Based on its corporate philosophy, Benesse (Well-Being), the Benesse Group regards respect for the human rights of all people as a precondition for its corporate activities, and promotes human rights education and other initiatives in its education and nursing care businesses, which are centred on people.
The Benesse Group as a whole implements initiatives based on its human rights policy and contributes to the realisation of a sustainable society by strongly supporting customers and other stakeholders in their efforts for "Well-Being".
The Benesse Group's business activities are based on the corporate philosophy "Well-Being" and are all based on the trust of customers. In co-cooperation with customers and other stakeholders, it is also important to respect diversity and the dignity of each individual. Based on this belief, we have formulated our human rights policy.
This Policy applies to all directors and employees of the Benesse Group (Benesse Holdings, Inc., and its affiliated companies).
In order to promote respect for the human rights of all stakeholders involved in our business activities (including business activities using state-of-the-art technologies such as AI), we not only educate our employees, but also request that our stakeholders, including our suppliers, give consideration to respecting human rights through our Basic Procurement Policy.
Pursuit of Human Rights Principles and Standards
We will pursue human rights initiatives based on the International Bill of Human Rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenants on Human Rights), the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and Children’s Rights and Business Principles.
Our Responsibilities Regarding Respect for Human Rights
We will prohibit forced labor and child labor in our own corporate and business activities. We will respect diversity and will eliminate discrimination or violations of human rights based on nationality, race, ethnic groups, beliefs, thoughts, gender, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, or employment status. Opportunities are always equal, recruitment, placement, evaluation, remuneration and promotion are based on personal competence, experience and performance, and a unified remuneration system is applied across genders.
We will also respect diversity within the workplace and continue to demonstrate our values and philosophy for the “Well-Being” of our customers and other stakeholders with responsibility and integrity.
Respect for basic labour rights
We respect basic labour rights, including the freedom of association and the right of workers to organise and bargain collectively.
Motivating work environment
We shall endeavour to create a rewarding work environment, taking into consideration the safety and physical and mental health of our employees, as well as compliance with minimum wages, reduction of long working hours and elimination of harassment.
Human Rights Due Diligence
We will develop mechanisms for human rights due diligence and take ongoing actions in our efforts to identify and prevent or mitigate any negative impacts by the Group on human rights.
Further, in such cases where a negative impact on human rights caused by our business partner or supplier is directly or indirectly related to the businesses or services of the Benesse Group, we will seek remedial measures so as to respect and not infringe upon human rights.
Compliance with Applicable Laws
We will respect internationally recognized human rights standards to the maximum extent possible as well as comply with all laws and regulations of the countries and regions where we conduct our business activities.
Education
We will conduct ongoing education and training of our employees to ensure that this Policy is properly incorporated and firmly established in the respective locations of our corporate and business activities. We will also ensure that each and every one of our employees has a full understanding of this Policy and is supported in being able to practice respect for human rights.
Remedy
We will take appropriate steps and strive to remedy the situation in such cases where it becomes apparent that we have caused and/or been in some way involved in a negative impact on human rights.
Dialogue and Discussions
We will communicate our human rights initiatives under this Policy through different channels, including our website.
We will also engage in active dialogue and discussions with relevant stakeholders to respond to potential and actual negative impacts on human rights by the Group.
Established on June 22, 2020
Revised April 17, 2023
As part of the Benesse Group's efforts to respect the human rights of stakeholders involved in its business, we have established the Sustainability Committee, which reports directly to the President and CEO, and reports to the Board of Directors.
With regard to day-to-day respect for human rights, a Human Rights Promotion Sub-Committee has been established. The Compliance and Security Division is responsible for human rights violations and legal compliance, the Sustainability Promotion Division is responsible for human rights due diligence and diversity promotion, and the Human Resources Division is responsible for human rights awareness and training for employees, with the three divisions working in unison to strengthen human rights respect initiatives.
While systematically learning more about human rights, we will continue to implement human rights initiatives across the Group and oversee compliance with the Group Human Rights Policy and its implementation through the Sustainability Promotion Committee.
In accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we have been conducting annual and ongoing human rights due diligence with the cooperation of external experts since 2020. Specifically, almost all companies in the Group (90% of employees) have been conducting human rights assessments every year since FY2020 on an ongoing basis, identifying and investigating human rights risks, analysing problems and issues, and implementing measures to correct, improve and prevent them. The results are reported to the Sustainability Promotion Committee for management reporting and consideration of plans for the following year.
Human rights risks to be assessed during the human rights assessment were listed based on material considerations and issues relating to the Group’s corporate activities. These were determined in accordance with international standards and guidelines that define material human rights issues, using Benesse’s own employment/work rules relating to human rights for reference.
| Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm standards to apply | Design assessment sheet | Conduct human rights assessment | Evaluate & report |
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As a result of the human rights assessment, the following key issues were identified as impacting our business activities on human rights, and we have confirmed that ongoing risk management is in place to address them. We have instructed each company and site to take corrective, remedial and reduction measures to address the identified risks.
As a company that operates educational businesses for children, we believe that it is never acceptable to impede compulsory education or violate children’s rights by requiring minors under the age of 18 to perform hazardous, harmful work prohibited under labor conventions.
Furthermore, as many of the Benesse Group’s businesses, including its nursing care and cram school businesses, provide customers with person-to-person services of high added value, we place importance on respect for fundamental human rights within our business activities.
We will continue to monitor the situation regarding the key human rights themes identified within the Group. We will expand human rights due diligence to the entire group (90% employee ratio) and strengthen it through ongoing implementation.
| Identified key human rights issues | Corrective actions, improvements, and initiatives for identified key human rights issues |
|---|---|
| Eradication of child labor |
Items related to the prevention of child labor, such as age verification at the time of employment, have been established in the human rights assessment for each Group company and are reviewed annually. We also regularly conduct audits based on the principles of the UN Global Compact, including the effective abolition of child labor by external organizations, as well as raising awareness of respect for human rights by disseminating the Benesse Group Human Rights Policy. In addition, to maintain respect for human rights and working conditions among suppliers, we hold annual meetings with overseas suppliers to exchange opinions and confirm ongoing improvements in management. |
| Prevention of abuse | In our nursing care business, we administer regular questionnaires to all care workers to promptly identify and address any behavior that could lead to abuse before it occurs. We also hold regular meetings of a committee dedicated to preventing abuse in care homes. |
| Prevention of harassment in the workplace |
To raise awareness of harassment among employees, we hold conduct document reviews to establish standards and provide harassment training for managers and other employees. |
| Respect for consumer interests | To ensure consumer safety, we ensure that products and services are explained and displayed in an easy-to-understand manner. We analyze and promptly report any opinions or requests received from consumers internally. Concerns related to human rights risks (e.g., health and safety issues) are examined for safety, analyzed for causes, and addressed through improvements by the Product Safety Review Department and manufacturing plants. |
Benesse's supply chain conducts social and ethical audits at overseas contract manufacturing plants (e.g., in China and Vietnam). In particular, we place the highest priority on checking for inhumane practices, such as child labor, abuse, and harassment, which are important issues in human rights due diligence. We also promote awareness of the Benesse Group’s human rights policy and work to raise awareness about respecting human rights.
Starting in FY2022, we have been gathering managers from production plants in China every year to explain and exchange views on the importance of building a sound supply chain at production sites, including the key issues mentioned above. Regular meetings to exchange views with all manufacturers will continue in the future.
In addition, similar regular meetings are also held with domestic factories to exchange opinions on a regular basis.
As a result of these stakeholder engagements, if we find issues that need to be improved, we work with the production plants to make improvements. To date, the following improvements have been made.
Benesse group operates globally and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) within the group. Various measures are taken to address issues of harassment and discrimination, including the dissemination of various policies and the implementation of training programmes.
In addition, we check the status of residence of foreign employees when they join the company and do not require employees' important documents such as passports to be kept in the company, which could lead to forced labour.
See also 'Human rights training' on the page regarding our training on human rights, and the following page regarding our promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I).
We have set up internal reporting mechanisms for passing on information or seeking advice regarding compliance-related concerns including potential human rights violations, discrimination, or harassment.
| Internal Reporting Mechanism | Overview |
|---|---|
| Benesse Group Speak-Up Line | A mechanism for reporting the discovery of illegal or dishonest behavior, or violations of a company’s articles of incorporation or internal rules |
| Audit & Supervisory Board Member Hotline | A mechanism for reporting in cases where senior management may be involved, or similar situations |
Note: Every effort is made to ensure that these reporting mechanisms can be used with peace of mind; for example, they are located outside the company itself and they can be used anonymously.
Internal reporting results for FY2022 are as follows.
Fiscal year ended March 31 of each year
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2023
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| Number of whistleblower reports | 260 |
In addition to the above, a consultation service with an external professional organization is available for employees to seek advice regarding harassment and the Group's treatment of persons with disabilities. The customer service offices of the Group companies also receive various reports and consultations.
For more information on efforts to prevent the recurrence of human rights violations, including these types of harassment, see "Human Rights Training" and "Human Rights in the Nursing Care Business."
The Benesse Group upholds respect for fundamental human rights in its Benesse Group Human Rights Policy and respects the human rights of each and every individual in its corporate activities. We also pay attention to the protection of freedom of expression and the right to privacy as recognized in international norms such as the International Covenants on Human Rights to ensure that human rights are not violated.
As part of the Group's human rights awareness activities, every year we hold internal lectures on human rights (Human Rights Day) at the company-wide morning meeting for all Group employees, human rights training for new employees, and harassment training for managers and employees. In the harassment training, we strive to prevent incidents by exploring case studies and improving consultation skills. Additionally, since FY2021, we have been holding regular "Human Rights Study Sessions" every year as an educational opportunity for human rights staff across the entire Group. At these training sessions, staff can exchange opinions with experts and learn the latest information on human rights issues. In FY2023, we conducted human rights training for human resources personnel and managers, LGBTQ training for all Group employees, and internal lectures on human rights on the theme of AI ethics.
The Benesse Group upholds the education and lifestyles of each child and supports the building of skills to create the future. Holding up the offering of learning opportunities to all as an important issue, we aim to respond to every person's desire to learn, provide accessible learning, and create a future where growth is possible.
For the GTEC, an English exam offered by the Benesse Corporation, we took people with disabilities into consideration for the four skills tested (listening, reading, writing, and speaking) with Braille versions, large print versions, considerations for time for the listening and speaking portions, scoring considerations, and more.
In regular elementary school classes, the number of children needing support and consideration is on the rise, while the number of teachers is in short supply. Benesse Corporation offers "Marugu Land for School," an ICT learning service that measures basic skills in reading, writing, and cognitive characteristics, providing learning methods tailored to each child's individual needs to help build their confidence.
"MARUGU Land for School" is designed to:
(1) understand students’ characteristics through a check test
(2) automatically suggest individually optimized lessons
(3) visualize children's efforts and growth
In a 2023 survey, the second test, conducted four months after the first, showed an improvement in the reading and writing skills of the entire group.
From August 2024, we plan to launch "MARUGU Land for HOME," a home study support program for elementary school students with developmental characteristics that make it difficult for them to learn.
Benesse Style Care, which provides nursing care and related services for the elderly, operates in compliance with the Act on Social Welfare for the Elderly, and is structured to thoroughly protect and promote human rights. This includes audits by local governments and internal company audits based on laws that consider human rights, such as those for preventing elder abuse. In putting this into practice, we have established the "Benesse Style Care Declaration," which outlines what employees must value in order to realize "Well-Being" for both customers and employees, as well as the criteria for judgment and expected behavior. Among its principles, the Declaration emphasizes “customer first” and prioritizes enabling customers to “live as themselves” above all else. It also ensures that human rights will be adequately considered in business operations, settings standards to prevent expressions and actions that may cause discomfort or disadvantage to individuals based on attributes such as race, nationality, beliefs, gender, or disability.
All employees undergo training on the Benesse Style Care Declaration once a year, with regular efforts to improve understanding and raise awareness.
To address mistreatment, we regularly survey all nursing care professionals to quickly identify signs of potential mistreatment and take appropriate action before it occurs. We also work to improve any issues raised during this process. A regular committee is hosted to prevent mistreatment within care facilities and ensure the safety of our customers and employees. We have also established standards for responding to mistreatment and enforce thorough and appropriate measures when it occurs. In addition to holding training for managers and leadership-level employees and familiarizing staff with consultation services as a measure against harassment, we have established guidelines for handling harassment from clients or their families toward employees. Our goal is to create a safe and secure work environment for all employees in caregiving situations.
In addition, Benesse Socius was established in the Group in 2016 with the role of providing employment opportunities to people with disabilities and guide them into general employment. It handles laundry services such as clothes and towels for residents of Benesse Style Care homes. The Group has opened two Type A employment support facilities and assistance and one Tokyo Metropolitan Government-certified social firm (as of May 2024).
Last updated : 2024/08/01