Diversity and Inclusion

As expressed in our slogan “Love the Differences,” we recognize and respect each other in all the ways that make us unique, such as gender, age, and nationality, as well as ways of thinking, to realize the corporate philosophy of Shiseido. We work on creating new value by promoting diversity and inclusion at the workplace.

Support for Women's Empowerment

Shiseido sees gender equality as a management strategy to enhance employees' vitality and improve results. We support the active participation of women to enhance corporate trust in employees, who are major stakeholders.

In Japan, we have promoted changes in the awareness and behavior of all employees to strengthen the development of female employees for more than 15 years. As the first step of this initiative, we opened in-house nurseries and subsidized childcare fees. In addition, we established paid leave programs, including a nursing care leave system for children, for employees to flexibly balance work and childcare. At the same time, we began reviewing how employees work to achieve work-life balance – a Company-wide initiative to correct long hours which keep women from more active roles. In 2020, we launched the "Shiseido Hybrid Work Style" suited to lifestyles since the spread of the novel coronavirus, and have been recommending work styles that allows employees to combine remote and in-office work flexibly according to their purpose to maximize efficiency.

In 2020, 1,370 Shiseido Group employees in Japan (including 67 men) took childcare leave, and the retention rate after returning to work was 94.1%. For those returning to work after childbirth, the Company also provided welcome-back seminars to ease anxiety about balancing childcare and work (26 participants). Since 2020, we have started the “Speak Jam” mentoring program, in which female executives and female employees have direct dialogue (38 participants).

Currently, Shiseido operates two in-house childcare facilities: Kangaroom Shiodome (Minato-ku, Tokyo) and Kangaroom Kakegawa (Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture). These nurseries accept a certain number of children of employees from nearby companies and neighboring residents in addition to children of Shiseido employees. In 2017, we established KODOMOLOGY Co., Ltd. within the Shiseido Group, which is responsible for the operation and consulting of in-house childcare facilities. Building on the results we have achieved, through supporting the active participation of our female employees, we contribute to the realization of a society in which employees in the child-rearing period can play an active role.

Fostering Female Leaders

In Japan, we provide an “individual personnel development” program for leader candidates to foster female leaders. Through opportunities particularly to engage in higher levels of work duties, so that they can improve their skills and gain management experience. Additionally, since 2017 we have held the "NEXT LEADERSHIP SESSION for WOMEN,” a leadership training session that supports excellent female employees who will lead the future. The training session is a program to help female leader candidates find their own leadership style while learning business administration and management skills. Participants learn how to deal with common hurdles in demonstrating leadership consists of lectures by women leaders, networking among employees, and coaching. Through comprehensive leadership development, participants learn the indispensable need for the active participation of women, deepen their confidence, and are enabled to further demonstrate leadership. In 2020, 24 leader candidates took part in the program.

"NEXT LEADERSHIP SESSION for WOMEN"

In Europe, “SHEseido,” a program to empower female employees, has been held since 2017. In 2019, 20 talented employees from eight facilities gathered at the EMEA Headquarters (located in France) to strengthen their networks through various activities, including opinion exchange on leadership and career development.

As a result of initiatives to foster female leaders, the ratio of female leaders of the Shiseido Group in Japan increased to 34.7% (as of January 2021), and the ratio of women on the Board of Directors increased to 46.2% (as of March 2021). The ratio of female leaders at overseas facilities (Asia Pacific, Americas, China, Europe, and Travel Retail) exceeds 60%. Going forward, we aim to raise the ratio of female leaders to 50% in all six regions including Japan as a true representation.

＜Three Steps for Women Taking Active Roles＞

We focus intensively on cultivating a company culture in which diverse employees play active roles while demonstrating their skills and proactively building their careers.

LGBT Initiatives

Shiseido is working on creating an environment and raising awareness so that every employee can be themselves at work by eliminating discrimination and harassment due to gender identity and sexual orientation.

In Japan, from 2017, the Rules of Employment stipulate equal treatment, including employee benefits, for employees with same-sex and opposite-sex partners. In addition, the Human Resources Department works to promoteg understanding of LGBT rights and issues among employees. In 2017, we were certified Gold, the highest grade, by “Work with Pride”, an organization that evaluates companies' LGBT support efforts. In 2020, we supported the Business for Marriage Equality, a campaign to promote equal marriage (legalization of same-sex marriage).

Shiseido participates in Tokyo Rainbow Pride, Japan's biggest LGBT supporting event where volunteer employees provide makeup advice and sampling. We also provide makeup advice to those who have undergone gender reassignment surgery. Online, we promote diversity support activities in collaboration with local governments and other companies. Eight thousand beauty consultants working in stores have also taken training to leverage knowledge and better serve and support LGBT persons.

Active Roles of Employees with Disabilities

We promote the employment of individuals with disabilities to create a workplace for everyone. About 350 such employees take active roles in various departments and positions at the Shiseido Group in Japan. Individuals with disabilities account for 3.3% of all employees in Shiseido Company, Limited, and 2.4% in the Shiseido Group in Japan (as of June 2021). At a special subsidiary, Shiseido's Hanatsubaki Factory Co., Ltd., 50 employees with developmental challenges actively work at four locations in Tokyo, Osaka and Kakegawa.

As we expect all employees including those with disabilities to grow as valuable human resources in the workplace, we make the following pledges.

1. "We seriously expect achievement from them": We support the growth of each employee as a valuable human resource regardless of disabilities.

2. "We provide necessary consideration, but no special treatment": We recognize that this promise is important to promote the growth of the person.

3. "We assertively support those with the passion to work hard”: We support the growth of each individual through our human resources development programs, including new employee training, various e-learning and OJT.

In order to fulfill these three pledges, we carry out a selection process considering and offer an internship exclusively for applicants with disabilities when hiring. We also proactively assign them to various positions, such as sales and marketing, providing assistive devices and office equipment according to the type of disability^*. When persons with disabilities are hired, the Human Resources Department has a preliminary meeting with departments to which they are assigned to ensure necessary care. In addition, a follow-up interview (between the person and the department and between department and the direct supervisor) is held after they join the Company. In addition, we regularly provide training for managers to promote understanding of disabilities. We will continue to promote the recruitment and active participation of human resources who bring diversity to the organization. For more details, please refer to Recruitment and Disabilities. (Japanese language only)

*Examples of assistive devices and equipment include sound collectors and voice recognition software for employees with hearing impairments, electronic magnifiers and Braille blocks installed in the office for visually impaired employees, and multipurpose toilets for wheelchair users.

In 2021, Shiseido endorsed and joined “The Valuable 500,” a global initiative for disability inclusion. “The Valuable 500” is a collective of business leaders who drive system change for people with disabilities to unleash their potential to deliver business, economic and social value. Shiseido continues disability inclusion initiatives in the area of recruitment or providing services through our beauty business.

Diversifying Ethnicity

Shiseido has become more active in employing human resources with diverse nationalities and cultural backgrounds overseas facilities and in Japan. In order to connect the diversification of human resources to value creation, we have promoted English as our official in-house language in Japan since 2018. Persons with wide-ranging backgrounds are now assigned to various sections and departments in the Company. For non-Japanese nationals hired by Headquarters, the Company conforms to Japanʼs immigration control systems, especially related to resident status requirements, and treats them appropriately based on relevant Rules of Employment.

Promotion of Core Human Resources Such As Women, Foreign Nationals, and Midcareer Hires
(in View of Corporate Governance Code)

The Tokyo Stock Exchange in its “Corporate Governance Code” establishes fundamental principles for effective corporate governance. One of the principles states that given the importance of human resource strategies for increasing corporate value over the medium-to-long term, listed companies should present their policies and measurable goals for ensuring diversity of core human resources, such as the promotion of women, foreign nationals, and midcareer hires to middle managerial positions, as well as disclose their status.

At Shiseido, we recognize and respect differences among individuals regardless of their attributes or ways of thinking, including women, foreign nationals, and midcareer hires, as we strive to create a company whose strength stems from individual strengths of its people and maximizing these strengths. To that end, we also aim to ensure diversity among our core human resources.

We disclose the latest employment status of women, foreign nationals, and midcareer hires in the “Social Data” section. Our measurable goals regarding support for women’s empowerment are presented above. Concerning the promotion of foreign nationals and midcareer hires as core human resources, as of January 2021, approximately 5% of managers at Shiseido Company, Limited were foreign nationals, and approximately 26%—midcareer hires. We do not set specific targets regarding these groups as we do not see any considerable differences from employees with other backgrounds.

Click here for Principles of the Corporate Governance Code (CG Code) and Shiseido’s Response

Post-retirement Reemployment System

Shiseido has introduced a system to re-hire experienced employees after they reach the retirement age of the Company (age 60) since 2006, so that they can continue to work as long as they have the motivation and ability to do so. In 2021, the system was revised and name changed to the EL Partners Advanced System to enhance responsibilities and reemployment conditions. In anticipation of the advent of the 100-year life era, we have changed the system so that employees who are highly motivated to grow and contribute to the Company even after retirement can play an active role regardless of age.

Employment of Fixed-term Employees

The Shiseido Group in Japan employs fixed-term employees based on labor-related laws and regulations and provides appropriate treatment with various social insurance and holidays stipulated by the law according to employment regulations and various other regulations. For fixed-term employees of five years or more at the Company, we switch their employment contract to an indefinite-term contract upon request in accordance with the law established in 2018.

Employment of Temporary Employees

Temporary employees work at the Shiseido Group in Japan according to the Worker Dispatch Law. With regard to the employment of temporary employees at the Shiseido Group, we implement various measures such as concluding agreements with employment agencies, development and management of registers, and appointment of personnel in charge of management, all of which is based on the Worker Dispatch Law policy related to measures that should be established regarding employment agencies and other relevant laws and regulations. Shiseido continuously and appropriately responds to amendments in or reinterpretations of respective laws and regulations.

ABOUT US