Creating a Health-Conscious Workplace

As a company, Tokuyama is working as a united team with its employees to realize its Mission and its goal of “transitioning toward a robust business structure that is resilient against changes. ”
To achieve these aims, we understand that it is of the utmost importance to create a workplace environment where employees find it comfortable to work, and to endeavor to support and foster the mental and physical health of employees and their families.
It was based on this concept that the Health Management Declaration was announced on October 1, 2020.

Health management organizational structure

In accordance with the Basic Health Management Plan approved by the Health Management Promotion Committee, which convenes annually, and under the leadership of the Representative Director, President and Executive Officer, who serves as the Chief Officer for Health Management, the Health Management Center takes the lead in implementing initiatives.
In addition to administrative staff, the Health Management Center employs a total of four occupational health professionals stationed at the Tokuyama Factory and the Tokyo Head Office.
The Health Management Promotion Committee, chaired by the Executive Officer and General Manager of the General Affairs & Human Resources Division, with the Chair of the Tokuyama Labor Union Executive Committee and the Manager of the Tokuyama Health Insurance Association serving as members, meets once a year to formulate plans and targets for the Company's health management policy based on the advice of dedicated industrial physicians.
The Committee also receives reports on the implementation and verified outcomes of measures promoted by the implementing organizations in accordance with these plans, consolidates the findings, and submits the results to the Committee Chair.

Health management initiatives

Tokuyama is engaged in health management to build workplaces that help to enhance the physical and mental health of employees and their families and support worker performance.
In addition, under the two goals of promoting employees' mental and physical health and preventing lifestyle diseases, Tokuyama carries out a range of activities with an emphasis on improving individual health awareness, maintaining or reducing the rate of findings on health checkups, reducing the rate of leave taken due to health problems, promoting the Smart Life Program, health guidance and lifestyle disease countermeasures, and mental health care.

■ Promoting the Smart Life Program
The Company has continued to work on anti-smoking measures as part of the Smart Life Program, seeking to maintain and optimally enhance the health of employees. To prevent passive smoking, we have been implementing a policy of no smoking indoors, and we have completely banned smoking indoors on site, including at partner company sites (except for shared smoking areas in Head Office and branch office buildings). In addition, the Tokuyama anti-smoking campaign started in fiscal 2018, promoting measures such as awareness-raising activities offered by industrial physicians and industrial health staff and the establishment of a "no smoking during work hours day" on the 22nd of every month. Since October 2023, we have introduced a "Smoking Time" system that limits the use of smoking areas to one hour each in the morning and afternoon, as well as during break times (45 to 60 minutes), to improve the smoking environment.
To reduce the smoking rate, we have been promoting awareness-raising activities through health education provided by industrial physicians and industrial health staff, and have required all employees to complete annual e-learning programs. In addition to conventional measures such as providing smoking cessation clinics, nicotine gum, and smoking cessation books, the Tokuyama anti-smoking campaign offers four support courses:
① Serious Course – Smoking cessation treatment using nicotine patches
② Trial Course – Free provision of nicotine gum
③ Easy Course – Free distribution of smoking cessation books
④ Challenge Course – Quitting smoking with the support of smoking cessation supporters
These measures have increased interest in anti-smoking efforts, and the smoking rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points in fiscal 2024 to 17.4%. While the Company's smoking rate is not considered high when taking into account the gender ratio of employees, those who continue to smoke tend to have low motivation to quit. Therefore, exploring new approaches beyond conventional measures remains a challenge going forward.

■ Offering health guidance and fighting lifestyle diseases
Working with the Health Insurance Association, the Company implemented specific health guidance, and in the health check-ups in 2024, improvements were seen in the 39% of employees who received health guidance. In addition to conducting follow-up interviews on health checkup results when needed, and ensuring that supervisors encourage employees to do follow-up checkups when needed,the Company also holds individual interviews with employees who are at high risk for lifestyle diseases and other illnesses, and provides ongoing support. Throughout the year, industrial health staff also provide outreach health education (mini workshops in the workplace).

■ Promoting mental health care
Tokuyama aims for early detection and response to mental health issues by giving occupational stress tests to all employees, interviewing people with high levels of stress, and offering enhanced consultation services. In fiscal 2024, mental health training was provided via e-learning, with a 97.8% participation rate among those eligible. The Company is working to reduce stress, provide self-care education and improve the workplace environment by using group analysis results.