Kajima Group Human Rights Policy
Established on March 31, 2021
The Kajima corporate philosophy advocates "as a group of individuals working together as one, we pursue creative progress and development founded on both rational, scientific principles and a humanitarian outlook" and thereby clarifies Kajima's social mission in corporate activities. The Kajima Group Code of Conduct requires "respect for all people connected to the Kajima Group."
This policy clarifies the Kajima Group's approach to respect for human rights, and it has been established based on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights of the United Nations. It applies to all officers and employees (all employees including regular employees, contract employees and dispatched employees) of the Kajima Group, and we expect that all business partners constituting our supply chains in the world also understand and embrace this policy.
The Kajima Group declares not to infringe any human rights, but to minimize any adverse impact on human rights that may arise through corporate activities, thereby fulfilling our responsibility for respecting human rights.
1. Respect for international standards
The Kajima Group supports and respects the International Bill of Human Rights, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Children's Rights and Business Principles, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact, and other international standards related to human rights.
2. Compliance with laws and regulations
The Kajima Group complies with all applicable laws and regulations and the spirit thereof in countries and regions where we conduct business activities, as well as international rules and social norms.
If there is any inconsistency between the internationally accepted human rights standards and a local law, we will choose to comply with the internationally approved human rights standards.
3. Respect for human rights
The Kajima Group endeavors its responsibility for human rights through the following measures:
(1) Prohibiting discrimination and unfair treatment
With regard to all officers, employees and other persons concerned, we respect their fundamental human rights, personalities, characteristics, and diversity, and we prohibit any and all discrimination, harassment and unfair treatment at workplace on the ground of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, age, religion, place of origin, disabilities, or physical characteristics. We do not permit any type of child labor or forced labor and we will not be involved in human rights infringement.
(2) Harmony with local communities
We get actively involved with local communities where we conduct business activities, and we endeavor to establish and maintain a good relationship with the communities.
(3) Maintaining a healthy workplace environment
We act to develop, maintain, and improve a safe, hygienic and healthy work environment and we do not allow any machine, equipment, working hours, work formation, or work process that would adversely affect employees. We also provide appropriate explanation employees with explanations about working conditions, education, training, and welfare.
At construction sites, we endeavor to establish a system to prevent occupational accidents and injuries and maintain and improve our management ability through active communication and collaboration. Committed that no cover-up of occupational accidents can be tolerated, we create an environment where employees to feel free to report occupational accidents and injuries, and we encourage to raise their awareness.
(4) Proper management of working hours
We properly manage our employees' working hours, holidays and leaves to avoid excessive overwork. We schedule our work with contingency to spare and take safety measures, and we do not engage our employees engage in harsh construction work, or similar activities.
(5) Payment of appropriate wages
With respect to wages for employees, we comply with the statutory minimum wages at minimum, and we endeavor to pay living wages that enable employees to maintain wholesome and cultured lifestyles. In addition, we do not reduce wages in an unfair manner.
(6) Respect for the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
We respect our employees' right to organize and their right to collective bargaining, and our management and employees establish a good relationship through discussions.
(7) Diversity & inclusion
We promote the creation of a workplace environment that enables free and active communication where people and employees who work together can accept and optimize each other's diversity, values and work-style, and we foster organizational environment that ensures equality of opportunity and generates innovation. We develop a compensation program and work environment in a way that enables diversified talents to fully exhibit their individual abilities, while promoting individual development by respecting their unique characteristics, for the purpose of generating a highly motivated corporate group.
(8) Human rights of foreign workers in Japan
We care and respect the human rights of foreign technical interns and other foreign workers.
(9) Care and Respect of human rights in overseas business
In a region where human rights are likely to be infringed, we will confirm, for example, that no one has been forcibly evicted from where we conduct our business. We also pay appropriate attention to the human rights of workers at overseas construction sites.
(10) Reference to the rights of indigenous people
With regard to business activities in regions where indigenous people live, we acknowledge that indigenous people have a unique culture and history, and we pay attention to the rights of indigenous people as detailed in the laws of the country or region where the business is performed as well as those rights provided in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 169, and other international agreements.
4. Exercising human rights due diligence
To minimize an adverse impact on human rights, the Kajima Group establishes a system for human rights due diligence, and it continues to improve the effectiveness of the system by solving the problems as they arise.
Human rights due diligence includes identifying areas of apparent or potential adverse impact on human rights in business activities or supply chains, continuously implementing measures to prevent and reduce such areas of impact and incorporating these implemented measures into the company's internal processes. It also includes performing a follow-up evaluation of the effectiveness of these measures and describing the measures to external parties.
5. Grievance mechanism (Whistleblower program)
The Kajima Group establishes and operates a whistleblower system under which persons in and outside the company can make reports, whereby appropriate action is carried out in response to reports on human rights infringement.
Kajima Group employees should use the company's contact offices for internal whistleblower purposes, if they think that there is any inconsistency between this policy and laws, customs, practices, etc. or that there is any doubt about this policy, or if they intend to report the possible breaches of this policy. Contact offices for employees to choose include not only internal persons in charge, but also external private organizations and lawyers. Employees may report, anonymously or otherwise, the doubts and concerns outlined above by e-mail, telephone, fax, by sending a letter, or by other means depending on the circumstances of each contact office. When using the contact offices, the confidentiality of information is strictly maintained, and users will not receive any disadvantageous treatment based on reporting.
If a person other than Kajima Group employees comes to know of any breach within the Kajima Group regarding its human rights policy or laws and regulations, or any evidence that seems to suggest such a breach, that person may also report, anonymously or otherwise, the details of the breach or the evidence suggesting such through the contact offices for external whistleblowers. Outside Japan, each overseas office and local subsidiary establishes and operates this system while reflecting the laws, culture, customs, etc. of the country where it is situated.
For each report, we conduct an investigation in accordance with the procedures specified under the whistleblower system and appropriately take corrective and remedial measures. We will review and improve the whistleblower system as needed to maintain and improve the effectiveness thereof.
6. Correction and remedies
If the Kajima Group is found to have caused or been involved in causing any adverse impact on human rights, we will correct it and provide remedies by appropriate means.
Even if the Kajima Group does not directly promote an adverse impact on human rights, if its business partners or other persons concerned are directly linked with an adverse impact on human rights, we will ameliorate the situation in cooperation with them to ensure respect for human rights and to avoid human rights infringement.
7. Implementation
Kajima establishes the Human Rights Committee as a special-purpose subcommittee of the Sustainability Committee and thereby develops and implements various policies and detailed companywide measures based on this policy. Group companies also develop various measures in line with Kajima.
8. Education and training
To ensure the application of this policy to all business activities, the Kajima Group reflects the approach of the human rights policy in necessary procedures, and it provides necessary education and training for all officers and employees of the Kajima Group to gain full understanding of these rules.
9. Dialogue and consultation with stakeholders
The Kajima Group continues to engage in dialogue and consultation with relevant stakeholders and external experts with respect to action for addressing a real or potential adverse impact on human rights.
10. Information disclosure
The Kajima Group makes regular disclosure statements on measures taken to respect human rights under this policy.
11. Revision of the human rights policy
The Kajima Group understands that the detailed issues to be addressed will change as the society and business trend changes and continues to review this policy on a regular basis through dialogue and consultation with its stakeholders and external experts.
