Society

MISI Thinking on Human Resource Strategies

MISI human resource strategies are closely linked to our business strategies and formulated on the basis of our management policies, priority measures, domestic and overseas environments surrounding the company and other pertinent factors. Our MISI Corporate Philosophy vision states: “To create a better world through the individual and collective growth of our stakeholders.” We are confident that raising the abilities and performance of every member of our team will assist us in manifesting advanced functions as an integrated steel trading company, thereby generating high added value and enhancing our competitive strength. Our efforts for laying a foundation for this mission include creating attractive work environments, promoting diversity, and supporting physical and mental health. For individual team members, we provide the following: stretch assignments to accelerate their growth, skill development opportunities that meet various individual needs, fair evaluations of work performed, feedback encouraging greater development, and compensation reflecting the results of their labor. MISI is committed to the sound operation of this human resource development cycle to promote the growth of individuals. The objective is to excel as a company capable of both choosing and being chosen, while achieving a high level of employee engagement.



Human Resource Development

MISI designates duties reflecting roles to be fulfilled over the medium to long term, followed by setting specific human resource development policies and formulating training guidelines (including development objectives, rotation standards and other key supports). Based on these guidelines, each organization follows its own systematic human resource development, while employees pursue self-improvement by defining their own career plans. This is MISI’s key to realizing individual growth.

Promoting Diversity

Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc. (MISI) has launched a specialized team to promote greater diversity for truly innovative business environments and empowering an impressive range of personnel to excel at maximum capacity.

A vast range of employees work at MISI. Having that extensive array of talented people onboard is not the goal of diversity, however. The true goal is to have employees that possess richly varied perspectives and values who strive to appreciate each other’s individuality and accept their differences, all while working together to achieve the organization’s ambitions and paving the way for genuine innovation. For MISI, succeeding as an organization where employees with unique characteristics are inspired to achieve at greater heights and effectively handle changes is essential to the quest for sustained growth.

The Goals of Promoting Diversity

Having diversified perspectives is a major strength in any corporate quest for growth. Unconscious prejudices and preconceptions can impede such progress, however. At MISI, numerous means are used to remove such obstacles.

The purpose of this approach is to create an environment in which a rich range of people will shine. This includes promoting greater progress by women; effectively cultivating local hires in other countries and employees from outside of Japan; reviewing the treatment of senior employees, supporting compatibility between childcare, nursing care and work; expanding support for employees with disabilities; and spearheading other important advances.

Diversity Promotion Measures

MISI is deeply committed to pursuing sustained initiatives designed to enhance people’s social and cultural awareness and transform the corporate scene. True to this pledge, MISI is determined to cultivate workplace environments and a corporate climate characterized by mutual understanding and trust, and help employees with diversified abilities advance and excel with total peace of mind.

Health and Productivity Management Initiatives

MISI is fully committed to safeguarding the health of its employees as the cornerstone of sustained corporate growth. The key component in this stance lies in uniting the company and its employees in the quest to maintain and promote good health, thereby excelling as a company that empowers its people to maintain maximum fitness and vigor throughout their careers.

Solid initiatives and a promotion system structured to function effectively over the medium to long term are essential to achieving superior health and productivity management. Toward that end, MISI has formulated the following crucial initiatives and approaches.

Medium- to Long-Term Initiatives

MISI believes that deterring both presenteeism*1 and absenteeism*2 enables employees to work with a positive attitude and maximum sense of fulfillment, and also encourages longer careers and greater motivation. With that in mind, MISI publishes an annual health white paper listing the results of health awareness surveys that track employees’ physical and mental health status and lifestyle habits, overtime work records, stress check results, vacation use and other information. The idea is to visualize the health status of the company and its employees, define concrete themes, and spearhead improvements. We have also launched a dedicated website to give employees online access to the results of their medical examinations, and included a feature they can use to record and monitor the number of steps they take daily, their blood pressure, and other data. In these and other ways, MISI is making it easier for employees to manage and maintain their health.

*1: Reporting to work despite having health issues, and failing to perform at full capacity, lowering productivity.
*2: Situations in which illness makes it necessary to take off time from work, leading to a complete loss of performance and opportunities.

Promotion System

MISI has developed a promotion system headed by the president & CEO. Under him, the Human Resources & General Affairs Department oversees the top management, industrial physician and health management center, health insurance union and employees in studies and the implementation of effective measures. The Work Reform & Human Resources Policy Committee brings top managers together to review measures implemented to date, as well as to examine and execute future actions.

Specific Initiatives

Medium- to Long-Term Sustainable Measures

  • ・Compile the annual health white paper
  • ・Implement the annual employee awareness surveys
  • ・Launch a dedicated health management website (with access to medical exam results, setting of goals based on individual conditions, monitoring the number of steps taken and calories consumed, and weight management)


    • Physical Health Measures

    • ・Assist exercise-related clubs
    • ・Hold company-wide walking events three times a year (including the company-wide “total 100 million steps campaign”)
    • ・Participate in outside walking events (“Walk the World,” etc.)
    • ・Hold company-wide futsal tournaments in collaboration with the MISI Futsal Club
    • ・Hold yoga events in collaboration with the MISI Yoga Club
    • ・Sponsor Imperial Palace runs held in collaboration with the MISI Running Club
    • ・Sponsor personal training programs coordinated by fitness gym instructors
    • ・Sponsor stairway climbing and “Walk One Station” exercise campaigns
    • ・Hold in-office stretching sessions led by fitness instructors (once a month)
    • ・Sponsor company-wide athletic meets
    • ・Offer discounts on membership fees at fitness gyms near the company
    • ・Offer global video streaming of various events

    Mental Health Measures

    • ・Provide consultation services through the Employee Assistance Program
    • ・Provide stress check organization analysis result feedback and reflect it in training and other programs


    Literacy Enhancement Measures

    • ・In-house placement of weight scales, blood pressure gauges, and health-related magazine
    • ・Health lectures by in-house public health nurses, distribution of health reports (once a month)
    • ・Self-care training for new employees
    • ・Line care training for administrators (every other year)
    • ・Lectures by para-athletes
    • ・Health seminars for women (to raise awareness about breast cancer, etc.)
    • ・Seminars on better exercise, diet, smoking, sleeping and drinking habits
    • ・Sleep improvement seminars (series of four meetings)

    Diet-Linked Measures

    • ・Complimentary breakfast service
    • ・Nutritionally balanced boxed lunch service


    Medical Examination Measures

    • ・Screenings for lifestyle-related diseases (medical checkups) for employees thirty-five and older (health insurance project) Note: Overseas assignees under thirty-five are also eligible.
    • ・Financial assistance for breast and cervical cancer examinations (female employees under age thirty-five)
    • ・Financial assistance for colorectal cancer endoscope examinations every third year from age 45 (health insurance project)
    • ・Financial assistance for osteoporosis prevention examinations for employees at ages 35, 45 and 55 (health insurance project)
    • ・Financial assistance for dental check-ups for employees under age 35 (odd-numbered ages), and age 35 and over
    • ・Financial assistance for periodontal disease prevention examinations for employees at age 35 and 40 (health insurance project)


    Other

    • ・Removal of in-house smoking areas
    • ・Supply of smoking cessation mobile applications and company assistance to employees wishing to quit smoking
    • ・Employee cancer treatment support insurance system (financial assistance for advanced treatments not covered by health insurance)
    • ・Financial assistance for the use of various facilities and services as employee benefits, with the company joining the employee benefit proxy service
    • ・Mandatory use of summer and winter vacation time
    • ・Company financial assistance for seasonal influenza and rubella vaccinations/li>
    • ・Company financial assistance for vaccinations prior to travel on assignment or business trips to regions with a high risk of infectious disease
    • ・Strengthened health consultation support system by the health care center


    Human Rights, Occupational Safety and Health

    The first item in MISI’s Group Compliance Program (Observation Matters) is respect for human rights, intolerance of discrimination and harassment. This basic policy is the principle for action to respect human rights and reject all types of harassment, and serves as the foundation for all activities MISI Group undertakes. As such, we strive wholeheartedly to follow this path in our everyday operations. With regard to our thinking on sustainability as well, one key point of MISI’s action guidelines is a keen consideration for human rights and the global environment, underscoring our belief that upholding human rights is an essential element in realizing a sustainable society.

    Social Contributions (Regional Societies and Communities)

    As a leading innovator in steel distribution, MISI strives to constantly create new value, support sustained social development, and promote coexistence with the communities where it does business. This includes making beneficial contributions to local communities and society overall to raise the quality of people’s lives and fulfill our responsibilities as a good corporate citizen.

    • ■Example of Our Initiatives:
    • Participation in Tokyo’s Sanno Festival
    • Annual Cleaning of Nihonbashi Bridge
    • Joining in WFP’s “Walk the World” Charity Event