ITOCHU Selected as Health and Productivity Stock for 2017

February 21, 2017

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it was selected as a Health and Productivity Stock 2017 in the health and productivity management program carried out jointly by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

This program selects companies from among those listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange that consider and strategically promote the health management of employees from a managerial viewpoint. The companies are selected through evaluations that examine criteria such as “corporate philosophy,” “organizational structure,” “systems/measures implemented,” “evaluation/improvement,” and “compliance with laws and regulations/risk management.” ITOCHU has been selected for two consecutive years.
*“Kenkokeiei” is a registered trademark of the Workshop for the Management of Health on Company and Employee, an NPO.

The main factors contributing to ITOCHU’s selection are as follows.

1. Promoting reforms of workstyles and health promotion measures while including the enhancement of health in the management strategy

The policy regarding Kenkokeiei, health and productivity, was included in the ITOCHU Health Charter and announced under the name of the President & CEO both within the company and externally in June 2016.

2. Promoting measures for creating awareness of health from a range of perspectives centered around the ITOCHU Health Charter

(i) Morning-oriented work system
Three years after the introduction of this system, the reduction of overtime, changes in the way of working, more efficient operations and other reforms have been advancing steadily. Compared to the state before the introduction, the ratio of those leaving the office after 8:00 p.m. decreased from 30% to 5%, the ratio of those arriving at the office before 8:00 a.m. increased from 20% to 45%, and the annual overtime hours decreased by 15%.

(ii) Creation of awareness of health by utilizing apps/wearable terminals
The program for individual guidance on the website, which utilizes wearable terminals for health aimed at about 100 young employees who have a high potential risk of suffering from lifestyle-related diseases and the “Health MyPage” apps, via which all employees can view their results of medical examinations and manage data on exercise, diet, etc., were developed and adopted.

(iii) Other measures for Kenkokeiei, health and productivity
The “Borderless Concierges” program, under which all employees both in Japan and abroad are attended by dedicated public health nurses and hospital nurses on a one-to-one basis, grants of aid money to reimburse the medical costs involved in smoking cessation, and the construction of the new health-focused integrated dormitory for unmarried employees (scheduled to be completed in 2018), among others.

ITOCHU considers human resources to be its most important management assets. It believes that the spirit of health that enables every employee to perform at his/her best strengthens the potential of human resources to achieve the objectives set forth under the corporate message of “I am One with Infinite Missions.” ITOCHU will continue to promote reforms in workstyles and proactive health promotion measures through a range of initiatives to enhance its corporate value for many years to come.

Official logo for Health and Productivity Stocks

Official logo for Health and Productivity Stocks

Photograph of the meeting for the official announcement

Photograph of the meeting for the official announcement


Reference
(i) News release by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
http://www.meti.go.jp/press/2016/02/20170221004/20170221004.html
(ii) News release by the Tokyo Stock Exchange
http://www.jpx.co.jp/news/1120/20170221-01.html