Promoting DE&I
Fostering a New Organizational Culture
The IHI Group has set 2024 as the year to broadly launch DE&I efforts, and has been actively rolling out training programs and experiential content to spread awareness and understanding of DE&I among the Group’s employees. More specifically, the Group has been arranging DE&I Heated Classroom activities, which visit individual units on request to provide training regarding the need for DE&I and to provide hints on integrating DE&I into the workplace, as well as DE&I training programs for senior executives and managers, and a new e-learning program for all employees that incorporates practical dialog tasks in the workplace. In addition, the company-wide meetings that bring together all of the IHI Group’s global business locations have featured panel discussions, with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) participating, to disseminate to employees the message of how important DE&I is to the IHI Group.
Empowering Female Employees
The IHI Group is recruiting and developing female hires in key roles to promote to middle and top management while also defining various goals to build a workplace environment where they can actively participate.
Specifically, the Group is implementing the Career Transit Program, an innovative training program which integrates initiatives in the workplace such as cultivation and coaching by supervisors with targeted career development for female employees who are candidates for managerial positions, opportunities for dialogue with other female employees in senior roles, and provision of support by internal and external mentors.
Regarding wage disparities between male and female employees, these are due partly to the fact that the share of regular female employees who hold managerial positions is lower than the corresponding figure for men, as well as the relatively small number of female employees in senior management positions, and the fact that male employees tend to work longer hours (including overtime). Taking these factors into account, going forward the Group will continue to promote the creation of a workplace environment where women can thrive.
Empowering Employees from Abroad
The IHI Group is working to create an employee-friendly workplace environment where diverse human talent can fully realize their potential regardless of nationality or cultural background.
As part of these efforts, within Japan the Group provides Japanese language training for new employees from abroad before they commence their employment. Furthermore, upon assuming their roles, cross-cultural awareness training sessions and social events, for the purpose of networking among employees, are implemented. Employees from abroad also encounter problems unique to foreign nationals, so the Group has put in place consultation services and is also proceeding with measures to build an environment in which employees from overseas can work with peace of mind, for example by taking religious and cultural needs into account (e.g., through the provision of prayer rooms).
Empowering Local Employees Overseas
The IHI Group is working to accelerate its global expansion through the proactive recruitment of human resources with roots in the local community, while taking into account the unique labor market and practices of each country.
Furthermore, in terms of human resource development and allocation, the head office works together with each unit to support the implementation of measures established at each overseas production site and business division according to current conditions and needs.
In the future, the IHI Group will continue to drive the building of the foundations needed for human talent to play an active role throughout the Group, worldwide.
Empowering Employees with Disabilities
The IHI Group promotes the empowerment of employees with disabilities. As part of its recruitment activities, the Group builds relationships with local employment support organizations for people with disabilities, schools for the deaf, and others, linking them to its recruitment activity efforts.
In 1992, IHI established an organization at its head office specializing in helping employees with disabilities to maximize their potential. From 2018, IHI has been providing support tailored uniquely to each employee through specialized support staff, with assistance programs in place, covering work and general aspects of company life, thereby supporting the career development of each employee by providing an environment conducive to further growth and success. To date, a similar organization has been established at each of the Group’s sites in Yokohama, Akishima, and Soma to provide an opportunity for employees with disabilities to fulfill their potential.
In order to resolve problems faced by employees with disabilities while helping to implement better human resources measures and support Group companies, IHI has been a member of the Accessibility Consortium of Enterprises (ACE) since fiscal 2013, sharing its recruitment guidelines and employment case studies with other ACE member companies. These efforts to support the active participation of employees with disabilities and provide appropriate workplaces received recognition with the presenting to IHI of ACE Awards in the Individuals division and Environment-Building division in 2024.
Building an Inclusive Workplace Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity
The IHI Group is creating a working environment where LGBTQ+ employees can reach their full potential regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
To take just one example, the IHI Group actively engages in LGBTQ+ ally*1 activities. The Group believes that expanding the ally mindset of not denying the SOGI*2 identity of anyone, not judging, and not talking about people’s identity to others without their consent, help to realize a workplace environment where everyone can work comfortably. Striving to promote understanding among all of its employees in Japan, the Group has established an e-learning program and has made information available through the company intranet. As a result of these efforts, there are now over 3,000 people who have declared themselves allies.
In fiscal 2024 the Group sponsored Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2024 and had a corporate booth at the event for the first time; a total of 100 volunteers, including 10 senior managers and 90 employees and their family members or partners took part in the Pride Parade. In December 2024, the Group held an online ally conference, at which the director and lead actors of an LGBTQ+ awareness-raising film talked with the participating allies.
In addition, IHI has also set up various different personnel programs. With the exception of congratulatory and/or condolence money, special paid leave, and other welfare and work benefits that are excluded due to legal requirements, same-sex partners are treated no differently than spouses. IHI has also developed a system for managing labor based on the name that employees adopt for business purposes and self-identified gender. Moreover, IHI has a system in place for accepting consultations regarding SOGI harassment*3 at its harassment consultation desk, as well as a contact window where people can anonymously seek consultation regarding LGBTQ+ support.
- Ally: Allies refer to people who understand and support LGBTQ+. Anyone can be an ally, even if they do not identify as LGBTQ+.
- SOGI: Sexual orientation and gender identity
- SOGI harassment: Harassment related to sexual orientation or gender identity.
Work-Life Balance Support System
Childcare
The IHI Group has put in place various support systems to help employees balance their work and childcare responsibilities. To spread awareness of these systems and encourage employees to make full use of them, three handbooks have been compiled and distributed, for employees taking childcare leave, male employees, and managers, respectively. The Group also implements annual training for employees returning to work after taking childcare leave, to help employees returning to work, their supervisors, and other interested employees to think about how work and personal responsibilities can be balanced after returning to work, and about related career development issues. In addition, the Group has established contact windows (including access to external experts) to provide support tailored to employees’ individual circumstances and needs, and it provides related employee welfare support, including subsidies for childcare equipment purchase and contracting with external service providers to help arrange babysitting services.
The Group also provides support for employees who wish to have children, by distributing leaflets to inform employees of the systems that they can use to access infertility treatment.
Support Systems Relating to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Childcare
Care Provision
The IHI Group has put in place various support programs to help employees balance work and care provision. More specifically, the Group aims to make it possible for all employees to access information about care, by compiling handbooks that outline how to approach care provision and how to make effective use of the systems put in place to support balancing work and care responsibilities, which are distributed to new employees and other interested employees, as well as being made available on the Group’s intranet.
In addition, besides organizing seminars by external lecturers, the Group has also set up a contact window for the provision of consultation services by a specialist external organization, to provide support tailored to the circumstances and needs of each individual employee.
Support Systems Relating to Caregiving for a Family Member(s)
Medical Treatment
The IHI Group provides appropriate work-related measures and consideration for treatment requirements, for those employees with health issues who need to undergo repeated, ongoing treatment. By putting in place a flextime system, provision for reduced working hours so as to be able to make regular visits to hospital, and a contact window to facilitate balancing the needs of work and treatment, the Group provides support to help employees stay healthy.
Support Systems Relating to Medical Treatment
Systems for Realizing Work-Life Balance
The IHI Group has put in place a variety of systems to help employees realize an appropriate work-life balance.
Systems for Realizing Work-Life Balance
Employee Benefits Programs
The IHI Group’s employee benefits programs provide a variety of options that employees can choose from to suit their individual lifestyles.
Employee Benefits Programs
As of March 2025, the percentage of employees participating in the employee stock ownership system is 54.41%.