Maximization of Human Capital

Improving employee motivation

NICIGAS believes that improving employee motivation will encourage voluntary growth and lead to maximizing performance. We will achieve this through 1) a corporate culture in which the individual plays a leading role, 2) a fair evaluation system, and 3) create a positive work environment.

(1) A corporate culture in which the individual plays a leading role

We believe that it needs human capital that can think and act for itself in order to continue to take on the challenge of change. In order to think and act for themselves, it is important to believe that they can change the company by their own efforts and put that into practice. We are fostering a corporate culture in which individuals can believe in their own abilities and play a leading role.

The large amount of discretion given to individuals

Our culture does not prescribe detailed manuals, but instead gives each individual a great deal of discretion. This is because we value the ability to think and act for oneself, and also because it encourages new approaches that are not bound by conventional methods.

Accepting failure and encouraging challenge

Our culture accepts failure and encourages challenge. This is because we believe that the biggest risk is not taking on a challenge due to the fear of failure. We believe that the lessons learned — the benefits — from failure are greater than the losses incurred.

Success from inexperience

Our culture allows employees to take on new tasks regardless of their age or experience. This is because we believe that in order to grow through continuous challenge and change, combining knowledge and experience from different fields leads to positive change, rather than simply improving expertise in one field. As a result, even those who are inexperienced can play an active role in departments that require specialized knowledge, which in turn motivates employees to learn new things.

(2) A fair evaluation system

Since its founding, NICIGAS has always been committed to a merit-based opportunity system. For NICIGAS, which is constantly undergoing change in order to grow, rather than a system that emphasizes past experience and stability, such as a seniority-based system, a corporate culture that fosters employees who are not afraid to make mistakes and take on challenges is essential. Because this policy has been thoroughly instilled throughout the Company, all employees work with high motivation by placing importance on achieving results and having a challenging mindset. In addition, we established a system that provides remuneration commensurate with performance, further increasing employee motivation.

Systems that provide compensation commensurate with performance

(3) Create a positive work environment

NICIGAS has regarded its employees as important stakeholders. For sustainable corporate growth, it is important that employees can work safely and healthily, without any concerns for their physical or mental well-being. By improving employee satisfaction with their working environment, based on the premise of safety and security, we are able to maximize employee performance.

NICIGAS’ workstyle reforms

Occupational Safety and Health

To ensure that employees can work healthily without concerns for their own physical and mental well-being, we have established the “NICIGAS Group Occupational Safety and Health Policy.” We are continuously working on ensuring a secure work environment and preventing industrial accidents. The Board of Directors monitors “occupational safety and health initiatives” and its 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, paid leave, industrial 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 improve the work environment.

Risk surveys

Regular safety inspections are conducted by external agencies at NICIGAS’ LP gas hub filling plants. In the last 3 years, based on the survey results, we introduced measures to improve safety, such as (1) installing wet bulb globe temperature measuring devices to prevent heatstroke, (2) installing safety net around rotating parts of machinery to prevent entanglement, and (3) attaching warning tape to the rollers on the floor to prevent falls. Moreover, we share this information among the three filling plants to further reduce risks and to further work on reducing 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.

Every year, NICIGAS makes it compulsory for all employees to undergo an annual health check-up (a comprehensive medical examination for those aged 38 and over). Regarding brain medical checkup, this is mandatory for new managers and above whilst discretionary for other managers. The respective check-up rates (health check-up & brain medical checkup) are 100%. The results are digitized to allow for individuals to see the trend over time. We set a KPI for the rate of employees undergoing secondary examinations as part of their health checkup, and it aims to achieve 100%. Since 2023, we have been managing employees who have not yet received a second medical check-up and regularly encourages employees to undergo health check-ups until we have confirmed that all eligible employees have completed them. Industrial physicians provide individual guidance to those found to have health issues, and public health nurses monitor the response status and health status after the check-up. In addition, we carry out stress checks for all employees once a year. Those who receive results to be under high stress are interviewed by industrial physicians, who then work with them to improve their working methods.

In-house futsal tournament

We organize sports interaction, such as holding an in-house futsal tournament of head-to-head against each department, to carry out events that will both enhance health and communication between employees organized sports interaction. This is voluntary participation, and the winning team receives a price.

Welfare Programs

Childcare support

We provide full support for employees raising children so that they can work with ease. We have set the rate of male employees taking childcare leave as an important KPI, and introduced systems that make male employees easier to take childcare leave and foster an internal culture of taking childcare leave (For FYE 03/24, the rate of taking childcare leave: female employees is 100%, male employees is 52.4%).
The reason for this is 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 future measures.

NICIGAS’ childcare support

*1: Child allowance is paid monthly to a child who lives in the same household as the employee and whose livelihood is supported by the employee's income (until the month prior to the month in which the child reaches his/her 18th birthday).

Improving operational efficiency through the introduction of DX

We are working to improve operational efficiency through the introduction of DX. Such as by reducing the amount of work that requires paper through digitization, and improving the efficiency of filling and delivery through AI analysis. Not only cost reduction is achieved by these, but we improve productivity with the way employees work and increase their motivation. Specifically, we are working to expand the scope of employees’ activities, such as using the time saved to take on work that could not be done before.