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2023

Sustainability Report 2022 (for FY2021)

Sustainability Report 2022 (for FY2021)

Treating Health as a Management Issue

INPEX Group Health Statement

INPEX believes that the mental and physical health of all employees is fundamental to the well-being of the company and regards health maintenance as a material issue for management. The INPEX Group Health Statement released in September 2018 sets out the company’s position to support and improve the health of employees and their families with the appointment of the President and CEO as Chief Health Officer.

The statement declares that: the company will maintain and improve the physical and mental health of employees as well as their families; the company aims to build a vibrant corporate culture by creating a work environment to maximize the potential of all employees; and employees should recognize their own responsibility in improving their lifestyles and proactively strive to maintain physical and mental health.

Approach to Health as a Management Issue

Under the leadership of the INPEX President as Chief Health Officer, we are working with our labor union, health insurance union, and occupational physicians to maintain and improve the health of our employees and to create a healthy workplace. For this purpose, we have set up a committee to address health as a management issue (hereafter, the “Health Management Committee”). This committee meets regularly to identify employee health issues and consider relevant solutions, while implementing ongoing improvements through the PDCA cycle. To improve the expertise of the committee, the headquarters medical officer is also a member.

Health Management Committee

Health Management Committee (graphic)

1Committee inauguration date: Same as date of establishing rules to promote health as a management issue (September 26, 2018)

2Frequency of committee meetings: at least once a year

3 Agenda items:

  1. Issues relating to employee health and required countermeasures
  2. Groundwork for treatment of health as a management issue, steps to improve the workplace environment
  3. Specific measures to address employee mental and physical health
  4. Review effectiveness of measures to maintain and improve health
  5. Other important matters relating to maintaining and improving health

Measures to Maintain and Improve Health

INPEX believes that healthcare administration is a material issue for management. The INPEX Group Health Statement states that the company aims to build a vibrant corporate culture by creating a pleasant work environment that is conducive to improving the health of employees and their families and enables all employees to maximize their potential.

We have established a centralized database to manage the results of employee health checks, and have stationed nurses on a permanent basis at headquarters and at offices with more than a certain number of employees. As part of a systematic effort to manage mental and physical health, the medical staff in each office collaborate on delivering health guidance and dealing with mental health issues.

To maintain and improve the health of employees, we have implemented a range of measures, such as: 100% participation in annual health checks; measures related to mental health and overwork; establishment of separate smoking areas; introduction of health apps; and events to promote health. To further these initiatives, we have established specific targets for participation in health checks and stress checks, average overtime hours, rate of taking paid leave, as well as participation in government-sponsored specified health checks and specified health guidance programs. Employees posted to positions outside Japan are provided with immunization against infectious diseases and annual health checks in Japan. They also receive information on medical care in their assigned localities, and are covered by emergency transportation arrangements, which includes international transportation in case of injury or sickness.

Through initiatives such as these, we aim to create a vibrant corporate culture by reducing the incidence of disorders caused by stress or poor physical condition.

Mental Health Initiatives

We conduct employee stress checks once a year to ascertain the mental and physical condition of each employee, and analyze the organizational environment to enable workplace improvements. The checks allow us to monitor the mental health of employees at regular intervals, with a high 91% of employees completing the check in FY2021.

For those with mental health issues, the primary physician, occupational physician, nurse, HR department and the individual’s manager/supervisor act in concert to provide follow-up care while the employee is on leave and after their return to work.

To prevent employees from feeling isolated during the drawn-out pandemic, we conducted one-on-one meetings and weekly pulse surveys for new graduates in FY2021, while adding the services of mental health counselors to provide consultation to employees stationed overseas and to accompanying family members. The system under which employees in training receive operational guidance and mental support from older workers—referred to as “mentors” for employees in their first year and as “supporters” for those in their second and third years—is now well established.

Initiatives to Tackle Global Health Issues

Measures to maintain and improve the health of employees include influenza vaccinations, group health checks, health checks before and during overseas assignments, financial assistance for complete medical examinations, and actions to familiarize everyone with overseas medical risks, such as the risk of infection from malaria and zika virus.

In 2021, the company also arranged COVID-19 vaccinations for employees and their families at multiple sites.

Performance for health as a management issue

FY2021 performance (including historical data)

<Measures for work-life balance>

  • Average overtime per month: 22.6 hours (FY2020: 21.3 hours, FY2019: 18.2 hours)
  • Average rate of paid leave actually taken: 69.8% (FY2020: 65%, FY2019: 83.3%)
  • Improvement in use of company programs ⇒(Example) Users of childcare centers, nurseries, babysitter support program in FY2021: 78 (FY2020: 79, FY2019: 83)

FY2020 performance (including historical data)

<Measures for employee’s health>

  • Participation in annual health checks: 100% (FY2018: 100%, FY2019: 100%)
  • Participation in follow-up tests after annual health check: 66.9% (FY2018: 76.9%, FY2019: 75.9%)
  • Participation in specified health checks (overall): 75.4%, Participation in specified health guidance (overall): 24.6%
  • Participation in stress check organizational diagnosis: 94.4% (FY2018: 90.5%, FY2019: 88.2%)
  • In June 2020, the Health Management Committee decided on FY2020 initiatives and conducted an interim review in December 2020.

* In May 2021, the committee reported on FY2020 results and formulated plans for FY2021.

  • Expanded use of a health & fitness app to help improve employees’ diet, physical activity and sleep, and identify health-management issues for the company.
  • In May 2020, conducted a healthcare training session (covering INPEX Group Health Statement, need to address health as a management issue, etc.) as part of training for newly appointed senior managers.

For data on employees and work-life balance in FY2019-2021, see the ESG performance data.

FY2020 employee health diagnosis results (examples)

  • Maintain appropriate weight: 69.4%
  • Smoke cigarettes: 15.1%
  • Regularly exercise: 28.7%
  • Regularly consume alcohol: 18.9%
  • Have blood-pressure risk: 0.4%
  • Have potential risk related to blood-sugar level: 0.2%
  • Have poorly controlled diabetes: 0.4%
  • Feel sufficiently rested after sleep: 81.7%

Other health-related indicators in FY2020

  • Percentage with high stress levels in stress checks: 3.5%
  • Presenteeism (*1): 62.9 points
  • Absenteeism (*2): 0.8 days
  • Work engagement (*3): deviation score 50

(*1) Lost productivity that occurs when employees are not fully functioning in the workplace because of illness, injury, or other condition. Based on survey of employees using the WHO-HPQ absolute presenteeism scale (0–100).

(*2) Absence due to injury or illness. Average number of days of paid sick leave used in FY2020 among all employees.

(*3) Measured using INPEX’s own questionnaire covering eight items that correlate highly with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Average deviation score among all employees.

Activity for Maintaining and Improving Health

<General Health Measures>

  • Establishment of Health Management Committee
  • Establishment of in-house clinic (occupational physician/public health nurse/nurse)
  • Establishment of health consultation desk
  • Support for lifestyle improvement
  • Assistance with health-check fees
  • Occupational physician consultation based on result of health check
  • Health-related seminars
  • Stretching and yoga sessions for stiff shoulders and lower back pain
  • Morning warm-up sessions (before work)
  • Welfare activities
  • Encouraging use of contracted sports facilities
  • Provision of flu vaccinations including fee assistance
  • Treatment of time required for vaccination as working time
  • Vaccinations and occupational physician advice for employees on overseas assignments
  • Lectures regarding alcohol
  • Support for cancer screenings

Measures to Reduce Smoking

  • Talks by professionals on the health effects of smoking
  • Designation of no-smoking days and no-smoking weeks
  • Internal announcements encouraging people to quit smoking

COVID-19 Measures

  • Formulation of a Business Continuation Plan (BCP) during the pandemic
  • Establishment and convening of COVID-19 Corporate Crisis Management Team
  • Work-site vaccination (including employees’ family members and some employees of other companies working in the same building or clients)
  • Special leave on vaccination days
  • Special leave for persons experiencing adverse vaccine reaction (fever)
  • Encouragement of work-from-home (to limit attendance at each business location to a certain percentage as a precautionary measure against infection)
  • Introduction of “super flextime” (elimination of core time)
  • Special leave days for activities related to preventing COVID-19
  • Installation of alcohol sanitizers in the office and measures to ensure use
  • Checking and reporting on health status (temperature checks, etc.)
  • Drafting of office work rules in the event of fever, infected family members or close-contact situations
  • Formulation of communication procedures for reporting between work sites and health representatives
  • Raising awareness of employee action policy prioritizing employee health
  • Use of modified shift rosters to reduce contact among employees
  • Promotion of off-peak travel utilizing flextime
  • Special consideration for employees at higher risk of severe infection, such as those with underlying health issues
  • Modified seating arrangements to reduce office congestion
  • Circulation of information on preventing infection
  • Surveys related to remote work

INPEX Recognized as Health & Productivity Stock and “White 500” Organization in 2022

In 2022, INPEX was recognized for the third consecutive year under the resources category of the Health & Productivity Stock Selection Program jointly operated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). We have also been recognized for the fourth consecutive year as a White 500 organization in the large enterprise category of the Certified Health & Productivity Management Organization Recognition Program. The Health & Productivity Stock Selection Program selects listed companies for exceptional performance in their strategic focus on employee health from a management perspective. In the White 500 program, METI and Japan Kenko Kaigi (Japan Health Council) jointly select outstanding enterprises involved in efforts to address health and productivity management.4

INPEX was recognized for its efforts to identify and tackle employee health issues, and for the specific steps it has taken to create a framework for treating health as a management issue and to boost the mental and physical health of employees.

4 The term “health and productivity management” is a registered trademark of the Workshop for the Management of Health on Company and Employee.

Health & Productivity (graphic)