With Our Associates and Their Families
Health Management
Health Management Declaration
Akebono's mission is to contribute to the development of a sustainable society by continuing to provide safety and peace of mind to society based on Akebono's Corporate Mission: "Through friction and vibration, their control and analysis, we are determined to protect, grow and support every individual life.
Our associates, who realize this mission, are our most important assets, and maintaining and promoting the health of our associate talent and their families is one of our most important management issues.
We declare that we will actively promote various measures that contribute to health promotion so that our associates can lead healthy and fulfilling lives, both physically and mentally, and so that both associates and the company can grow together and continue to contribute to society.
Date of establishment April 1, 2017
Various Health Indicators and Numerical Goals
| Items | FY2019 | FY2020 | FY2021 | Final Target Values (FY2023） |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Periodic health checkup rate | 100％ | 100％ | 100％ | 100％ |
| Percentage receiving a complete examination after periodic checkups | 100％ | 100％ | 100％ | 100％ |
| Stress check inspection rate | 98.8％ | 95.5％ | 99.2％ | 100％ |
| Smoking rate | 40.5％ | 40.0％ | 38.2％ | 30％ |
| Exercise habit rate | 22.9％ | 23.3％ | 25.9％ | 30％ |
| Percentage of persons of appropriate weight (BMI between 18.5 and less than 25) |
59.8％ | 58.5％ | 60.8％ | 70％ |
| Percentage of habitual drinkers
(Percentage of those who drink on a daily or occasional basis alcoholic beverage equal to more than 360cc of refined sake) |
19.0％ | 11.2％ | 16.9％ | 10％ |
| Percentage of respondents who are "well rested through sleep" | 56.4％ | 61.3％ | 59.1％ | 70％ |
* The five items from "smoking rate" to "percentage of respondents who are well rested through sleep" are for those 40 years of age and older.
Recognized as a Company Certifying Outstanding Health and Productivity Management in 2022
Akebono Brake Industry and its group affiliates in Japan were certified on March 9 as a 2022 Health & Productivity Management Organization (Large Enterprise Category) under the Certified Health & Productivity Management Organization Recognition Program implemented by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Nippon Kenko Kaigi. This is the fifth consecutive year that Akebono has earned the certification.
The program recognizes companies that practice particularly excellent health management based on their efforts to address local health issues and the promotion of health promoted by the Nippon Kenko Kaigi.
Akebono will continue to promote health management and create an environment in which Akebono Group associates can continue to grow in both physical and mental health, thereby pursuing a fulfilling life for its associates.
Health Management Initiatives
[Health Management Policy]
The company will provide various measures that actively contribute to health promotion based on its "duty of care" for safety and health. Associates are committed to maintaining and improving the health of themselves and their families based on their "duty of self-health. By creating an environment in which associates can continue to grow in both physical and mental health, Akebono promotes health management, which leads to the prevention and early detection of disease and the pursuit of a fulfilling life for associates through the promotion of health.
[The 3 Pillars of Health Management Promotion]
- Work reform
- Promote both the physical and mental aspects of health
- Raise health awareness
[7 Initiatives (FY2020 - FY2022)]
1. Effective health education and guidance
- Background:
- Seek further effectiveness in developing health education and guidance.
- Goal:
- Half of the respondents gave a good evaluation in the health literacy survey (5 items).
- Initiatives:
- -Implement health guidance and health education by identifying needs and target groups where it can be the most effective.
-Health education to be implemented from FY2020 (mental health management, anger management, working women's health, seminars for older workers)
2. Deployment of an effective program to help people stop smoking
- Background:
- Since current smoking rates are high and the effects of smoking on health are not small, reduce the smoking rate.
- Goal:
- To reduce smoking rates by 5% (company-wide rate: 30% in 2023)
- Initiatives:
- Further enhancement of smoking cessation support measures, such as smoking cessation assistance (with health insurance association) and smoking cessation supporters.
3. Prevent health trouble caused by long work hours
- Background:
- The company prevents physical and mental health problems caused by changes in the work environment, such as the spread of working from home.
- Goal:
- Zero health problems due to long working hours
- Initiatives:
- - Periodic monitoring by the Health and Safety Committee
- Strengthen counter measures for associates who work long hours on a regular basis
- Ensure proper management of working hours, including for associates working from home (displaying an overtime alert on computer screens at a decided time).
4. Continue and expand the exercise promotion program
- Background:
- Exercise given a decline in physical activity associated with working-from-home and the aging of the workforce.
- Goal:
- Participation by half of all associates in Japan
- Initiatives:
- - Continue participation in and increase the number of participants in the "Saitama Prefecture Cobaton Health Mileage program," a campaign to encourage walking
5. Measures to prevent issues caused by changes in work environment
- Background:
- The company prevents mental health issues arising due to changes in working style and environment, for example due to promotions, transfers, etc.
- Initiatives:
- - Conduct activities to prevent mental health issues
- Enhancement of training programs to enable early recognition of issues
6. Improve utilization of stress check results
- Background:
- The company promotes the mental and physical health of our associates by utilizing the results of the stress check.
- Goal:
- Maintain overall health risk rates at the same level as the national average
- Initiatives:
- - Conduct stress check results briefing sessions by industrial physicians
- Enhance "Lively and Active Workplace Improvement Activities" as a company-wide activity
7. Revitalize communication within the workplace
- Background:
- The company prevents any decrease in the number of communication opportunities within the workplace due to changes in work styles, such as telecommuting and flexible work hours.
- Goal:
- 100% implementation rate of "Lively and Active Workplace Improvement Activities
- Initiatives:
- - Improvement of communication through the "Lively Workplace Improvement Activities
- Consideration of measures to further enhance communication
Past Activities and Effectiveness
From when we began full-fledged health management initiatives in FY2017 through FY2020 is viewed as one period, and we are now enhancing up our overall health management by evaluating it using quantifiable indicators and making improvements based on the PDCA cycle.
[Lively and Active Workplace Improvement Activities]
Based on the results of stress checks, activities to discuss "how easy or difficult to work" in each workplace unit were conducted in a total of 518 departments over a three-year period. Stress check results showed that overall health risks were reduced by 10% over the five-year period from FY2016 to FY2020. From FY2021, the number of departments subject to the program was expanded to include the entire company.
Mental Health Care Activities
In order to promote the maintenance and promotion of associates' physical and mental health management, we continued to have Ai-City's resident industrial physician act as our supervising industrial physician. In addition, stress checks based on the revised Occupational Health and Safety Law were conducted simultaneously at all locations in Japan in July. Interviews or consultations with industrial physicians were conducted with high-stress associates who requested the consultation, and stress check result explanation sessions were held for general managers.
Challenge to Make Blood Pressure Measurement a Habit
Target participants are selected based on the results of health checkups, and blood pressure measurement records are collected, hypertension prevention/improvement leaflets are distributed, and health guidance is provided. The purpose of this program is to encourage regular blood pressure measurement, leading to self-management of blood pressure and appropriate health guidance.
Collaboration with Health Insurance Association
We are working in cooperation and collaboration to develop measures for disease prevention, early detection of disease, and early treatment, while implementing the PDCA cycle in accordance with the "2nd Term Data Health Plan" formulated by the health insurance association.
- For those who are 40 years old or older, information on the results of health checkups is partially shared with the company, and specific health checkups and health guidance are implemented.
- Support for smoking cessation (e.g., assistance at smoking cessation outpatient clinics, free distribution of smoking cessation gum, etc.) is provided at business locations and health insurance association.
In addition, to maintain and promote the health of associates and their families, we dispatch public health nurses to the health insurance association to strengthen cooperation.
