Human Resources Management

We believe that treating employees based on proper evaluation is an important system that motivates employees, helping to acquire, develop, and retain talents, and significantly impacting the development of the Mitsui Chemicals Group.

At Mitsui Chemicals, performance is evaluated based on the achievement of predetermined job targets and actions, and the results are reflected in the compensation.

In setting job targets, we incorporate the business plan—based on the Corporate Vision—into the policies and goals of each division. Key issues derived from this process are then organized into goals for each department or team and ultimately reflect in individual job targets. Through this process, we have established a system in which the achievement of individual targets is linked to the performance of the team, department, division, and ultimately, the entire company. In terms of compensation, we have established a system in which the achievement of divisional targets is linked to individual bonuses. In addition, we conduct an interim review around October, allowing for  flexible revisions to their targets in response to changes in both internal and external environments.

As part of the performance evaluation process, supervisors ensure effective communication by conducting feedback sessions. In these sessions, they carefully explain the evaluation results regarding the employee's achievement of job targets and behavioral evaluation, along with the reasons behind the evaluation. By sharing strengths and areas for improvement based on each individual's characteristics and providing necessary support as appropriate, we facilitate the development of our employees. Specifically for behavioral evaluations, we have introduced the 'Global Core Competency Evaluation,' whereby employees reflect on whether their actions align with our Action Guidelines and core values based on concrete examples, followed by assessment and feedback from supervisors. Through these efforts, we aim to instill and establish our Action Guidelines and core values.

The process from target setting to evaluation is structured around three interviews: initial target setting at the beginning of the term, an interim review around the mid-point, and a final evaluation and feedback session. Throughout these stages, supervisors and subordinates engage in ongoing dialogue. In addition to these opportunities, we also encourage regular and ongoing communication, aiming for operational systems that both realize our business plan and foster a deeper sense of personal conviction among each employee.

These processes are centrally managed through our Group-wide global talent management system (Workday), enabling timely responses to changes in the environment and revisions to targets related to personnel transfers and other factors. By providing an environment in which supervisors and subordinates can always refer to continuously updated progress, we are creating opportunities for effective dialogue.

Moreover, the Mitsui Chemicals Labor Union conducts surveys on the rate of feedback meetings and the degree of satisfaction among union members. The results are shared between labor and management and leveraged to ensure appropriate operation of the evaluation system.

When acquiring, developing, and retaining excellent human resources across the Group beyond national borders, the Mitsui Chemicals Group has developed the “Group Global Evaluation Guidelines” and “Global Policy on Position Management” to promote the broad and fair application of evaluation indicators standardized within the Group, visualization of positions, and clarification of the compensation process.

In August 2020, we revised the guidelines on the employee dress code for the Head Office and branch offices to clarify the dress code for work, regardless of where employees are working from (both for onsite work and remote work), and to scrap and replace gender-based bans with rules common to all genders to promote diversity. The revision allows employees to make their own decisions on the appropriate apparel, provided that they remain aware of the need for safety, workability, and cleanliness and that their dress is always appropriate to the occasion and corresponds with social practices, especially when meeting clients and external business partners. With this outline, we aim to further foster a culture that allows for change and encourages employees to think and act on their own initiative while increasing the number of options available to them.

Mitsui Chemicals complies with the maximum limits on overtime and holiday work hours as stipulated in the Article 36 Agreement under the Labor Standards Act, provides allowances based on actual time worked, and strives to manage working hours appropriately. To visualize overtime and hours worked on designated holidays, the managers share the monthly records of overtime and hours worked on designated holidays for each division and each employee. Managers utilize comparisons with other divisions and check to ensure that work is not concentrated on specific individuals within their own divisions, in order to help create a comfortable working environment. Furthermore, when an employee is found to have worked more than 80 hours of overtime each month, the Human Resources Division conducts an interview with the manager, and reviews and implements specific measures to identify the cause of the overtime and improve the individual’s working conditions.

Mitsui Chemicals has established a program that supports employees during child-rearing by facilitating a smooth return to work after childbirth or childcare leave, thereby helping them remain engaged and motivated in their careers. This program outlines the types of support available at each stage—before maternity leave, during childcare leave, and after returning to work—ensuring that both employees and their supervisors can prepare for a smooth and confident return to the workplace.

Prior to taking leave, the employee and their manager engage in a one-on-one interview to discuss the handover of duties, contact while they are on leave, necessary procedures, and other important issues. Even before returning to work, meetings between employees and their managers are also conducted to share details of work styles that will ensure the work environment will accept the employee and details of their job description when they return to work, and to ensure mutual understanding. After returning to work, the Company provides explanations and support regarding various procedures and programs, thereby facilitating a smooth transition back to the workplace.

In addition, during the period of work-life adjustment following return to work, we provide training opportunities for employees—regardless of gender—who are seeking to improve their work-life balance. These programs offer practical strategies for managing both work and personal responsibilities, as well as diverse approaches to career development, through dialogue with colleagues who have successfully balanced similar demands. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own career paths.

We promote male participation in childcare and encourage male employees to take the first five days of childcare leave with pay. For male employees on childcare leave, the pregnancy of the employee's spouse first needs to be reported to the Human Resources Division. The Human Resources Division then requests a meeting with the male employee's supervisor, who confirms the employee's intention to take childcare leave and explains the system to the employee. For male employees who are unsure about whether or not to take childcare leave or how long they can take it, a representative from the Human Resources Division meets with them to discuss how to take childcare leave, including when to take it and the number of times it can be taken, as well as to coordinate with their supervisors to encourage them to take childcare leave.

Additionally, we have created guidebooks and manuals that detail the internal systems related to childcare and how to effectively utilize them. These materials clearly explain the process from when a pregnancy is confirmed to when childcare leave is taken, and also include information on concerns such as income during leave. Furthermore, the site includes messages from management and interviews with male employees and their supervisors who are raising children, encouraging men to be actively involved in childcare as well.

During the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years, we conducted male childcare leave training for all line managers. Prior to the training, only 38% of participants understood the concept of male childcare leave, but this improved to 86% after the training, indicating progress in mindset transformation. Additionally, we've organized parenting classes for male employees, while female employees can attend with their partners, to help everyone understand the importance of men taking childcare leave. In the 2024 fiscal year, the President declared a goal of achieving a 100% male childcare leave rate, and we are accelerating efforts to improve this rate. Furthermore, we are focusing on increasing the number of days taken and promoting meaningful use of childcare leave—moving beyond the notion of simply “taking” leave.

The Mitsui Chemicals supports our employees who work while providing nursing care. In order to prevent employees who are nursing caregivers from leaving their jobs, we hold an online seminar every year on the theme of balancing nursing care and work with the aim of promoting the concept of managing nursing care using public and in-house systems. However, participants in seminars tend to be limited because it is difficult for them to become aware of when they may become involved in the caregiving process.

Therefore, since fiscal 2021, as an outreach measure, we have been posting useful information for caregivers on our internal portal bulletin board on a quarterly basis. Links to internal and external information are attached to the postings to provide easy access to the detailed information needed. Back numbers are also posted together on the portal, which helps to quickly convey the necessary information to employees who have to start providing nursing care at short notice. The topics we have dealt with include the difference between paid family care leave and family care leave, nursing care insurance certification system, dementia care, communication between parents and children, and cooperation with professionals. Reliable external YouTube videos related to the theme are presented to help them deepen their knowledge of what it takes to care for their loved ones. As concerns about caregiving continue to grow—particularly in areas that cannot be resolved by HR alone—we are strengthening our support system in fiscal 2024 by establishing an external caregiving consultation service with experts. This initiative is designed to support employees facing increasingly complex caregiving and work-related challenges.

In the collective labor agreement, we have established "achieving the Corporate Mission" and "the happiness and self-fulfillment of employees" as goals to be shared by both labor and management and are working on developing labor-management relations that are both constructive and stable. Efforts are also being made to engage in ongoing frank discussions between labor and management on such themes as improving productivity as well as the work-life balance of employees. In this manner, we are working to lay the necessary foundation so that employees can work in a more enjoyable and meaningful manner. Moreover, we have adopted a rule that employees must generally be notified at least one month prior to transfers that entail moving and relocation.