In today’s globalized market where free trade is on the rise, companies have a significant impact, both positive and negative, on human rights. Operating worldwide, the JVCKENWOOD Group recognizes the need to respect the human rights of all stakeholders that have an interest in its operations, including employees and suppliers, while ensuring fair labor practices. We are taking a wide range of measures to fulfill our responsibilities as a global company by sharing our human rights policy and initiatives across the Group while establishing and administering a relevant management system.
The JVCKENWOOD Group respects the human rights of all stakeholders who are concerned with its business activities and supply chain. The Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights was issued by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011 against a backdrop of growing concern over the impact of globalizing corporate operations on human rights. They provide steps in which business should take to prevent or mitigate the negative impacts on human rights that could happen within its business operations and supply chains. In addition, the Government of Japan launched Japan’s National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights (2020-2025) for promoting respect for human rights in the context of business activities in October 2020. To be in line with the principles and NAP, the JVCKENWOOD Group established “JVCKENWOOD Group Human Rights Policy” to clearly express its commitment to respect human rights.
In September 2024, we revised our Human Rights Policy, taking into account the evolving social context surrounding business and human rights, as well as the progress of our human rights due diligence. This revision was approved by the Board of Directors.
This policy sets forth matters that persons engaging in operations at the JVCKENWOOD Group must adhere to. By making it publicly available, we are communicating our expectation, not only to our own officers and employees, but also all stakeholders, including business partners and suppliers that may have an impact through our business, that they will promote initiatives to ensure respect for basic human rights and adhere to labor standards. We also actively encourage business partners to take appropriate measures through stakeholder engagement, including spreading awareness of this policy when entering into new transactions, and self-audits through SAQs on an ongoing basis. Based on this policy, we will further promote initiatives related to respect for human rights in our business activities.
At the JVCKENWOOD Group ("Group"), we uphold our Philosophy Corporate of "Creating Excitement and Peace of Mind for the People of the World." We embrace as one of our action guidelines to "strive for sincere, responsible corporate behavior as our commitment to compliance", to help create a sustainable society through our business.
Being a group of companies operating globally, we are fully aware that our business activities may directly or indirectly affect the human rights of our stakeholders when we pursue the Philosophy Corporate. We are therefore committed to fulfilling our responsibility to respect human rights.
I Our Principles
We are committed to respecting human rights. The JVCKENWOOD Group Human Rights Policy ("Policy") has been established in accordance with the International Bill of Human Rights (the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights), the International Labour Organization's ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the UNICEF Children's Rights and Business Principles.
This Policy sets out herein our principle of respect for human rights and our responsibility to respect them based on the JVCKENWOOD Group Compliance Code of Conduct.
II Scope of Application
The JVCKENWOOD Group Human Rights Policy applies to the JVCKENWOOD Group's management and employees and is reflected in the Group's business operations. We actively encourage all those involved in our value chain, including business partners and suppliers who may impact human rights through their business activities, to comply with this Policy and take appropriate action.
III Commitment
1 Compliance with Laws, Regulations and International Standards
The JVCKENWOOD Group complies with laws and regulations of the countries and regions in which it operates. If there are any discrepancies between an internationally recognized human rights standard and human rights law, we will pursue a way to respect the internationally recognized human rights standard.
2 Respect for Human Rights and Eradication of Discrimination
The JVCKENWOOD Group respects fundamental human rights in all aspects of its business activities. We prohibit all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, creed, age, social status, family origin, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. We respect workers' human rights. We prohibit psychological and physical abuse, compulsion, harassment and any form of actual and potential inhumane treatment of workers.
3 Abolition of Forced Labor, Eradication of Child Labor and Respect for the Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining
The JVCKENWOOD Group prohibits forced labor, child labor, human trafficking and bonded labor. We respect workers' freedom of association and right to collective bargaining.
4 Proper Management of Wages and Working Hours
The JVCKENWOOD Group complies with the minimum wage laws and ensures equal pay for equal work, without any gender-based differences. We ensure that employees' working hours, non-work days, and vacation entitlements are properly managed. We prohibit excessive overtime and strive to provide a safe, sanitary, and healthy work environment.
5 Protection of Privacy and Respect for freedom of Expression
The JVCKENWOOD Group takes the utmost care to ensure that its business activities, product use, and the use and application of new technologies, including AI, rigorously protect privacy and respect freedom of expression, making every effort to prevent human rights violations.
6 Human Rights Due Diligence
The JVCKENWOOD Group seeks to identify, prevent and mitigate against adverse impacts on human rights by carrying out human rights due diligence in the course of its business operations.
7 Reporting and Rectification
The JVCKENWOOD Group has established a whistleblowing hotline not only for all employees but also for all external partners, including business partners and the supply chain, to address any misconduct or potential concerns within the business activities that violate or may violate the JVCKENWOOD Group Compliance Code of Conduct. The hotline ensures confidentiality, and users can report anonymously without fear of retaliation. If any negative impact on human rights is identified or promoted through business activities, appropriate measures will be taken to address it.
8 Employee Training
The JVCKENWOOD Group provides education and training to its employees to ensure that this Policy is well communicated to all employees and effectively implemented in all business processes.
9 Dialogue with Stakeholders
The JVCKENWOOD Group engages in active dialogue with all relevant stakeholders as part of actions taken under this Policy.
10 Reporting and Disclosure
The JVCKENWOOD Group discloses information regarding the above commitment in a timely and appropriate manner.
Date of Establishment: February 1, 2021
Date of Revision: September 1, 2024
Shoichiro Eguchi
Representative Director of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
JVCKENWOOD Corporation
The JVCKENWOOD Group Human Rights Policy has also been translated into English, and is shared with all employees, including those at overseas sites, through our website.
The JVCKENWOOD Group considers respect for human rights as an important issue, and we promote initiatives that focus on respect for human rights and risk management, with the risk management officer as the person responsible for supervision.
In order to address human rights risk, the JVCKENWOOD Group has developed a risk management system where these matters are considered at meetings of the Company-wide Risk Management Committee, chaired by the risk management officer. We have adopted a system where appropriate departments respond to human rights problems for each stakeholder and theme, based on the fact that such problems are related to numerous departments operating across a wide range of areas. The heads of the departments to whom these duties are assigned are designated as the persons responsible for promoting a response, then we implement a cycle of deploying and improving measures to address human rights risk in each corporate department and region. The progress of these efforts is monitored by the Company-wide Risk Management Committee, and the status of our risk response is also reported at meetings of the Board of Directors, as necessary.
With regard to assessments of risk related to human rights and labor problems in existing businesses, occupational health and safety are mainly handled by the Safety and Health Committee, sustainability procurement by the SCM Department, and the whistle-blower system regarding human rights violations and harassment by the Legal & Compliance Office. Additionally, when investing in a new deal, such as M&A, we conduct due diligence of the counterparty's management systems, including personnel management and company rules, and assess risk related to human rights and labor problems.
In order to identify, prevent, and mitigate any negative impact on human rights, the JVCKENWOOD Group continuously implements a PDCA (Plan/Do/Check/Act) cycle on an annual basis. Our human rights due diligence process is described below.
■Human rights risk assessment
As a group of companies involved with manufacturing on a global scale, the JVCKENWOOD Group recognizes that we must consider not only the human rights of our own employees, but also the human rights of local residents that may be impacted by our business activities and human rights across the broad scope of our supply chain. Accordingly, we investigate and identify human rights risk in accordance with the content of the business activities of the JVCKENWOOD Group.
Identify, analyze, and assess adverse human rights impacts through a risk surveillance process specific to human rights, also taking into consideration our Compliance Code of Conduct and Human Rights Policy, conducted by the Legal & Compliance Office based on international standards, domestic laws and regulations and trends in each country, annual self-assessment questionnaires (SAQ) for suppliers conducted by the Procurement Department, and periodic safety patrols conducted by the Safety and Health Committee.
■Selection of priority risks (revision and identification)
We assess selected human rights risks based on their severity and likelihood of occurrence, with reference to the "OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct" and "Business and Human Rights" by the government of Japan. We designate any matters that we assess to be high risk as outstanding human rights risks specific to the Group at the Company-wide Risk Management Committee.
■Prevention, mitigation, and rectification
The persons responsible for each promoting department conduct measures to prevent and mitigate potential negative impacts and corrective actions for materialized negative impacts.
■Review of status of activities and information disclosure
We monitor risk mitigation and rectification measures at fixed interim monitoring and final reviews, as well as through our annual risk surveillance process and SAQ surveys, and we disclose information on the progress of our initiatives to external stakeholders.
Based on the above process, we identify outstanding human rights issues and disclose information to stakeholders, conduct interim monitoring and final reviews, and regularly identify and revise outstanding human rights risks.
The main human rights due diligence measures that we implemented in FY2022 and FY2023 were as follows. Based on our recognition that respect for human rights is one of our most important responsibilities in the sustainable growth of our business and organization, we endeavor to achieve respect for human rights and create sustainable businesses through regular human rights due diligence.
Human rights due diligence in FY2022
In FY2022, as a result of human rights due diligence based on the above process, we identified four outstanding human rights risks: "employee labor management," "consumer personal information protection," "employee discrimination and harassment," "forced labor and child labor in the supply chain," and took countermeasures to rectify these risks.
We achieved the desired results with respect to "employee labor management" through activities centered on stricter rules concerning overtime, by visualizing and continuously monitoring employee working hours and thereby allocating human resources and distributing work in ways that ensure overtime work is not unevenly assigned to specific employees.
Human rights due diligence in FY2023
In FY2023, we conducted human rights due diligence again based on the above process, and reviewed outstanding human rights risks while performing risk-mapping. As a result, we identified four human rights risks, maintaining "personal information protection in the supply chain ("consumer personal information protection" in FY2022)," "employee discrimination and harassment," and "forced labor and child labor in the supply chain," and newly adding "remedy measures in the supply chain." "Employee labor management" was an outstanding human rights risk in the previous fiscal year, but as we obtained the desired results from countermeasures for rectification in FY2022, we decided to report it as a measure for preventing harm to health from long working hours.
We also identified "remedy measures in the supply chain" as a new risk from FY2023, based on our view that the development of remedy mechanisms available for use by external stakeholders is important for the promotion of human rights initiatives. We have promptly implemented initiatives targeting this risk, enabling reports through the complaint and reporting contact point provided by the Japan Center for Engagement and Remedy on Business and Human Rights (JaCER) by newly becoming a full member of JaCER.
Human rights due diligence in FY2024
In FY2024, we also conducted human rights due diligence based on the above process. As a result of reassessing human rights risks by updating our risk-mapping, we positioned the following areas as outstanding human rights risks that continue to require a response: "personal information protection in the supply chain," "employee discrimination and harassment," and "forced labor and child labor in the supply chain." In addition, we completed the creation of a system related to "remedy measures in the supply chain," which we identified in FY2023, and achieved the targets we had established. Accordingly, we have limited outstanding human rights issues to three issues for this fiscal year, and we will promote ongoing initiatives in these areas.
①Protection of personal information in supply chain
At the JVCKENWOOD Group, we recognize the importance of protecting the personal information of customers, business partners, and employees in our business activities, and we promote related initiatives in accordance with the "JVCKENWOOD Group Personal Data Protection Policy." In addition to ensuring stricter management systems for operations that handle personal information among all employees, we also aim to create systems to protect personal information in the supply chain, and we will continuously work with related departments to implement the necessary measures.
■Examples of specific initiatives
To ensure adherence to laws and regulations related to the protection of personal information in each country, as well as related guidelines and other standards, and the Group's Personal Data Protection Policy, and safely manage personal data, we have established rules, manuals, and guidelines, and taken necessary and appropriate measures (including rules for the handling of personal data, education for employees, etc.).
②Discrimination and harassment against employees
The JVCKENWOOD Group clearly states that we will "respect human rights and eliminate discrimination" as our commitment in the "JVCKENWOOD Group Human Rights Policy," and in all situations in our corporate activities, we respect basic human rights, and prohibit all forms of discrimination based on reasons such as race, creed, age, social status, lineage, nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, and disability. We also respect the human rights of workers, and do not permit any inhumane treatment, or acts that may constitute such treatment, toward workers, including mental or physical abuse, coercion, and harassment.
■Examples of specific initiatives
We work to prevent harassment by providing regular training that handles content related to harassment for employees of the JVCKENWOOD Group, and continuously working to spread awareness. In particular, we provide practical harassment education to people in managerial roles and managers, including consideration of preventative measures based on actual examples and hands-on experiences of responding when incidents occur, in addition to the input of definitions and other forms of knowledge.
③Forced labor and child labor in supply chain
The JVCKENWOOD Group handles many products that incorporate electronic components, such as car navigation and professional radio systems. Accordingly, we believe that risks may occur in relation to forced labor and child labor when procuring raw materials, and ore with regard to human rights. We clearly state that we will "abolish forced labor and eliminate child labor" as our commitment in the "JVCKENWOOD Group Human Rights Policy," and in all situations in our corporate activities, we respect basic human rights, and prohibit all labor practices that infringe on human rights, such as forced labor, child labor, human trafficking, and slave labor.
■Examples of specific initiatives
We continuously conduct self-assessment questionnaires (SAQ surveys) for suppliers to mitigate the occurrence of risks in the product supply chain, particularly forced labor, child labor, etc., in the process of procuring materials. Among items checked on SAQ surveys, we prioritize forced labor and child labor, and request additional confirmation of circumstances and measures for improvement from suppliers at risk. Additionally, we have established provisions related to the prevention of forced labor and child labor in the "JVCKENWOOD CSR Procurement Guidelines" and collect new business partners' signatures signifying their endorsement of these guidelines, while also spreading awareness of their content at partners meetings with existing business partners.
In the JVCKENWOOD Group, we have established a contact point where reports can be submitted anonymously, as a measure in cases where there is possibility of a violation of laws and regulations, the "JVCKENWOOD Group Compliance Code of Conduct," or other internal rules.
Officers and employees of the JVCKENWOOD Group (including contract employees) can use two contact points: the "JVCKENWOOD Group Helpline," established in the Legal & Compliance Office as a reporting system for employees, and the "Auditing Informer System," established in the Audit & Supervisory Board Office.
In addition, external stakeholders can use the complaint and reporting contact point provided by the Japan Center for Engagement and Remedy on Business and Human Rights (JaCER).*
There were two incidents related to infringements of human rights that were handled based on reports from employees in FY2023, both of which received strict and neutral treatment. For example, in response to a consultation related to internal harassment, we conducted a survey to ensure that reporters would not receive unfavorable treatment, and responded in accordance with internal rules. We will continue working to ensure a deep level of awareness through training with content related to harassment, and other initiatives.
We also utilize complaints and views submitted via each reporting system for risk identification and review, as part of our human rights due diligence efforts.
* The Japan Center for Engagement and Remedy on Business and Human Rights (JaCER) is an organization that provides the non-judicial "Engagement and Remedy Platform" for redress of grievances based on the "United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights," through which it aims to support and promote the processing of complaints by member companies from a specialist standpoint.
The following initiatives are also being promoted as targets for accepting whistle-blowing from external business partners, NGOs, etc
Theme | KPI | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Plan/Achievement | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2030 | |
Respect for human rights | ① | Plan | Consideration of establishing external consultation point | Establishment of establishing external consultation point | Establishment and operation of establishing external consultation point | Establishment and operation of establishing external consultation point |
Achievement | ◎ |
The JVCKENWOOD Group requires that all its employees complete human rights training and e-Learning in order to understand human rights initiatives based on the JVCKENWOOD Group Compliance Code of Conduct. In training conducted in FY2023, with the cooperation of Human Rights Volunteers of the Ministry of Justice, we provided detailed explanations of our response to "business and human rights," human rights infringements, including sexual harassment, power harassment, and all other forms of harassment, and the status of our initiatives, thereby spreading and raising awareness among employees. In the questionnaire survey conducted after the training, 94% of the participants of this training answered that they were satisfied with the training. We believe also that it is important to provide employees with the necessary training at the appropriate time according to their role. For new joiners, we provide new employee training that includes topics such as diversity promotion and harassment prevention. And for managers, compliance training including harassment is provided as part of the training when appointed to managerial positions. The JVCKENWOOD Group also participates in the "CSR Committee" of the Policy and Strategy Board of the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), which engages in education and awareness-raising activities related to the "Responsible Business Conduct Guidelines." In August 2023, persons responsible for practical operations related to procurement within the Company participated in training related to sustainable procurement in accordance with these guidelines, as part of our efforts to promote understanding of initiatives required in procurement, including those related to child labor, forced labor, etc.
We will continue to proactively undertake initiatives aimed at raising awareness of human rights among our employees.
When engaging in business activities, the JVCKENWOOD Group keeps in mind respect for the human rights of all business partners with whom we have transactions in the supply chain. Specifically, we have formulated the "JVCKENWOOD CSR Procurement Guidelines" for business partners, which include rules that the JVCKENWOOD Group expects partners in the supply chain to adhere to with respect to matters such as human rights, labor, and health and safety. We request that business partners understand and cooperate with these guidelines at partners meetings.
When opening new accounts, we collect signatures signifying business partners' endorsement of these guidelines, without fail, and since FY2021, we have requested self-audits through self-assessment sheets (SAQs). In particular, we provide feedback to existing business partners that we have identified as being at high risk in answers to items that may be linked to material violations of laws and regulations related to human rights, health and safety, and the environment, and we submit written requests to them for improvement of the applicable risks.
Going forward, we will consider initiatives such as training on human rights and other issues for business partners and on-site audits, as we work to promote "responsible business conduct" in the supply chain.
For details, please refer to Sustainable Procurement
The Japan Center for Engagement and Remedy on Business and Human Rights (JaCER), of which the JVCKENWOOD Group is a full member, receives operational advice based on international standards such as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights from the Advisory Board, which consists of external experts, as well as advice related to methods of operating complaints processing mechanisms, etc., from the Stakeholder Panel. The Company is able to receive advice that leverages the specialist knowledge of JaCER, as necessary, with regard to reports received through the reporting contact point provided by JaCER, and we will reflect this advice not only in appropriate complaint processing, but also in other initiatives to ensure respect for human rights such as the development of complaint processing mechanisms and remedies.
To ensure continuous dialogue with stakeholders whose human rights may be affected by our business activities, the JVCKENWOOD Group has established the following KPIs and will endeavor to reduce the risk of the occurrence of human rights violations through our business activities.
Theme | KPI | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Plan/Achievement | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2030 | |
Respect for human rights | ② | Plan | Conducting training on human rights in procurement and logistics-related divisions (continuing) | |||
Achievement | ◎ | |||||
③ | Plan | - | Conducting training on human rights for business partners (continuing) | |||
Achievement | - |
At JVCKENWOOD, we implement the following initiatives in response to various labor problems.
●Prevention of child labor
Our hiring activities focus on high school graduates and older, and when hiring candidates, we check their age via resident records, etc.
●Prevention of forced labor
Hiring is based on the will of the candidate, without fail. In particular, when hiring mid-career employees, we act according to the will of the applicant after presenting them with the terms in writing, such as working hours and wages.
●Support for a living wage
In order to support the lifestyles of employees with dependent family members that meet certain criteria, such as spouses and children, we pay family allowances and housing support allowances as support for housing-related expenses, and we also have a housing financing program, under which people that enroll in the asset-formation housing savings plan can access funding from financial institutions when purchasing a home. In addition, the JVCKENWOOD Labor Union Mutual Aid Association also gives celebratory money, condolence money, and other money to people in times of distress, and provides financing, in order to enhance the welfare of members in the spirit of self-help efforts and mutual aid among members.
JVCKENWOOD has established labor rules that include provisions on appropriate wages, allowances, bonuses, and retirement payments, based on labor laws and regulations in each country and agreements between labor and management. In each country, we have also established and put into effect rules that adhere to all laws and regulations related to wages, including minimum wages, statutory payments, and overtime work. At predetermined payment times, we notify employees via payment slips and make payments to them directly. Initial wages at JVCKENWOOD are the same for men and women, and are set at sufficiently high levels compared with minimum wages in each area of Japan, in accordance with laws that establish minimum wages.
JVCKENWOOD promotes active dialogue between labor and management in recognition of the fact that trusting labor-management relations will boost the productivity and motivation of employees and lead to sustained growth for the company.
JVCKENWOOD has established labor agreements with the JVCKENWOOD Labor Union that represents all employees excluding managerial employees, with regard to the three rights of labor (the right to unionize, the right to collectively bargain, and the right to collectively act) and conducts negotiations/discussions on working conditions, etc. When making a practical change that may have a significant impact on the employees’ way of working, the management explains and discusses it with the union in advance, in accordance with the labor-management agreement.
Representatives of labor and management meet on a regular basis in informal management gatherings, financial results briefings, and special labor-management committee meetings to discuss institutional matters, and the agreements reached through these discussions are immediately put into place. In FY2021, 20 labor-management meetings were held to discuss matters such as changes to be made to the personnel system. In FY2022, we will further solidify the sound relations between labor and management by actively continuing to promote labor-management dialogue.
JVCKENWOOD is committed to complying with labor standards, including labor laws and minimum wage standards in the countries in which it operates.
The JVCKENWOOD Group has released the following statements in its efforts to prevent slave labor and human trafficking in its business activities and supply chains in compliance with the UK Modern Slavery Act that went into effect in 2015.
FY2024 Edition: Statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act (English-language version)
FY2023 Edition: Statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act (English-language version)
FY2022 Edition: Statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act (English-language version)
FY2021 Edition: Statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act (English-language version)
FY2020 Edition: Statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act (English-language version)
FY2019 Edition: Statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act (English-language version)
FY2018 Edition: Statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act (English-language version)
FY2017 Edition: Statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act (English-language version)
FY2016 Edition: Statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act (English-language version)
The JVCKENWOOD Group participates in the CSR Committee of the Policy and Strategy Board of the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA). The CSR Committee is an organization that addresses issues common to the industry related to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and conducts surveys, research, information dissemination, and external proposals from a professional CSR perspective. As part of the CSR Committee's initiatives, we participate in a task force that formulates and maintains the "Responsible Business Conduct Guidelines" in which we share issues related to labor practices that arise during CSR procurement by member companies and examine solutions to these issues. The information obtained is fed back internally and used to promote appropriate labor practices.
For details, please refer to our CSR Committee.
The JVCKENWOOD Group recognizes that while artificial intelligence (AI) plays an increasingly important role in solving ever more complex social issues, the use of AI poses ethical challenges. To this end, the AI Policy was formulated to develop and use AI effectively and safely as a company that is trusted by society and contributes to society, based on the corporate vision of “Creating excitement and peace of mind for the people of the world.” AI Policy consists of compliance with laws and international norms, respect for human rights, ensuring safety, transparency and accountability, AI development and human resource development, and dialogue with stakeholders. This policy applies to all executives and employees who use AI or conduct research and development, and reflects their stance in their business activities. The Group will also actively encourage all external partners in our value chain, including business partners and suppliers that we may influence through our business, to comply with this Policy and to take appropriate action.
The JVCKENWOOD Group will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a global company by formulating guidelines for product development and research and by continuing to provide education on AI ethics, based on the JVCKENWOOD Group Compliance Code of Conduct, which embodies common values and ethics.