The Valuable 500 is an international initiative to call on business leaders to foster innovations enabling people with disabilities to realize their potential value in society, business, and the economy. As a member of The Valuable 500 since January 2021, Santen will pursue business possibilities for the realization of an inclusionary society and sustainable development.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Santen will proactively incorporate diverse individuals and values, irrespective of nationality, age, or beliefs, thereby enhancing our business activities and corporate value.
Information regarding diversity and work-life-balance is disclosed on Social Data.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy
Santen has established the "Santen Group Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy" to promote diverse, equitable and inclusive policies, standards and practices that provide equality of opportunity for all and promote respect at work. Santen is committed to ensuring a safe, inclusive, respectful and supportive physical and virtual work environment for every Santen employee.
Santen is committed to provide equal opportunities and fair treatment in employment. Santen does not accept unlawful discrimination in our recruitment or employment practices on any grounds including but not limited to, sex, gender, nationality, ethnicity, race, color, native or indigenous origin, disability, age, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, gender identity, expression or reassignment, HIV or AIDS status, parental status, employment status, military and veterans status, flexibility of working arrangements, religion or belief.
Promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
We are working to build an organization and people that enables employees with a variety of professional and cultural backgrounds to maximize their abilities, regardless of age, gender, nationality or presence of disability at all levels, especially senior management, based on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy. We also provide our employees with equal opportunities for compensation without discrimination.
Due to the global expansion of our business, the percentage of our overseas employees at the end of March 2023 reached 53.4%. Overseas employees who are the member of Corporate Officers are 7 out of 20 as of July 1, 2023.
Gender Diversity
May in 2021, Santen announced further reinforcement of its stance to gender diversity. The Company has joined the "30% Club Japan", which is an international campaign to achieve gender balance at corporate decision-making bodies such as the Board of Directors and senior management teams. Santen has also signed the CEO Statement of Support for the Women's Empowerment Principles in support of the principles.
For example, in Japan, following the enactment of the Act on the Promotion of Female Participation and Career Advancement in the Workplace in April 2016, we have formulated action plans to promote diversity.
The action plan for the third stage from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2024 envisions that, as a global measure to address diversity issues, we will work to enhance the gender and nationality diversity of department general managers and those in higher positions, including executive officers, and the human resources pipeline thereto. The plan also envisions that, to further accelerate our efforts to respect the diversity of work styles according to life stage and build systems for ensuring that diversity, we will enable employees to adopt flexible work styles and will ensure the inclusiveness and fairness of both the recruitment activities we conduct and the career development opportunities we provide to employees. We are seriously committed to implementing this action plan and achieving targets set for specific actions.
[Targets for the Third-stage Action Plan]
- To increase the percentage of female managers in Japan from the 2021 level (13%) to 25% by 2025
- For management members and all employees entitled to 10 or more days of paid leave per year to take six or more days of paid leave during the year on a mandatory basis, and for managers to be responsible for ensuring that all employees, including those directly under their supervision, achieve this target and to fairly allocate and coordinate annual duties to team members based on thorough examination and consideration
- To reduce monthly average overtime hours per employee by 5% year on year with the aim of achieving a further reduction in overtime and thereby promote flexible work styles
- For all male employees who report the childbirth of their spouses during the year to take three days of special leave upon the reported childbirth and for 50% or more of them to take childcare leave thereafter, with the aim of further promoting diverse work styles in line with changes in employees' life stages
- To form Employee Network Groups to incorporate the diverse views of employees into corporate management
Providing an inclusive environment for people with disabilities
The Company promotes the employment of people with disabilities and is focused on ensuring an inclusive work environment.
Joining the Valuable 500 international initiative
Co-creation with employees with visual impairments
We emphasize employment and occupational development for people with visual impairments and conduct awareness-raising activities for blindness and visual impairment both internally and externally through the “Blind Experience,” a program led by employees with visual impairments that provides “experience without the sense of sight.” In addition, another program designed based on the experience of working with visually impaired employees, has been implemented globally to provide all employees with the opportunity to experience working in a “blind” environment. By sharing insights and ideas that enable everyone to work smoothly, it encourages the creation of a comfortable work environment for everyone, whether visually impaired or fully sighted.
Building Inclusive Society
Claire, a special subsidiary company established to facilitate the employment of persons with disabilities, located on the premises of Shiga Product Supply Center, was established in 1997 with the aim of "proactively fulfilling the corporate social responsibility of expanding opportunities to employ persons with disabilities as well as to provide opportunities and places for them to find their life and work meaningful." Claire’s main businesses are the cleaning of work clothes used in Santen plants in Japan, cleaning and preparation for the manufacturing processes at the Shiga Product Supply Center, and business office delivery services at the Osaka office. In addition, the company also receives orders from other companies.
Claire supports various activities and efforts of persons with disabilities, including by providing opportunities for training sessions and encouraging employees to take part in the Abilympics, nationwide skill competitions for persons with disabilities.
Claire got certified as a company which persons with disabilities work actively by Japan Association of Employers of Persons with Severe Disabilities, which is a trustee organization entrusted to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in January 2019. The reason of the certification was that it was recognized for its implementing advanced initiatives to provide a work environment for supporting the retention of persons with disabilities, promoting proactively and continually hiring persons with disabilities, and having reliability and sociality. In addition, in September 2021, the company received certification from the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare as an excellent small and medium-sized employer employing people with disabilities (Monisu certification) in recognition of its excellent efforts to promote and stabilize the employment of people with disabilities.
Cleaning of work clothes
Preparation of manufacturing process
Business office delivery services at the Osaka office
The certification mark as a company which persons with disabilities work actively
Certification mark of "Excellent Small and Medium-sized Employer Employing Persons with Disabilities (Monisu certification)
The employment rate of persons with disabilities at Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in June 2023 was 2.8% and this is above the legal employment rate.
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