Health Management
Promotion of Health and Productivity Management
We recognize the maintenance and enhancement of employee health as a critical management priority, and we are committed to actively promoting the physical and mental well‑being of every individual within our organization.
Top Message
Under our corporate philosophy—“Through the endless possibilities of chemistry, we bring happiness created by highly functional materials”—the TOAGOSEI Group strives to create new value through chemical innovation and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.
Since joining the company, I have worked in a wide range of roles, including research and development, sales, and business operations. Through these experiences, I have come to recognize that people are the true driving force behind value creation.
To generate high value‑added products and develop new businesses, it is essential that every employee is physically and mentally healthy and able to fully demonstrate their capabilities. Based on this belief, we are committed to fostering a vibrant and creative organization where each individual can work with confidence and vitality. Promoting the health and well‑being of our employees is a fundamental part of this effort. I, too, make a conscious effort to maintain my own physical and mental health through regular exercise.
Health is irreplaceable. The happiness of our employees—and the growth of our company—begins with it.
Health and Productivity Management Declaration
- To enhance our medium‑term profitability, corporate value, and organizational creativity, it is essential that every employee is able to work with vitality and engagement. To achieve this, we invest in a wide range of health‑related initiatives aimed at reducing disease‑related risks and promoting overall well‑being. A dedicated organization has been established to implement these initiatives strategically, systematically, and on an ongoing basis.
- Our goal is not only to mitigate risks such as rising medical expenses and sickness‑related absences, but also to enhance productivity and creativity through a workforce that is physically and mentally healthy, thereby contributing to greater corporate value.
- We advance our health investments by clearly defining indicators for implementation status, indicators that measure changes in employee awareness and behavior, and final outcome indicators. By analyzing the relationships among these metrics, we ensure that our initiatives are carried out effectively.
Health and Productivity Management Policy
We believe that creating an energetic and creative organization—one in which each employee can work with confidence, vitality, and a sense of fulfillment—ultimately contributes to the sustainable growth of our company. Based on this belief, we actively promote initiatives that support the maintenance and improvement of employee health.
The Group convenes Board of Directors meetings to establish annual targets for health and productivity management. In line with our Health and Productivity Management Strategy Map, we review progress toward our key performance indicators (KPIs) and discuss necessary improvements. Guided by this policy, our industrial physicians, health professionals, Health and Productivity Management Promotion Office, Health Insurance Society, Safety and Health Committee, and labor union work in close collaboration to advance health‑promotion initiatives and reduce health‑related risks for every employee.
President, COO and Representative Director Hidenori Kobuchi
Health and Productivity Management Framework
<Sustainability Promotion Committee>
A meeting is held once a year, chaired by the President and CEO and attended by outside directors, to determine goals for the following year. We are steadily promoting health management by organically linking the meetings at each level.
<Health and Productivity Management Promotion Committee>
With the department representatives as council members, the committee approves annual plans for health promotion measures and evaluates their achievement.
<Health and Productivity Management Working Group>
With the person in charge of the human resources department at each business site as a council member, we will formulate and implement health promotion measures in cooperation with the health insurance union, health and safety committee, and industrial physicians and health staff.
<Health and Productivity Management Working Group>
Company and union representatives participate and discuss information on health policies.
Health and Productivity Management Goals and KPI Governance
We implement a variety of initiatives—centered on the prevention of lifestyle‑related diseases—to help employees reduce health risks and work with vitality and well‑being. We also establish KGI and KPI to evaluate progress toward our goals.*
* Key Goal Indicator: An indicator used to assess the achievement level of a strategic goal.
* Key Performance Indicator: An indicator used to evaluate performance toward achieving the goal.
Health and Productivity Management Goals
- Reducing employees’ health‑related risks.
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Fostering a sense of purpose, motivation, and fulfillment in the workplace.
KGI
- Absenteeism: 1.0% or lower
- Employee well‑being (engagement): Improve by 0.2 points year‑on‑year
Since 2016, our company has been actively promoting health and productivity management, and in 2018 we established the Health and Productivity Management Promotion Office. We have been certified as a Health and Productivity Management Outstanding Organization for seven consecutive years since 2019, and for five of those years we have also been recognized under the “White 500” category. Now in our ninth year of promoting health and productivity management, our systems and organizational framework have become well established. Going forward, it is essential that we further evaluate and enhance the impact of our health investments—particularly in terms of employees’ health awareness and behavioral changes.
We continue to face challenges in areas such as the proportion of employees with abnormal blood pressure and the percentage maintaining an appropriate body weight. To address these issues, we will strengthen our initiatives by combining occupational health guidance from our medical staff with efforts to reduce smoking rates and promote regular exercise habits.
Through these initiatives, we aim to reduce absenteeism and enhance employee engagement—reflecting the sense of well‑being employees experience while working at our company.
Health Challenges and KPI Management
Notes
*1 Ratio of employees who were absent from work for one month or longer due to illness, relative to all employees.
*2 Influenza vaccination expenses for FY2024: 646 thousand yen.
*3 Applicable to employees aged 40 and above.
*4 Employee health awareness is assessed using the Communicative and Critical Health Literacy Scale (CCHL), based on the average score of five items.
*5 An indicator showing the degree to which workplace stress affects the health of examinees. With 100 as the baseline, higher values indicate a higher health risk for workers.
Strategic Map: Management Challenges and Health & Productivity Management Initiatives of Our Group
Our Group actively utilizes a health management system to provide occupational health support and implement various health‑promotion initiatives. As a result, employees’ health awareness has been steadily improving. To further reduce absenteeism and enhance employee well‑being (engagement), we believe it is essential to prevent the early onset of serious illnesses.
Analysis has shown that smokers are more likely than non‑smokers to meet the criteria for lifestyle‑related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. In light of this, we recognize that reducing the smoking rate is just as important as maintaining a healthy body weight. Accordingly, in addition to our existing exercise‑promotion initiatives, we will strengthen our smoking‑cessation programs.
Through these efforts, we aim to reduce absenteeism and improve employee engagement—reflecting the sense of well‑being employees experience while working in our organization.
Post‑Examination Follow‑Up and System Enhancement
In 2024, our regular health checkup participation rate reached 100%, and 72.5% of employees who were advised to undergo detailed or follow‑up examinations completed them. By promoting the use of the secondary medical examination system under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act and encouraging employees to seek further medical evaluation, we aim to achieve a 100% follow‑up examination rate.
To ensure early detection and prevention of illness, we will continue to strengthen our post‑examination follow‑up process by reviewing our occupational health structure and leveraging our health management system. Through these efforts, we will promote more comprehensive and individualized support for employees following their health checkups.
Implementation of Mental Health Measures
To create a workplace where mental health issues do not arise and to help employees accurately understand their own stress levels, we have partnered with an external specialist organization and have conducted annual stress checks since 2007. In 2024, the stress‑check participation rate across our Group reached 96%.
In addition to providing medical interviews for high‑stress employees who request consultation, we have established an external counseling service that employees and their families can access anonymously without going through the company. This ensures a safe and confidential environment for seeking support.
Based on the stress‑check results, we analyze stress trends and contributing factors for each workplace and provide feedback to department heads. When a workplace is identified as high‑stress, we request the submission of a workplace improvement hearing sheet and work with the department to enhance the work environment. We also provide mental‑health training for managers, who play a central role in line‑care support.
Prevention of Excessive and Long Working Hours
We have installed IC card readers at all business sites to visualize working hours and improve the accuracy of attendance management. Employees are required to submit prior approval through their managers before working overtime, and we have implemented a company‑wide system that issues alerts to both the employee’s and supervisor’s computers when there is a significant discrepancy between the employee’s reported working hours and the time recorded by the IC card reader.
We also issue alerts to employees and supervisors when overtime hours reach a predetermined threshold, helping to prevent excessive working hours. In addition, each business site reports its working‑hour status to the labor‑management committee, where both labor and management work together to advance initiatives aimed at reducing long working hours.
Management of Productivity‑Enhancement Indicators
We believe that improving the productivity of each employee is essential for enhancing corporate profitability, enterprise value, and organizational creativity. As final outcome indicators related to health challenges that affect productivity, we have established targets for presenteeism (80% or higher) and absenteeism (1% or lower), and we are implementing initiatives to achieve these goals.
Status of Health Promotion Events and Educational Programs
Walking Event
We hold a company‑wide walking event every year using a smartphone application. Many employees participate, which has helped raise awareness of the importance of regular physical activity. Alongside the event, we also host a photo contest where employees submit pictures taken during their walks, including scenes from various regions across Japan. Participants vote for their favorite photos, which helps foster communication and engagement among employees. We will continue to plan events that promote physical activity and strengthen communication within the organization.
Dietary Improvement (VegeCheck®)
Since 2023, we have been conducting VegeCheck® measurement sessions.
VegeCheck® (provided by Kagome Co., Ltd.) estimates vegetable intake by measuring the level of carotenoids accumulated in the skin. Because the measurement is quick and easy, employees can compare their results with colleagues and discuss dietary habits that lead to higher scores. This has created an enjoyable opportunity for employees to reflect on their eating habits. We hope that more employees will use this program as a catalyst to review and improve their dietary choices.
Smoking‑Cessation Program
As part of our smoking‑cessation initiatives, we conduct campaigns to support employees who wish to quit smoking. Beginning in 2025, we introduced a no‑smoking policy during working hours, and from autumn of the same year, we expanded this to a smoke‑free company premises. These measures accelerate our efforts to maintain and improve employee health.
To support employees in quitting smoking, we provide subsidies for nicotine‑replacement products and smoking‑cessation outpatient treatment, as well as app‑based support programs. A total of 64 employees participated in these programs between 2023 and 2025. Furthermore, to create a workplace where every employee can work healthily and with vitality, we will continue to implement our smoke‑free premises policy in stages from 2025 and enhance our support for those who wish to quit smoking.
Status of Training and Educational Initiatives
Oral and Dental Health Seminar
Dietary Improvement Seminar
Certified as a Sports Yell Company
We have been certified as a "Sports Yell Company 2026" as a company
that is actively engaged in promoting the implementation of sports to improve the health of its employees.
Under this certification system, the Sports Agency certifies companies that are actively engaged in promoting sports activities
to improve the health of their employees, with the aim of promoting the implementation of sports among the "working-age" population and fostering social momentum for sports.
Obtained White 500 certification
We have been recognized as a corporation with excellent health management since 2019 under the Certification System for Excellent Health Management Corporations.
This system is implemented by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in collaboration with the Japan Health Council, which is comprised of leaders from the business community, medical organizations, and local governments, and recognizes corporations that practice particularly excellent health management.
We will continue to regard the physical and mental health of each and every employee as an important asset, and will work to strengthen our health management practices.
Tokyo Sports Promotion Company
We are proud to announce that our company has been certified as a “Tokyo Sports Promotion Company” in recognition of our active support for employee sports activities and our commitment to promoting sports.
This certification program, established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, evaluates and recognizes companies that encourage sports participation and social contribution activities with the aim of enhancing employee health and well-being.
Kanagawa Treatment and Work Balance Promotion Company
Kanagawa Prefecture runs a system called "Kanagawa Treatment and Work Balance Promotion Company," which certifies companies that provide leave programs or work programs for maintaining a work-life balance to employees who require cancer treatment, so that they are able to receive treatment while working. Toagosei meets all the requirements of the certification system, and has been certified as a Platinum Company.
Around one third of the working population in Japan is said to be working while suffering from some type of illness. In addition to detecting such illnesses at an earlier stage, Toagosei will focus on developing support systems aimed at achieving a balance between treatment and work.
