Developing human capital and promoting diversity

Creation of Internal Environment

We put in place a working environment that enables diverse employees to maximize their own performance according to their stage of life and lifestyle. We are conscious of improving health and satisfaction with work-life balance, and we encourage employees to take leave and increase the flexibility of their working hours. In addition, we are diversifying our evaluation system by introducing a job-based employment system, which is specified employment system etc., so that employees can maximize their individual abilities and engage in their work with a high level of motivation.

NICIGAS’ workstyle reforms

Occupational Safety and Health

To ensure that employees can work in good health without physical and mental concerns, we have established the NICIGAS Group Occupational Safety and Health Policy and are improving the workplace environment and preventing occupational accidents. The Board of Directors monitors occupational safety and health initiatives and progress toward targets.

NICIGAS Group Occupational Safety and Health Policy

Safety and health activities are the foundation of our corporate management, and we aim to create a workplace that we can be proud of by thoroughly managing safety and health in our corporate activities to minimize the impact on the safety and health of our employees and the local community. 

1.  We comply with safety and health-related laws, regulations, and internal standards, and manage our safety and health.  
2. We implement risk assessments to clarify hazardous factors in the workplace and establish priorities for countermeasures, and promote the creation of safe and comfortable workplaces from "zero accidents" to "zero hazards.“ 
3.  To prevent health problems caused by overwork and mental health issues, we enhance our health management system and promote measures to ensure the health of our employees.
4.  We communicate with all employees and implement safety and health activities with the participation of all employees.
5.  We strive to raise awareness of safety and health through employee education and internal PR activities. 
6.  In implementing safety and health activities, we allocate appropriate management resources and make effective improvements on an ongoing basis. 

Occupational Health and Safety Committee

Occupational Health and Safety Committee meetings are held monthly at each office to monitor the status of employee health and safety, including workplace patrols and inspections, environmental measurements, infectious disease countermeasures, overtime hours, vacation leave, work-related accidents, vehicle accidents, and receiving health checkups. At each subcommittee meeting, industrial physicians also participate to share information on efforts to improve productivity and ensure safety, and discuss ways to create a better environment.

Risk Surveys

Regular safety inspections are conducted by external agencies at LP gas hub filling plants. Since 2022, based on the survey results,we have introduced risk reduction measures such as (1) the introduction of hat-type helmets for safety and work efficiency, (2) the installation of netting at the rotating parts of machines to prevent entrapment, and (3) the implementation of voice patrols to prevent near-misses. Moreover, we share this information among the four filling plants to further reduce risks. Implementation details and progress are reported to and discussed by the Board of Directors.

Health Management Initiatives

Medical Checkup, Brain Checkup, Mental Health, etc.

All employees of the Group, including part-time workers, are required to receive an annual health check-up (with a comprehensive medical examination for those aged 37 and over), and in addition a brain medical check-up is mandatory for managers and above, with 100% of employees receiving these examinations. The results are digitized to allow an immediate grasp of changes over time. We set the target of 100% second medical checkup rate from 2023, and we manage employees who have not yet received a second medical checkup and promote periodic medical checkups until their checkups. In addition, industrial physicians provide individual guidance to those who require medical attention, and public health nurses monitor them. In addition, an annual stress check is conducted for all employees, including part-time workers. Employees who are found to have high stress levels receive consultations with industrial physicians to improve their working conditions.

In-house Futsal Tournament

We hold an in-house futsal tournament against each department. Participation was voluntary, and the winning team received a prize from our company. In addition to improving the health of employees, the tournament promoted interaction among employees, and increased employee motivation by strengthening good team-work. 

Welfare Programs

Childcare Support

We provide full support for employees raising children, whether male or female, so that they can work with no worries. We have set the rate of male employees taking childcare leave as an important KPI, and introduced systems that make it easier for male employees to take childcare leave and foster an internal culture of taking childcare leave (the rate of female employees taking childcare leave is 100%).
This is because we believe that as women continue to be active and advance their careers, it is important for men to actively participate in childcare and household chores. We conduct questionnaires for male employees who have taken childcare leave, and use the results to improve measures.

Our childcare support