Labor Practices
Diversity and Equal Opportunities
KPI
Responsible Departments
Stance and Target
Review of FY 2020 Activities
Introduction of Initiatives
Issues and Future Improvement Measures
KPI
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Item | FY 2019 results | FY 2020 results |
---|---|---|
Female employee ratio | (Consolidated) 13.5% (Domestic) 7.3% |
(Consolidated) 12.1% (Domestic) 7.4% |
Responsible Departments
Global HR Department
Stance and Target
Why is "Human Resources Diversity" a critical issue to be addressed?
Explanation of the reason and background
Our new medium-term management plan, "YX2023*," which started in fiscal 2021, calls for transformation through “exploitation” and “exploration”.
- During YOKOHAMA Transformation 2023, we will dig deeper into the core strengths of our existing businesses, while also search for new growth opportunities by responding to the dynamic once-in-a hundred years transformation taking place in our main market.
Vision (attainment goal) / target
We will continue to hire employees regardless of nationality, gender, LGBTQ status, educational background, or experience, and will continue to allocate the most appropriate human resources to realize the business and technology strategies of YX2023.
We also aim to create a workplace where all employees can continue to grow and develop their careers by respecting work-life balance and recognizing diverse human resources and diverse work styles.
We also aim to create a workplace where all employees can continue to grow and develop their careers by respecting work-life balance and recognizing diverse human resources and diverse work styles.
Measures for vision achievement
The following measures will be implemented to achieve our vision.
<Promoting human resources from various fields>
We hire new graduates on a stable basis with a long-term perspective. We also hire people with experience (career hires) according to the needs of the business.
In addition, we promote and assign the most suitable personnel for the job from various fields such as senior personnel and early promotion within the company.
In addition, we promote and assign the most suitable personnel for the job from various fields such as senior personnel and early promotion within the company.
<Employment of people with disabilities>
Up until now, new employees with disabilities have been hired on a regular basis mainly for work within our existing operations that could be conducted regardless of their handicaps, and they have been accepted as new graduates on a regular basis at each business location. Going forward, we will develop new businesses in order to expand the scope of employment of people with disabilities.
<Support for diverse work styles through various systems>
By improving the work-life balance through the expansion of work from home systems, abolition of the core time period in the company’s flextime system, reduced working hour systems, and other work systems that allow employees to work from anywhere and at any time, we are putting in place a system that allows employees to get good results at work. In addition, by expanding the childcare leave system, nursing care leave system, spouse accompanying leave system, career return system, etc., we aim to create a system that enables continuous career development even in the event of life events such as nursing care and childcare.
<Support through seminars, etc.>
As part of our efforts to promote diversity, we have developed various systems to support the balancing of work and life. We have also implemented educational activities to promote a culture that recognizes diversity, such as the elimination of unconscious bias, education to promote "ikubos," and LGBTQ education, to create a comfortable working environment. In addition, we hold various seminars to support the activities of diverse human resources, such as seminars to strengthen diversity management capabilities, career development support seminars to promote the activities of women, networking events for employees balancing childcare, and health seminars (mental health measures, harassment prevention measures, breast cancer, cervical cancer, menopause, sleep, etc.).
In addition, labor and management jointly conducted a questionnaire on work-from-home for all employees and individual interviews with managers to deepen the understanding of the current situation and to conduct a survey of the actual situation with the aim of further fulfilling the new and diverse work styles of the future.
In addition, labor and management jointly conducted a questionnaire on work-from-home for all employees and individual interviews with managers to deepen the understanding of the current situation and to conduct a survey of the actual situation with the aim of further fulfilling the new and diverse work styles of the future.
Review of FY 2020 Activities
During fiscal 2020, we conducted the following activities and achieved the following results in terms of ensuring the diversity of human resources and the provision of equal opportunities.
Employing diverse employees in managerial positions
Since the introduction of a regional-specific managerial position system in July 2014, this system has been continually implemented and deployed at each business location, and it has led to the adoption of regional-specific managerial positions at four business locations at present.
<Steady implementation of new graduate hiring and mid-career hiring according to business strategy>
During fiscal 2020, 118 employees were hired.
Including mid-career hires, a total of 68 people were hired for career-track positions, with the ratio of female employees at 25%.
Including mid-career hires, a total of 68 people were hired for career-track positions, with the ratio of female employees at 25%.
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Number of female employees (managerial positions: new graduates + mid-career) (unit: persons)
FY 2018 | FY 2019 | FY 2020 | |
---|---|---|---|
Women | 35 | 21 | 17 |
Men | 60 | 47 | 51 |
Total | 95 | 68 | 68 |
(Ratio of women) | 37% | 31% | 25% |
*Mid-career hires include those who have been promoted to full-time employees.
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Number of employees by age and gender (non-consolidated) (unit: persons)
;
Employee category | Gender | Japan | Asia | North America |
Europe | Other | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Less than 30 years old | Regular employees | Women | 88 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 |
Men | 831 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 831 | ||
Age 30 to 50 | Regular employees | Women | 258 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 263 |
Men | 3,241 | 33 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 3,302 | ||
Junior employees | Women | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Contract workers | Women | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
Men | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | ||
Above age 50 | Regular employees | Women | 81 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 |
Men | 1,126 | 39 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 1,184 | ||
Junior employees | Women | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Contract workers | Women | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
Men | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | ||
Above age 70 | Contract workers | Men | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Grand total | 5,670 | 80 | 32 | 8 | 8 | 5,798 |
<Employment of people with disabilities at Yokohama Peer Support Co., Ltd. (Special Provision Subsidiary)>
In 2012, Yokohama Peer Support Co., Ltd. was established as a special subsidiary of Yokohama Rubber for the purpose of creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
The number of employees with disabilities has continued to regularly accept and recruit interns every year since its launch, while creating employment opportunities by expanding operations.
As of December 2020, we have 32 people, mostly with intellectual disabilities (*33 as of April 2021).
Our work includes cleaning more than 160 restrooms, various meeting rooms, and break rooms at the Hiratsuka factory, as well as greening, sorting and delivering mail and internal mail, and making business cards.
After assigning tasks according to individual characteristics, we are focusing on human resource development by revising our evaluation system so that employees are promoted in stages according to their skill development, such as expanding the scope of their work or being able to provide guidance to new employees. Our mentors, mainly former employees, provide careful guidance on a daily basis to create a work environment in which each and every employee with a disability can work with ease. In addition to daily consultations, we conduct individual interviews every six months to understand careers, requests, and concerns to improve the retention rate. We will continue to perform our tasks as a group of professionals while firmly adhering to safety and standards, and aim to create a workplace in which we can play an active role for many years to come.
In addition, the four companies of Yokohama Rubber, Yokohama Peer Support, Yokohama Tire Japan, and Yokohama Rubber MB Japan have been recognized for having a disabled person employment ratio system or as special subsidiaries in accordance with the grant system for employing persons with disabilities, and the employment rate of people with disabilities was 2.54% for 2020 (results for April 2019 to March 2020).
The number of employees with disabilities has continued to regularly accept and recruit interns every year since its launch, while creating employment opportunities by expanding operations.
As of December 2020, we have 32 people, mostly with intellectual disabilities (*33 as of April 2021).
Our work includes cleaning more than 160 restrooms, various meeting rooms, and break rooms at the Hiratsuka factory, as well as greening, sorting and delivering mail and internal mail, and making business cards.
After assigning tasks according to individual characteristics, we are focusing on human resource development by revising our evaluation system so that employees are promoted in stages according to their skill development, such as expanding the scope of their work or being able to provide guidance to new employees. Our mentors, mainly former employees, provide careful guidance on a daily basis to create a work environment in which each and every employee with a disability can work with ease. In addition to daily consultations, we conduct individual interviews every six months to understand careers, requests, and concerns to improve the retention rate. We will continue to perform our tasks as a group of professionals while firmly adhering to safety and standards, and aim to create a workplace in which we can play an active role for many years to come.
In addition, the four companies of Yokohama Rubber, Yokohama Peer Support, Yokohama Tire Japan, and Yokohama Rubber MB Japan have been recognized for having a disabled person employment ratio system or as special subsidiaries in accordance with the grant system for employing persons with disabilities, and the employment rate of people with disabilities was 2.54% for 2020 (results for April 2019 to March 2020).
Support through our Systems
<Childcare Leave System>
Since 1992, we had been supporting our employees who have children under one year old (up to 2 years if certain criteria are met) with a childcare leave system (“Childcare Leave System A”). In addition, our “Childbirth and Childcare Leave System,” available for male employees only, was converted into the “Childcare Leave System B” in May 2017. The aim of this change was to encourage male employees’ participation in childcare, and to provide support to help female employees who have returned to work after taking childcare leave to balance their work and family responsibilities.
With respect to employees who obtained childcare leave system A in the period 2014 to 2019, the labor retention rate among these employees was 94%.*
With respect to employees who obtained childcare leave system A in the period 2014 to 2019, the labor retention rate among these employees was 94%.*
- Calculated based on enrollment as of 12 full months after returning to work.

Changes in the Number of Employees who have taken Childcare Leave (Childcare Leave System A) (unit: persons) Number of persons

Changes in the Number of Employees who have taken Childcare Leave (Childcare Leave System B) (unit: persons)
- Figures for fiscal 2016 represent the number of employees taking childbirth and childcare leave and the number of days taken; figures for fiscal 2017 represent the total of the new and old systems for childbirth and childcare leave and Childcare Leave B.
<Family-Care Leave System>
We introduced the Family-Care Leave System from fiscal 1994 to support employees with family members requiring constant nursing care. In addition, since fiscal 2016 it has been possible to take paid nursing care leave by hourly units for a period of 5 days per year if there is 1 family member who requires nursing care, and 10 days per year if there are 2 family members or more requiring nursing care. Furthermore, it became possible to take preservation leave for providing nursing care for a spouse, parent, child, or family member (up to a relation of the second degree) in units of a half day for a period of 10 days as of fiscal 2018. Also, we are expanding the scope of “nursing leave for children” (up to 5 days per year) which is to enable employees to take care of children who have become ill, to include children studying in elementary school as well as younger children.

Changes in the Number of Employees who have taken Nursing Leave for Children (unit: persons) Number of persons
<Shorter Working Hours Scheme>
Employees may utilize our shorter working hours scheme if they have pre-school children or any family members who need nursing care, upon request from the employee in question. Also, we have a staggered working hours system that was for those who have children in the third year of primary school or younger, and it has now been extended to include up to the sixth year of elementary school.
It was used by 56 employees in 2020.
Furthermore, since fiscal 2010 we have deployed a system for employees those who wish to be located in the assigned area only without relocation for the next two years.
It was used by 56 employees in 2020.
Furthermore, since fiscal 2010 we have deployed a system for employees those who wish to be located in the assigned area only without relocation for the next two years.

Changes in the Number of Employees who have made use of the Shorter Work Hours Scheme (unit: persons) Number of persons
<Introduction of a working-at-home option>
A working-at-home option has been introduced to promote a balance between work and family including childcare and nursing care, improve operational efficiency, and prevent constraints for long periods of time out of consideration for health.
In 2019, we expanded the maximum weekly usage from previously capped at 8 hours to 16 hours. In addition, the requirements have been expanded to include nursing care for relatives living in the same household (also LGBTQ) and certain injuries and illnesses.
*In 2020, all staff members will be eligible to work from home in order to counter COVID-19, and the upper limit on the use of teleworking has been removed to ensure that infection prevention measures are compatible with work.
In 2019, we expanded the maximum weekly usage from previously capped at 8 hours to 16 hours. In addition, the requirements have been expanded to include nursing care for relatives living in the same household (also LGBTQ) and certain injuries and illnesses.
*In 2020, all staff members will be eligible to work from home in order to counter COVID-19, and the upper limit on the use of teleworking has been removed to ensure that infection prevention measures are compatible with work.
<Nursing care career return system>
We have traditionally introduced the "Leave System and Career Return System for Accompanying Spouse's Transfer"; however, for the purpose of promoting support for balancing work and family life, the Career Return System was added in 2018 to also cover those who retired for reasons of childcare or nursing care.
<Introduction of system for the acquisition of paid leave in hourly units>
In order to promote a balance between work and family, a system for the acquisition of paid leave in hourly units has been introduced.
It was used by 1,224 employees in 2020.
It was used by 1,224 employees in 2020.
Introduction of Initiatives
Promotion of gender equality and others at Shandong Yokohama Rubber Industrial Products Co., Ltd. (YRSC)
The employment rate of women at YRSC is 10.2% of all employees. There are three women in management positions, who account for 8.1% of all management positions. There is no gap between the promotion of men and women to higher posts or positions. New hires are also assigned with respect to the wishes and capabilities of individuals.
In addition, in order to effectively use corporate housing facilities, some rooms have been used as a daycare to provide childcare support to couples in the prime of life.
In addition, in order to effectively use corporate housing facilities, some rooms have been used as a daycare to provide childcare support to couples in the prime of life.


“Diversity Promotion Taskforce” activities
In 2016, Yokohama Rubber launched the “Women’s Participation and Advancement Taskforce” within the Corporate Planning Division in order to respond to the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement. We have been implementing various measures and expanding various systems under the policy of “Positioning ourselves as a company that welcomes diverse workstyles and that people will want to continue working at over the long term.”We believed that creating a comfortable work environment for minority women within the company would lead to an increase in women's competitiveness, career development, and labor productivity, which in turn would enhance the competitiveness of the entire company.
In 2017, we administered an ES survey and interviewed all female employees to understand the current situation. In light of this, in 2018, we introduced and expanded our work-friendly systems, including a working from home system, shorter working hours scheme, and annual leave in hourly units. At the same time, we conducted a nursing care questionnaire and interviews with all employees, and also held a working mother exchange meeting, an enrollment seminar for women over 40 years of age, a career seminar for those on childcare leave, and a health seminar for those returning to work.
In 2019, further measures were taken to establish follow-up system for female employees who take maternity leave, covering the whole period from pregnancy through to the return to work, and seminars for supervisors of employees and employees themselves who are returning to work, care-related seminars, and lectures for company officers about workstyle reform, etc. In addition, we have renamed the task "Diversity Promotion Taskforce" and will further expand the scope of our activities to increase productivity by diverse members (young people, seniors, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, etc.) and create new value beyond the existing framework, without limiting it to women.
We believe that the key to creating an organizational culture in which each and every diverse employee is respected and can play an active role is the awareness of managers. Therefore, in addition to systematic diversity management training as part of the Diversity Promotion Program for managers, we will continue to support the activities of diverse employees by providing support for women's career development, support for balancing work with childcare and nursing care, and support for the activities of people with disabilities and LGBTQ people.
Our goal is to create a corporate culture that accepts diverse people working in diverse ways as a matter of course, and to create a company where all employees can continue working at over the long term with a sense of fulfillment.
In 2017, we administered an ES survey and interviewed all female employees to understand the current situation. In light of this, in 2018, we introduced and expanded our work-friendly systems, including a working from home system, shorter working hours scheme, and annual leave in hourly units. At the same time, we conducted a nursing care questionnaire and interviews with all employees, and also held a working mother exchange meeting, an enrollment seminar for women over 40 years of age, a career seminar for those on childcare leave, and a health seminar for those returning to work.
In 2019, further measures were taken to establish follow-up system for female employees who take maternity leave, covering the whole period from pregnancy through to the return to work, and seminars for supervisors of employees and employees themselves who are returning to work, care-related seminars, and lectures for company officers about workstyle reform, etc. In addition, we have renamed the task "Diversity Promotion Taskforce" and will further expand the scope of our activities to increase productivity by diverse members (young people, seniors, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, etc.) and create new value beyond the existing framework, without limiting it to women.
We believe that the key to creating an organizational culture in which each and every diverse employee is respected and can play an active role is the awareness of managers. Therefore, in addition to systematic diversity management training as part of the Diversity Promotion Program for managers, we will continue to support the activities of diverse employees by providing support for women's career development, support for balancing work with childcare and nursing care, and support for the activities of people with disabilities and LGBTQ people.
Our goal is to create a corporate culture that accepts diverse people working in diverse ways as a matter of course, and to create a company where all employees can continue working at over the long term with a sense of fulfillment.
Issues and Future
Improvement Measures
As a measure to reform the way we work, which is part of the HR strategy of the new medium-term management plan, we will expand the system of nursing care leave from 2021. In addition, we will improve the work-life balance by expanding the leave for family support (participation in school events, PTA activities, infertility treatment, etc.), which can be taken on an hourly basis.
We have also made a flextime system available to all employees, regardless of whether they are engaged in childcare or nursing care, and have greatly expanded the requirements for use of working from home system. With regard to employment of people with disabilities, we will continue to actively pursue this trend, including the operation of Yokohama Peer Support Co., Ltd. We will continue to create a workplace that is comfortable for all employees to work in and allows them to exercise their skills.
We have also made a flextime system available to all employees, regardless of whether they are engaged in childcare or nursing care, and have greatly expanded the requirements for use of working from home system. With regard to employment of people with disabilities, we will continue to actively pursue this trend, including the operation of Yokohama Peer Support Co., Ltd. We will continue to create a workplace that is comfortable for all employees to work in and allows them to exercise their skills.