Promoting Employee Health

Good physical and mental health provides the source for working in a lively and energetic manner and is essential for ensuring the happiness of our employees and their families. DENSO positions promoting the health of its employees as an important management task and is therefore moving forward with “health and productivity management.”*
DENSO announced its Health Declaration in September 2016. At the same time, to encourage activities that promote employee health and raise the level of health awareness in the workplace, DENSO is working to enhance its health-related initiatives from the perspective of both physical and mental.

* The term “health and productivity management” is a registered trademark of the Nonprofit Organaization Kenkokeiei.

The Company has established the chair of the Companywide Safety, Health, and Environment Committee (executive vice president, representative member of the Board) as the person responsible for health management promotion. In addition, the Healthcare Promotion Division (which includes specialized professions such as public health nurses and general nurses) and related divisions have established a “Health Care Committee” to advance health promotion measures at DENSO.

We assign a “health manager” (section chief) and “health promotion leader” in each division, formulate an annual plan for health promotion (Health Actions), further health promotion measures with colleagues, strive to improve personal health awareness (Health Literacy), and mobilize the organization.
In addition, we provide appropriate support to the Group companies in Japan and overseas, based on the hygiene situation and medical environment in each country and region, thereby promoting the mental and physical health of our associates.

〈Japan〉
We are stepping up measures for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of diseases across the Group while formulating medium-term health plans and establishing targets for initiatives that cater to the conditions at each company.

〈Overseas〉
In collaboration with each regional headquarters, we are implementing health promotion activities in accordance with the issues and conditions in each region and at each Group company, while sharing the results of past activities and annual Health Actions.

The Company views the ability of its employees to perform at their best in a sound mental and physical condition as a management issue that it must aim to resolve through health and productivity management. To this end, we are working to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing absences from work due to illness (absenteeism) and controlling any potential decline in employees’ ability to perform due to poor health (presenteeism).

From fiscal 2023, we will focus on mental health and lifestyle disease countermeasures as priority initiatives, and promote health and productivity management by setting indicators related to employee awareness and behavioral change, including our original “Health Score,” the rate of metabolic syndrome improvement, and the rate of thorough health examinations taken and medical institution visits.

〈DENSO CORPORATION〉

〈DENSO Group〉

1. Superior Health & Productivity Companies *² (38 companies)

We are implementing measures to encourage healthier behavior targeting each employee and workplace. For example, we have the executive officer in charge of health communicate messages to each health manager (section chief) based on the theme of “creating workplaces and promoting human resource development so that all employees can work in good health and with enthusiasm.” We also share health data for each department (Health Score, DENSO’s proprietary indicator for health management, and status of receiving specific health guidance, mental health assessments, and other recommended examinations) and have rolled out 11 important Health Actions.

We are promoting a wide range of initiatives to promptly identify employees dealing with mental health issues and provide them with the care that they need.

We have in place a structure that allows employees to receive consultation from expert medical staff on a 24-hour basis. Through this structure, we provide mental health support that is closely connected to the workplace. In order to build an environment where it is easier for employees to seek health-related advice, from fiscal 2024 medical staff from the Health Support Center *³ have been visiting workplaces to hold discussions and offer consultation sessions. Furthermore, in collaboration with the human resources departments at our plants, we have been working to raise awareness of consultation rooms and provide information to encourage early consultations, among other efforts.

*3 Health Support Center serves as an organization for supporting employee health. A total of 11 Health Support Centers have been established within our head office and plants.

Since fiscal 2014, we have been implementing mental health checks, thereby establishing an environment where employees can check their stress levels in advance of the revisions to the Industrial Safety and Health Act.
In addition to reporting the results of these checks to each individual employee, we relay the results of our workplace stress analysis to each company office in an effort to provide further support for the mental health of our employees. Additionally, we hold one-on-one meetings with employees who are under particularly high levels of stress in order to promptly provide them with care.
In 2020, we added questions to these mental health checks that help determine the sleeping patterns of employees in an effort to focus our attention on sleep, which is believed to have a great impact on mental or physical health.

Implementation Status of Sleeping Pattern Checks

To ensure that employees who have taken long leaves of absences due to physical or mental illness can make a smooth return to the workplace, we have established a support structure for returning to work under which occupational physicians and expert medical staff coordinate closely with the supervisors of such employees.

We hold training based on case studies for our managerial personnel, which is provided by occupational physicians and nurses. We have also incorporated a mental health-related curriculum in our training for new hires.

〈Overview of training〉

In fiscal 2023, we launched a mental health website for supervisory personnel through which we provide information on past mental health incidents, at-risk groups, and early-stage intervention, which can all help detect early warning signs.

With the aim of preventing and promptly treating lifestyle-related diseases, we have been promoting various awareness-raising activities and enhancing relevant systems.

For individuals that qualify under guidelines determined by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, we have in place a system for receiving specific health guidance from in-house experts during work hours as a means to prevent lifestyle-related illnesses. In addition, we are stepping up measures to follow up with employees that qualify for but have not received specific health guidance and are enhancing education tailored to specific demographics. We are also introducing health guidance for young employees. In these ways, we are aiming to lower the ratio of employees qualifying for specific health guidance.
Target: Ratio of employees qualifying for specific health guidance of 15% or lower

We are strengthening our efforts to provide health guidance to individuals that require special health examinations for risks of high blood pressure and high blood sugar and are thoroughly implementing measures to follow up with employees who require such examinations but have not received.

* Target: Ratio of employees receiving special health examinations of 95% or higher

By implementing nutrition education activities that make use of the employee cafeteria, we are creating opportunities for employees to raise their awareness toward health and balanced nutrition and improve their own dietary habits.

We are promoting education on healthy diets in a delicious and fun manner by offering healthy lunch sets that are well-balanced in terms of nutrients, devising ways to increase our employees’ intake of dietary fiber and vegetables, and preparing desserts that contain nutrients which women in particular tend to lack.

To reduce the health-related risks from smoking and prevent secondhand smoke, we have been engaging in a Companywide project since fiscal 2012 that promotes efforts to discourage smoking. As part of our environmental efforts, we put in place a total indoor smoking ban (completed in fiscal 2019) and strictly enforce a no-smoking policy during work hours in an effort to reduce health risks. We also hold seminars on how to stop smoking and have introduced outpatient treatment for employees trying to quit. In these ways, we are implementing a variety of activities aimed at improving the rate of non-smokers.

Furthermore, in an effort to prevent secondhand smoke, we started gradually promoting a ban on cigarette smoking in fiscal 2021, and completed a Companywide ban on cigarette smoking in April 2021.

The sooner that cancer is detected and treated, the better the chances of recovery are for the patient. Accordingly, to ensure that employees are able to realize changes in their bodies at an early stage, we conduct various cancer examinations in-house. Going forward, we will promote efforts to help reduce the health risks caused by cancer.

In fiscal 2025, we renewed our original Employee Lifestyle Score *⁴ with the introduction of a new Health Score *⁵ as a health management indicator shared across domestic Group companies. The Health Score is an indicator that visualizes the status of practicing healthy behaviors by each employee based on responses given at interviews held during employee health examinations.
When analyzing our Employee Lifestyle Score, we confirmed the connection between the practice of healthy behaviors and improvements in BMI and blood test data. For this reason, we are promoting Groupwide initiatives that encourage the practice of healthy behaviors among employees and help us assess both individual and workplace health levels and provide insights and motivation for behavioral improvements.

*4 Employee Lifestyle Score: An indicator offering a score based on data from individual health checkups, relating to healthy behaviors and health data for which target values have been established under the Health Japan 21 *⁶ policy. Between fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2024, these scores were offered only at DENSO CORPORATION, with the Companywide average score being adopted as a management target.

*5 Health Score: Score achieved from eight evaluation criteria (BMI + healthy behaviors)
 Eight evaluation criteria
　① Maintaining healthy body shape (BMI under 25)
　② Eating breakfast at least five times a week
　③ Not snacking every day
　④ Engaging in activities such as walking or household chores for more than 60 minutes per day
　⑤ Performing light aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes, two times or more a week for over a year
　⑥ Having at least one alcohol-free day per week and limiting alcohol intake to two servings or less per day
　⑦ Getting a sufficient amount of sleep
　⑧ Not engaging in habitual smoking

*6 Health Japan 21 is a policy formulated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to promote the health of Japan’s population with the goal of preventing lifestyle-related diseases and extending healthy life expectancy.

We have established passing scores for six or more of the eight evaluation criteria as a health management KPI. Based on this KPI, we have established the following values for Groupwide targets and are implementing activities to reach these targets accordingly.

We conduct a fact-finding survey to assess health issues facing women and the impact of poor health conditions on their work. We also offer online examinations (feedback provided by gynecologists), create opportunities for women to receive proper health knowledge, and provide online consultations and introductions to medical institutions.

(1) Online Health Seminars (Introduced in 2020)

To encourage healthier behavior among each employee, we hold various online seminars throughout the year (in collaboration with DENSO HEALTH INSURANCE SOCIETY) and disseminate health awareness-raising videos and materials on a Groupwide basis.

To encourage proper exercise habits and raise health awareness among employees during winter, when people are less active and have more opportunities to eat and drink, we hold a month-long session for promoting employee health.
We also hold events in which employees can participate online, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As a collaborative effort with the DENSO WORKERS’ UNION, we hold a step race every year in June and November (6,734 participants in fiscal 2023) as a health-related event that provides opportunities for employees to give consideration to their health.
(Number of participants: Fiscal 2023, 6,734; fiscal 2024, 6,008)

As an effort to prepare for an outbreak of a pandemic, relevant divisions of the Company have formulated a basic policy and response manual from the perspective of preventing infection. In the event that such a pandemic occurs, we will promote the necessary infection prevention measures.

When COVID-19 began to spread on a global scale, we rigorously implemented measures to encourage preventive behavior and control the spread of the virus internally. These efforts included the formulation of rules for employees infected with COVID-19 or suspected of being infected, the establishment of guidelines for meetings and business trips, and the implementation of measures to avoid overcrowding in employee cafeterias and other locations. In addition, we set up telephone hotlines via public health nurses and general nurses to promptly respond to inquiries from the workplace. In these ways, we established a system that enables our employees to work with greater peace of mind.

In addition, as a Company with many overseas bases, we recognize the importance of responding to global health issues, such as tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS —the world’s three major infectious diseases—and are proactively implementing response measures. For employees on overseas assignments and their families, we provide information on infectious diseases as well as vaccinations and local medical support.

We implement the following activities to contribute to health-related initiatives aimed at local communities and affiliated companies.

Since 1966, we have supported the blood donation activities of the Japanese Red Cross Society to contribute to the treatment of patients who need blood due to illness or injury. We also encourage our employees to volunteer to give blood at mobile blood donation stations.

For our suppliers, who represent important business partners, we offer health lectures and panel exhibits via our industrial physicians and introduce the health-related activities of various offices. We also provide opportunities for our suppliers to receive health-related measurements such as body composition measurements. In these ways, we strive to make our health-related efforts well known and help support the health of our suppliers.

With the aim of fostering a corporate climate where employees can continue to work in a healthy and energetic manner, the DENSO Group continues to support the creation of healthy lifestyles and is making strides in creating work environments that are safe, secure, and fulfilling.
Moving forward, we will share policies with Group companies in Japan and overseas and undertake initiatives with the aim of strengthening our Groupwide health management. At the same time, we will create a corporate culture based on health-related themes to promote optimal health policies and encourage healthy lifestyles.