The Fujifilm Group recognizes that respect for human rights is our responsibility. We clearly state our commitment to this responsibility in the Fujifilm Group’s Charter for Corporate Behavior and Code of Conduct, which is available in 24 languages. The Charter for Corporate Behavior and the Code of Conduct state our fundamental approach to respecting human rights.
We established the Fujifilm Group Human Rights Statement, which declares our support for a range of global human rights principles, including the UN International Bill of Human Rights and the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This statement outlines our commitment to taking necessary measures to assess and mitigate any risks that may negatively impact human rights in our business activities. To create the Human Rights Statement, we sought opinions and advice from our Group companies and external stakeholders. It was introduced after being adopted by the CSR Committee (currently the ESG Committee), which is chaired by the President of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, in 2018.
In the Fujifilm Group, priority issues related to human rights, as well as the outcomes of measures taken to prevent and mitigate any violations, are reported to and deliberated on by the FUJIFILM Holdings ESG Committee, chaired by the President, and subsequently reported to the Board of Directors. The policy of the ESG Committee clearly states that the Committee shall deliberate and make decisions on activities aimed at identifying significant human rights issues in business activities and preventing or reducing any such issues.
In October 2023, we established the FUJIFILM Holdings DE&I Promotion Committee, chaired by the President, to strengthen the Group’s efforts to promote diversity. Simultaneously, DE&I Promotion Committees chaired by each Group company’s president have been established at subsidiaries for group-wide action aimed at exercising the individuality and values of every one of our employees and creating safe and comfortable working environments for our employees.
The relevant department allocates resources on a daily basis to ensure respect for human rights, depending on the potential impact. The Human Resources Division addresses issues concerning Fujifilm Group employees, while the procurement divisions handle issues concerning suppliers or in-plant contractors. Prior to completing a merger and acquisition or embarking on a new business venture involving a substantial investment, we conduct a comprehensive due diligence review that includes an assessment of the investment’s compliance with human rights standards.
The Fujifilm Group has implemented a human rights due diligence process in accordance with the procedures outlined in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This process covers all our business activities. To facilitate our process, we referred to the requirements outlined in the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework with Implementation Guidance, which we studied in the Human Rights Due Diligence Working Group under the Global Compact Network Japan.
As part of our due diligence process, we identify both potential and actual risks related to human rights. We investigate the various stages of our value chain where these risks are likely to occur, specify the individuals who may be negatively impacted, and assess the likelihood and severity of potential impacts. Based on this assessment, we develop and implement preventive or mitigating measures. We also maintain open lines of communication with external stakeholders and disclose relevant information.
Our findings from the risk assessment are summarized in the form of a risk map, which is periodically revisited and updated to ensure ongoing alignment with our commitment to upholding human rights.
Regarding the adverse impact of the Group’s business activities, in fiscal 2019 we re-examined potential human rights issues based on the character of our businesses and the countries in which we operate. We also assessed the potential and likely severity of those issues. Potential human rights issues were identified for each stakeholder, including our own employees and the employees of our business partners, suppliers and subcontractors, our customers and consumers and local communities. We are assessing the adverse impact in light of the status of our Group’s activities.
We have been reviewing the human rights impact assessment since fiscal 2023 in order to apply new human rights issues emerging with business environmental changes and the application of AI to our Group’s priority issues.
Based on the impact assessment conducted in fiscal 2019, we have set three priority human rights issues and these were shared and discussed with top management at the regular Board of Directors meeting of FUJIFILM Holdings held in July 2020. Since then, we have continued to implement activities associated with the following three priority issues:
- Inappropriate work environment and labor practices at suppliers;
- Long working hours, discrimination and harassment of our employees;
- Violations of the rights of clinical trial participants in the healthcare business.
The Fujifilm Group is implementing several initiatives to prevent and/or mitigate any adverse impact on the following three priority human rights issues.
The Fujifilm Group operates businesses that require assembling and processing products and parts, and has a large number of suppliers to work with. In these circumstances, one of our priority human rights issues to tackle is possible inappropriate work environment and labor practices at our suppliers. The Fujifilm Group implements actions for respecting human rights in our supply chain at the suppliers and in-plant contractors mainly within the framework of sustainable procurement.
Regarding overtime working hours, trend in monthly overtime is monitored, and warnings and guidance are issued to the business divisions exceeding the designated levels and the necessary corrective measures are implemented continuously.
The Fujifilm Group has been engaged in WSI (Work Style Innovation) activities since 2014, with the aim of becoming a company where diverse employees can fully demonstrate their individual capabilities. Work style reforms include improved working hours and the provision of support to enable employees to continue working while achieving a balance with family responsibilities such as childcare and nursing care.
Specifically, employee training for their work attendance recording is provided to improve their long working hours. Human resources divisions manage work attendance by monitoring the difference between the time the computer is turned on and the recorded data. We are also working to ensure that everyone is aware of the need to prevent long working hours by putting a ban on overtime exceeding 80 hours per month and through our training programs for managers.
We want to establish environments that will lead to a motivated workplace where all of our employees can demonstrate their capabilities. For this, we will strengthen initiatives that apply DX actively in WSI activities (WSI x DX) and accelerate daily work style reforms.
The Fujifilm Group lists “Respect and promotion of diversity” and “Prohibition of discrimination” in the Fujifilm Group Code of Conduct. Diversity of our people and non-discrimination culture form the base for us at the Fujifilm Group. We aim to become a robust organization that can contribute to a prosperous society by creating new values through respecting, accepting, and being inspired by each employee’s personality and individuality. In addition to regular employee education and awareness promotion, we are continuously communicating our commitment to promoting these efforts to our employees.
Our healthcare business including medical systems and BIO CDMO is one of the Group’s major businesses and is expected to grow in the future. Considering the increasing number of people affected by the growth in our Group’s business, it has become increasingly important to pay attention to clinical trial participants, as well as medical professionals and patients who use our products and services, in addition to other interested parties.
The Fujifilm Group Global Healthcare Code of Conduct published in fiscal 2020 opens with a declaration of respect for the right to self-determination, dignity, privacy and the human rights of clinical trial participants. Our Global Healthcare Code of Conduct has been disseminated across the Fujifilm Group. It applies to all executive officers and employees in our healthcare businesses as well as to our subcontractors, temporary workers, sales agents and distributors, and all other business partners and interested parties involved in the provision, sales and support of our healthcare products and services. To ensure that the standards and requirements of the Fujifilm Group Global Healthcare Code of Conduct are respected, the In-house Guidelines on the Global Healthcare Code of Conduct that explain the Code in detail were also released.
Complaints related to healthcare products and services are reported promptly to the relevant business division or affiliate. Appropriate investigation will then be carried out, followed by corrective measures where necessary. Complaints may be reported to the relevant regulatory authority where appropriate.
For direct employment, the Fujifilm Group checks all candidates’ ages with public documents such as residence certificates. In fiscal 2023, we confirmed that no instances of child labor were found among Fujifilm Group employees. Additionally, items related to child and youth labor are included in the self-checks for suppliers and their implementation is confirmed.
All complaints and suggestions will be considered and handled appropriately after investigating the facts.
Taking account that human rights issues concerning foreign workers are surfacing in Japan, the Fujifilm Group started a survey on the status of foreign workers directly employed by our operating companies in fiscal 2019. As of the end of fiscal 2023, we have 232 employees from 20 countries and regions and have received no reports of issues related to the working environment and practices.
In view of human rights concerns regarding the Technical Intern Training Program in Japan, the ESG Division and the Human Resources Division of FUJIFILM Holdings took the initiative in conducting a survey of the Group company business site that accepts technical interns in February and March 2024. The survey examined the acceptance program along with the interns’ working and living environments. We confirmed the following general findings.
- Information signboards inside the training venues and dormitories are written in the native language of the interns. Language learning support is also provided.
- An employee who speaks the native language of the interns is appointed as a counseling officer to facilitate communication.
- Counseling is available to interns on entry to Japan, during the training period and after their return to their home countries through our Group company and in their respective administrative organizations.
- Screening standards have been set up for intern dispatch organizations and administrative organizations. A Fujifilm Group official is also dispatched to the target country to assess the actual conditions.
To confirm the above findings, we interviewed six interns employed at our business site to ensure that there is no perception gap between the parties and that no human rights issues are involved.
The on-site audits conducted in April 2024 at our business site by the Organization for Technical Intern Training found that no guidance or improvement recommendations were necessary.
In view of the anticipated increase in foreign technical interns, we plan to continue monitoring conditions in the work environment and introduce initiatives such as sharing best practices across the Group.
The Fujifilm Group requires all executive officers and employees in the worldwide Group to declare to comply with its basic stance on respect for human rights as stated in the Fujifilm Group Charter for Corporate Behavior and Code of Conduct. We conduct the global education including dissemination of Human Rights Statement to raise awareness for human rights continuously.
| Program name | Outline |
|---|---|
| Training in the Fujifilm Group Charter for Corporate Behavior and Code of Conduct and declaration of compliance with the Code of Conduct | Provided to deepen understanding of the Charter for Corporate Behavior and Code of Conduct (including specific topics on harassment, corruption prevention, etc.). As of April 2023, 96% of the target participants (75,907) took part in the program. |
| Basic training on business and human rights | Basic training on business and human rights was provided for the first time in February and March 2024. The program is to cover all executive officers and employees in Japan. 97.9% of the target participants (more than 46,000) took part in the program. |
| Information security training (including personal data protection, etc.) | The program is designed to give an accurate understanding of information security rules and to prevent confidential data leaks. It was provided in January and February 2024. About 43,000 employees in Japan took part in the program. |
| Training in Global Healthcare Code of Conduct | The program held in November and December 2023 was designed to explain the code of conduct and laws pertaining to the healthcare business and to prevent violations. It covers all executive officers and employees in our healthcare business in Japan. 100% of the target participants (12,829) took part in the program. |
| CSR training (including human rights issues) | CSR training programs were provided for newly appointed executive officers and new employees in fiscal 2023, with 272 executive officers and 1,010 employees taking the respective training programs. |
Chapter 1 of the Fujifilm Group Code of Conduct states our policies on Respect for Human Rights. The Fujifilm Group employees have access to an internal whistle-blowing system that offers hotlines to report any concerns related to violation of any items listed in the chapter or infringements of human rights that require correction and remedies. For external stakeholders, we provide a “Contact Us/Regarding Sustainability” form on our official website and have requested reports through external platforms.
The Fujifilm Group operates internal whistle-blowing systems on two levels —within each company or region and at a Group-wide level— and receives reports from both inside and outside the Group. Reporting forms are available on our websites and our telephone reporting service is available in the language of each region. All of these processes are managed, and reported incidents are handled under regulations that comply with the country or region in which each company operates and under the applicable management rules.
Fujifilm Group accepts any type of enquiry, including consultations and conplaiants from suppliers at the website of “Contact regarding Sustainability”.
The Fujifilm Group is an official member of the Japan Center for Engagement and Remedy on Business and Human Rights（JaCER）*1 since June 2024.
The JaCER grievance form is available to all the people, entities, or groups in the Fujifilm Group value chain, to report actual or suspected human rights violation.
- *1 JaCER provides a non-judicial platform for grievance redress and acts in a professional capacity to support and promote redress of grievances by its member companies.
The Fujifilm Group became a regular member of the Japan Center for Engagement and Remedy on Business and Human Rights (JaCER) in June 2024. JaCER offers an “Engagement and Remedy Platform,” a non-judicial grievance reporting platform that complies with the UNGP.
By using this platform in addition to our own internal and external reporting systems, the Fujifilm Group boosts the transparency and equity that UNGP calls for. At the same time, the Group has increased the number of contact points for receiving grievances and consultation related to human rights from a wide range of stakeholders, including local communities, customers and direct and indirect business partners. For each case received, we will conduct neutral and impartial fact-finding and take appropriate corrective measures, while receiving advice from experts through JaCER. The results and progress status of the cases we receive via JaCER are published on the JaCER website’s Grievance List, with anonymity preserved for the whistle-blowers involved.
We plan to share information on the availability of our external reporting platform widely across the various procurement departments of the Fujifilm Group, to strengthen awareness among the suppliers who are the main targets for these reporting platforms.
Following our membership of JaCER, the ESG Division and the Procurement & Equipment Manufacturing Division of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation worked together to hold briefings, fostering a wider awareness of our Group’s grievance mechanism and JaCER among the procurement departments of our Group companies in Japan that procure production materials.
Information on the activities to promote respect for human rights is given in our Sustainability Report, Integrated Report, official website and other sources. We are collecting the observations that have resulted from handling inquiries and survey requests received from our customers, investors, ESG assessment organizations, NGOs and media organizations and are using them to make further improvements.
The Fujifilm Group releases a statement in response to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 of the UK, the Modern Slavery Act 2018 of Australia, the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act of Canada.
FUJIFILM Holdings is signed up for United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary initiative that encourages companies to undertake fair operations in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. We have also been in collaboration with the Global Compact local network in Japan, by participating in, to name those concerning human rights, the Human Rights Due Diligence Working Group, Supply Chain Working Group and Human Rights Education Working Group.
FUJIFILM Holdings has been actively participating in the Stakeholder Engagement Program (SHE)*3 since 2012. This program, organized by the Nippon CSR Consortium (with CRT Japan as the secretariat), facilitates discussions on human rights due diligence as recommended in the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Business, as well as addressing industry-specific human rights issues. Through this program, we engage in valuable dialogue with NGOs, NPOs, academic experts, and other businesses.
- *2 Caux Round Table Japan
- *3 CRT Stakeholder Engagement Program (SHE)
FUJIFILM Holdings participated in programs of the B+HR Academy hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2023. The Academy was organized to support business efforts in Japan contributing to the implementation of human rights due diligence by businesses and the creation of responsible global supply chains for Japanese businesses, their affiliates, suppliers and business partners operating in 17 countries, with the cooperation of UNDP and the Japanese government.
We have set up Fujifilm Bioethics Review Committee to oversee our research and business activities related to life sciences. The committee members include external experts, allowing the committee to conduct comprehensive studies into protecting personal information and the viability of action in terms of ethics and science. The findings of such reviews are fed back to our research & development and other related activities appropriately. The targets for review are genetic analysis with the use of human-derived tissue, immunological research, clinical research and the handling of personal genetic data and related operations. In clinical trials, for example, our clinical trial plans are reviewed by the external experts to ensure that they do not affect the interests of the clinical trial participants.
As a member of the community, the Fujifilm Group proactively discloses the Group’s environmental protection activities and holds events in the form of environmental communication meetings and similar activities to collect feedbacks from the local community. We plan to upgrade the environmental activities conducted by our factories and carry out active and continuous information communication and disclosure to the public at large.
In January 2024, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the company’s founding, we established the purpose of the Fujifilm Group, which highlights the significance of our existence in society: “Giving our world more smiles.” To define this purpose, we launched a cross-divisional project and conducted interviews with Group members ranging from top management in Japan and other countries to employees at our sites. We discussed the strengths, DNA, and direction of the Fujifilm Group and also sought the opinions of external experts.