of eight weeks after childbirth.
Childcare leave	Eligible employees may take leave to care for children younger than one year old (younger than two years old in case of an extension of leave, and younger than three years old if the child is unable to attend a childcare center, etc.)
Time for childcare	Upon request, female employees raising a child younger than one year old may take 30 minutes of childcare time twice a day during work hours.
Exemption from overtime	Upon request, employees raising a preschool-age child are exempt from overtime work exceeding prescribed work hours.
Limitation of overtime hours	Upon request, overtime hours (work hours exceeding eight hours a day) of employees raising a preschool-age child are limited to 24 hours per month and 150 hours per year.
Exemption of night work	Upon request, employees raising a preschool-age child are exempt from night work (from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.)
Child nursing leave	Eligible employees may take child nursing leave to provide nursing care (including vaccinations and health checkups) to infants and children up to Grade 6 (up to five days a year when an employee has one child and up to ten days when an employee has two or more children.)
Child rearing leave	Eligible employees may take up to five days of child rearing leave by using accumulated vacation day carryovers for the purpose of raising infants or children up to Grade 3 (attending first day of kindergarten or school, or attending school events, etc.)
Child rearing consecutive leave	Eligible employees may take seven or more consecutive leaves by using accumulated vacation day carryovers to take care of children younger than two.
Shorter working hours for childcare program	Employees, raising infants or children up to Grade 3, are eligible to work shorter working hours to care for their children.
Childbirth allowanceand next-generation children support subsidy	30,000 yen is provided to eligible employees as a childbirth allowance. As a next-generation children support subsidy, 100,000 yen is provided to eligible employees for their first or second child and 300,000 yen is provided for a third or later child.
Babysitter cost subsidy program	The babysitter cost subsidy is provided to eligible employees in need of babysitting services for an infant or child up to Grade 3, or pick-up or drop-off services to childcare centers, etc.
Fertility treatment expenses subsidy program	The fertility treatment expenses subsidy is provided to employees receiving fertility treatments in a medical institution.
Fertility treatment expenses and child education expenses loan program	At Obayashi, a loan program for funding childbirth, fertility treatments, child education, etc. is available.
Health consultation and medical facility information services	Employees may consult with doctors, nurses, midwives, and specialized counselors, including clinical psychotherapists, on pregnancy, child-rearing, medical facility information, etc.

Various Programs to Support Nursing Care

Short-term nursing care leave program	Employees may take leave to provide nursing care (including attending doctor’s appointments, etc.) to a family member in need of nursing care (up to five days per fiscal year when a family member needs nursing care and up to ten days when two or more family members need nursing care.)
Nursing care leave using accumulated vacation day carryovers program	Employees may take leave by using accumulated vacation day carryovers to care for a family member in need of nursing care.
Home nursing care leave	Eligible employees may use leave to care for a family member in need of nursing care (up to 365 days in total for one family member. The leave can be split into a maximum of three leaves.)
Shorter working hours to supply nursing care program	Eligible employees may use the shorter working hours program to care for a family member in need of nursing care (employees may use the program for three years from the start of providing nursing care and this program can also be combined with the Staggered Work Hours Program.)
Exemption from overtime	Upon request, employees providing nursing care to a family member under in need of nursing care are exempt from overtime work exceeding the prescribed work hours.
Limitation of overtime work	Upon request, overtime hours (work hours exceeding eight hours a day) of employees providing nursing care to a family member in need of nursing care are limited to 24 hours per month and 150 hours per year.
Exemption from night work	Upon request, employees providing nursing care to family members are exempt from night work (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.).
Nursing care subsidy program	If an employee or eligible dependent family member receives insured nursing care services after being certified for long-term care or support need, the employee is eligible for the nursing care subsidy.
Nursing care travel expenses subsidy program	If an employee travels to provide nursing care to parents certified for long-term care or support need, who live separately, the employee is eligible for this subsidy to cover travel expenses.
Health consultation and medical facility information services	Employees may consult with doctors, nurses, public health nurses, and specialized counselors including clinical psychotherapists on nursing care, health concerns, medical facility information, etc.

Various Programs for Flexible Work Styles

Telecommuting program	The telecommuting program was introduced to all employees. At Obayashi, information sharing tools such as online conference systems and a chat function are provided, and enhanced support for ICT tools is also available.
Staggered Work Hours Program	All employees may adjust start or end work times forward or backward by up to two hours from the regular start or end work times, regardless of the reason. Employees may also use this program when telecommuting.
Sliding Work	At Obayashi, a sliding work system is used. For example, by using the Staggered Work Hours Program employees work an early shift and late shift in construction work offices, or in some cases, team member work hour schedules are adjusted to best suit the work situation.
Annual paid leave which may be taken in hourly or half-day increments	20 days are assigned to employees per fiscal year as annual paid leave and may be used in half day or hourly units. Unused paid leave days are carried over to the next fiscal year.
Compensatory days off	Employees may take compensatory days off for work performed on days off.
Use of expired annual paid leave program	Employees may save expired annual paid leave days (up to 50 days). These leaves can be used for illness, sickness, fertility treatments, childcare leave, nursing care, volunteer work, etc.
“Refresh” vacation program	If an employee has worked for the company for 12 consecutive years, he/she is eligible for a “Refresh” vacation of seven consecutive days. If an employee has worked for the company for 22 consecutive years and 32 consecutive years, he/she is eligible for a “Refresh” vacation of 14 consecutive days.
Establishment of satellite offices	Obayashi has satellite offices as alternative facilities for employees unable to create a suitable environment for telecommuting at home and for temporary use by employees out of the office or on business trips to reduce travel time and realize efficient operations.
Use of Shared Offices	Obayashi has signed up for shared office corporate services with multiple sites so employees can effectively use their travel and waiting times when out of the office.
Introduction of electronic signatures	We introduced electronic signatures in internal documents to facilitate telecommuting.

Flexible work styles are possible at Obayashi by using telecommuting, the Staggered Work Hours Program and Hourly Annual Leave Program.

E.g.： Switching to telecommuting according to the health status of the child;
coordination between parents to pick up and drop off children by using the Staggered Work Hours Program;
attending a school event or seeing a doctor by using the Hourly Annual Leave Program;
starting work earlier by using the Staggered Work Hours Program in order to finish work earlier for a hobby…, etc.