Respect for Human Rights

Basic Approach & Policy

The Haseko Group explicitly states “respect of human rights” in the Haseko Group Code of Conduct. Moreover, in order to deepen our initiatives for respecting human rights, in January 2022 we established the Haseko Group’s Human Rights Policy in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We have worked to instill the Standards and Policy throughout the Group so that each and every employee can deepen his/her understanding of human rights and engage in operations with a high level of awareness at all times, as well as have required our partner companies and other supply chain constituents to respect human rights in their own business activities. Moreover, we will pursue management that respects human rights through efforts including human rights due diligence initiatives.

Haseko Group Code of Conduct (Excerpt)

2. Fundamental Stance on Conduct

(4) Respect for human rights
Officers and employees shall respect the fundamental human rights of all people in all areas of corporate activities and shall not engage in discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, birth, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, and the like or engage in conduct that offends personal dignity.

Haseko Group’s Human Rights Policy

See the PDF below for the Haseko Group‘s Human Rights Policy.

Announcement of My Declaration of Human Rights

Haseko Corporation supports the My Declaration of Human Rights initiative promoted by the Ministry of Justice, and aims to realize a society in which all people show mutual respect for each other’s human rights. Through My Declaration of Human Rights, we announced that we will engage in business activities in a manner that respects human rights. This declaration is published on the website of the Human Rights Library.

Initiative Targets

KPIs in the HASEKO Evolution Plan medium-term business plan

Initiatives and KPIs Target
Implementation of human rights due diligence Implement every FY

For results, please refer to the ESG data.

Structure

The Sustainability Committee (chaired by President of Haseko Corporation) and its subordinate organization the Sustainability Promotion Conference (chaired by the officer with responsibility for Sustainability) deliberates and decides upon policies and action plans concerning human rights and sustainability, monitors and reviews the status of activities, and drives forward and disseminates sustainability across the Group.

Framework for receiving and handling human rights-related inquiries

Human Rights Consultation Desk

We have established a Human Rights Consultation Desk on the Haseko Corporation corporate website (this website). The consultation desk receives inquiries regarding concerns about human rights violations in connection with the Group’s corporate activities. It is also open to the general public, and handles cases received respecting confidentiality and anonymity, so that the inquirers will not suffer any disadvantages. The results of investigations and other necessary matters are reported to the inquirers, and once the fact of a human rights violation is confirmed, we will take measures to correct the problem, provide relief to the victim, and prevent a recurrence.

Internal Whistleblowing System

The Haseko Group has set out the Haseko Group Whistleblower Protection Rules pursuant to the Whistleblower Protection Act and relevant laws and regulations. The Haseko Group has also introduced an Internal Whistleblowing System for all officers and employees of the Group and workers at all Group business locations. We have established an internal office in the Compliance Department of the Risk Management Department, as well as an external office in a law firm for receiving inquiries for consultation regarding not only acts against laws and regulations but also violation of company rules, harassment and compliance issues in general. The Company has put in place a system for protecting whistleblowers and preserving their anonymity and created an environment where persons concerned feel free to file a report or request consultation in order to ensure that any wrongful act or misconduct be immediately detected and corrected.

Initiatives

Continuous implementation of human rights due diligence

Identification of human rights issues for priority handling

Having enacted the Haseko Group Human Rights Policy, we undertake human rights due diligence on an ongoing basis.
The Corporate Management Division and Construction Division, a division that serves as contact points with partner companies, have created the Human Rights Working Group (hereinafter, the working group) and identified potential human rights violations related to the business activities of the Haseko Group. In October 2022, the working group identified human rights issues for priority handling (hereinafter, human rights issues), assessing those risks in terms of their degree of severity and likelihood of occurring and verifying the status of actions taken by relevant divisions and Group companies.
In addition, in February 2024, having considered the measures to avert and mitigate risks that were implemented after the human rights issues had been identified, as well as changes to the nature and environmental conditions of the Group’s business, the working group determined that no review of human rights issues is necessary. The Group will continue to determine the necessity of reviews on an as-needed basis.

Human rights issues for priority handling and typical risks
Human rights issue Major risk
Issue A: Human rights issues in the upstream supply chain Labor problems and impact on the living environment of local communities in the upstream process of the production of construction materials, including logging sites
Issue B: Forced labor and child labor Labor problems related to foreign technical intern trainees and young workers of partner companies at construction sites and service provision sites
Issue C: Occupational health and safety Accidents related to the life and health of employees (of the Company and partner companies) at construction sites and other sites where the Company provides service
Issue D: Employment and working conditions Long working hours
Partner companies’ employment and working conditions
Issue E: Harassment and discrimination Harassment at the Company or between the Company and partner companies
Cases where employees harass customers or customers harass employees at service provision sites
Issue F: Impact on local communities Impact on the living environment of local communities in the vicinity of construction sites
Issue G: Customer safety and security Accidents when the Company provides services at nursing care sites and in customers’ living spaces
Customers’ personal information and privacy

Human rights due diligence structure

We report the status of human rights due diligence to the Sustainability Committee, chaired by the President of Haseko Corporation, for review. Matters deliberated by and reported to the Sustainability Committee are reported to and supervised by the Board of Directors, and significant matters are referred to the Board of Directors for deliberation and decision-making.

Implementation process

While the working group has played the central role in the practical handling of human rights issues, taking into account the level of awareness and understanding of human rights across the organization, beginning in FY2025, we have established a structure in which a lead division is clearly designated for each identified human rights issue, the Sustainability Promotion Department consolidates the status and results of preventive and mitigation measures implemented by each department, and the PDCA cycle is continuously applied.

Implementation process
Lead departments for each human rights issue
Action items Departments mainly in charge
Overall management Sustainability Promotion Dept.
Action regarding Human Rights Consultation Desk and whistleblowing Risk Management Dept.
Addressing human rights issues Issue A: Human rights issues in the upstream supply chain Construction Div., Sustainability Promotion Dept.
Issue B: Forced labor and child labor Construction Div., Sustainability Promotion Dept.
Issue C: Occupational health and safety Construction Div., Personnel Div.
Issue D: Employment and working conditions Personnel Div. (related to us)
Construction Div., Sustainability Promotion Dept. (related to partner companies)
Issue E: Harassment and discrimination Risk Management Dept., Personnel Div.
Issue F: Impact on local communities Construction Div., Development Promotion Div.
Issue G: Customer safety and security Risk Management Dept.

Consideration and implementation of preventive and mitigation measure

Issues A to B

We check for the presence of human rights-related issues, such as the treatment of foreign technical interns at partner companies, through a self-inspection survey that checks the status of compliance with the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines we have enacted since FY2022.
In order to gain an understanding of the actual situation regarding wood procurement and foreign technical interns, we have identified as key human rights risks for our company, and encourage these situations to be addressed we issued a survey for each topic to partner companies. An overview and the results from the surveys can be found below.
Furthermore, in reflection upon the current situation in which the number of overseas foreign workers working on the construction sites of partner companies is increasing, since FY2024 we have held a Global Workers Meeting for engagement with foreign workers. We aim to build a pleasant working environment by sharing concerns in terms of work, among other such matters, and working to find resolutions and improvements.

Overview of questionnaire survey of partner companies
Timber procurement questionnaire Questionnaire on foreign technical intern trainees
Companies surveyed* Member companies of the Ken-ei-kai, Ken-sho-kai, Shin-wa-kai and Ju-yu-kai organizations that are involved in timber procurement All member companies of the Ken-ei-kai, Ken-sho-kai,Shinwakai, Ju-yu-kai Ko-sho-kai organization
Implementation timing 2023 2022, 2023
Survey period With a view to assessing the current situation, respondent companies were asked for verification about matters such as awareness of issues concerning sustainability of timber procurement, traceability of timber products, and handling of certified and domestic timber products. With a view to determining whether issues exist, we verified the status of the employment, labor, and living environments of the foreign technical intern trainees, among others, at the respondent companies and their partner companies. (At the same time, we disseminated information on points to note pursuant to relevant laws and regulations.)
Results and actions The current situation has been identified, and we will continue to implement more in-depth verification and investigation of countermeasures based on the responses collected. It was confirmed that each of the partner companies had appropriate measures in place. We will continue to implement regular verification of circumstances going forward.
  • Each organization comprises the partner companies of the following Group companies.
    Ken-ei-kai: Haseko Corporation
    Ken-sho-kai: Fuji Kensetsu
    Shinwakai: Hosoda Corporation
    Ju-yu-kai:Haseko Reform
    Ko-sho-kai: Haseko Community
Issues C to G

These issues are incorporated into the risk prevention activities that are intended to prevent the materialization of a range of risks related to the Haseko Group’s execution of business, and in addition to working to raise awareness of specific human rights issues, by identifying which of the risks identified by each division correspond to human rights issues, we carry out efforts within each division to confirm the human rights issues that may potentially exist within a given division. Going forward, on the basis of the results of this confirmation, we intend to consider whether additional measures are necessary or not.

Penetration / improvement of human rights awareness (education and awareness raising)

Distribution of Human Rights Handbook
The Group created the Human Rights Handbook as part of its efforts to develop its officers’ and employees’ awareness of human rights. The book explains the social demands for human rights and the Company’s human rights initiatives. In addition, it explains the connection between human rights and the Group’s various businesses so that each officer and employee can understand how human rights relates their individual duties. To promote understanding of the issues, the handbook is distributed to all officers and employees (including temporary staff) and to new employees during their on-boarding training. It is also published on the Company’s internal portal website.

Implementation of e-learning
Our annual sustainability e-learning program for all Group officers and employees features human rights as a theme, providing an opportunity to acquire knowledge about human rights and learn about the Group’s initiatives in this area.

Holding the sustainability lectures
In FY2024, we held a lecture on the theme of Business and Human Rights for Haseko Group employees at the general manager level and above. The content of the lecture is available on the internal portal site for anyone to view.

In addition, the Haseko Group prohibits all employees, including temporary staff and part-time workers, from performing any act that constitutes harassment under its employment regulations, etc. In order to prevent harassment, we periodically conduct education in the form of e-learning targeted at employees, and raise their awareness through the Compliance Bulletin distributed to employees and in-house posters. In addition, we have internal and external points of contact in the whistle-blowing system that respond to employees’ requests for advice about harassment.

Distribution of Human Rights Handbook

Consultation Service

Please contact us if you have any concerns about human rights violations in connection with the Group’s corporate activities.

Related Information