Employee Health and SafetyEmployee Health and Safety

Advancement of Health and Productivity Management

We believe that employees must be physically and mentally healthy to realize our mission and vision and to deliver high performance to stakeholders. To this end, we have appointed a Chief Health Officer (CHO) to oversee Groupwide health and productivity management and established a Health and Productivity Management Declaration. In addition to improving the performance of each employee and maximizing the value we provide to stakeholders, we are implementing practical measures such as establishing an in-house health office, conducting regular health checkups to ensure thorough health management, and supporting the return of employees in poor health through interviews and training. These initiatives not only improve productivity per employee but also support career development and growth.

Health and Productivity Management Declaration

1. Services that exceed client expectations cannot be delivered without healthy employees.
2. Employees cannot take on challenges without fear of failure unless they are healthy.
3. Without physical and mental health, work cannot be enjoyed.

To realize the S-Pool Values (employee action guidelines) and deliver high performance to customers and society, employees must be physically and mentally healthy. S-Pool Inc. declares that it will sincerely address all issues necessary to provide environments where all employees can work with vitality and will continue making efforts to realize this goal.

Chief Health Officer (CHO)
Chairman and President
Sohei Urakami

Promotion Structure

Viewing health management from a managerial perspective, we are working strategically to improve and promote health under the leadership of the Chief Health Officer (CHO). In addition, health and productivity management officers have been appointed to each Group company and business division. By coordinating with the Health Office and health and safety committees, these officers are promoting the penetration of health and productivity management.

Promotion Structure

S-Pool Group health and productivity management strategy roadmap

S-Pool Group health and productivity management strategy roadmap
Click to enlarge
Practical examples

  • S-Pool’s Work-Style Reforms

    Through enhancements to systems such as a flextime system, telecommuting, and a job change system for employees who are pregnant, we are promoting diverse workstyles that match employees’ lifestyles. In particular, by tracking work conditions through one-minute unit management of overtime hours and PC log management, we are promoting health management and preventive healthcare by curbing long working hours.

  • Establishment of Health Office

    As part of our health investment initiatives, we have established a Health Office with the objectives of helping employees maintain both physical and mental health, preventing resignations due to health issues, and supporting employees returning to work after leave. In coordination with the Human Resources Division, we provide health consultations, psychological support, and health guidance to employees at all locations in compliance with laws and regulations. The Health Office is staffed with nationally certified public health nurses and nurses on a full-time basis, thereby creating an environment where employees can feel comfortable seeking advice.
  • Certified for three consecutive years by the Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program

    Implementation of Appropriate Health and Productivity Management as a Certified “Health and Productivity Management Organization”

    We have been certified as a Health and Productivity Management Organization 2025 (White 500), a program that recognizes large corporations practicing particularly outstanding health and productivity management, jointly administered by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Nippon Kenko Kaigi (Japan Health Council).

    S-Pool, Inc. [Six consecutive years]
    S-Pool Link, Inc. [Five consecutive years]
    S-Pool Blue Dot Green, Inc. [Two consecutive years]

  • Prevention of Lifestyle-Related Diseases and Improvement of Productivity

    We ensure thorough employee health management by conducting regular health checkups, cancer screenings, and stress checks. In addition, we hold individual interviews as necessary to promote employee health, which facilitates the early detection and improvement of health issues.

    State of initiatives*¹

    2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
    （Including targets）
    Percentage of employees undergoing periodic health checkups 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% targets
    Stress check uptake rate 85.5% 91.1% 90.0% 97.5% 94.1%
    High Stress Ratio 12.9% 12.0% 18.3% 15.7% 17.1%
    Percentage of employees who are nonsmokers 80.0% 76.9% 78.0% 79.7% 80.0% targets
    Percentage of employees participating in specific health guidance*² 82.0% 90.0% 80.0% 63.6% 75.0% targets
    E-learning(3 sessions)*³ - 84.5% 73.0% 92.0% 84.9%
    Work engagement*⁴ - - - 2.56 points. 2.53 points.
    Absenteeism*⁵ 2.89% 6.91% 5.51% 3.5% 3.0% targets
    Presenteeism*⁶ 74.0% 74.3% 74.1% 70.8% 68.9%

    *¹ Based on totals for S-Pool, Inc. and S-Pool Link, Inc.（Since FY2022, including S-Pool Blue Dot Green, Inc.）
    *² Since FY2019, we've provided in-house specific health guidance in cooperation with the Japan Health Insurance Association.
    *³ E-learning programs on sleep and exercise, women's health, mental health, infectious diseases, etc. are conducted three times a year to improve employees' health literacy and encourage behavior change.
    *⁴ Indicator of positive and fulfilled psychological state towards work. Based on the new brief occupational stress questionnaire, short version (80 items).
    *⁵ Percentage of employees on mental sickness absence or leave in the past year (%)
    *⁶ Assessment of own work over the past four weeks, using 100% as the work performance that could be demonstrated in the absence of illness or injury.
    *The status of responses for Work Engagement, Absenteeism, and Presenteeism is as follows
      FY2023 Number of persons surveyed/response rate： *⁴ 288persons/97.5％, *⁵ 453persons/100%, *⁶ 283persons/95.9％
      FY2024 Number of persons surveyed/response rate： *⁴ 345persons/93.8％, *⁶ 350persons/94.0%

    See here for Groupwide periodic
    health checkup results.
  • Improving health literacy

    Initiatives to Enhance Health Literacy

    As part of regular training, we conduct e-learning programs for all employees on topics such as self-care, line care, mental healthcare, diet, sleep, exercise, and lower back pain. In addition, to improve health literacy, we provide information via the intranet to raise daily health awareness and work to prevent presenteeism, which refers to decreased work efficiency due to deteriorating health conditions.

  • Support for Returning to Work after Leave Due to Health Issues

    For employees who are unable to work due to health issues, we apply a leave of absence system and provide continuous support from the start of their leave until after their return to work. Through the Return-to-Work Support Program, we coordinate with Group divisions to support employees in restarting with environments and workstyles tailored to their needs. In addition, we have assigned coordinators for supporting the balance between medical treatment and work to help establish systems that enable employees to work stably.
  • Physical and mental healthcare for female employees

    Care for Women’s Physical and Mental Health

    In addition to public health nurses and nurses, we have appointed female occupational physicians to provide an environment in which female employees can feel comfortable seeking consultations, and we conduct interviews accordingly. Online consultations are also available depending on the circumstances of the employee, such as for those working in remote locations. Furthermore, to promote gynecological cancer screenings, we enable employees to undergo breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings in conjunction with regular health checkups at no personal cost.

  • Utilization of EAP (Employee Assistance Program)

    We offer a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP) service that allows employees to consult external specialists without the Company being notified. EAP services contribute to improving and maintaining workplace performance by providing timely support from specialists. By consulting external specialists, employees can receive mental healthcare and support for stress and other issues in accordance with their individual needs. We are working to create an environment where employees can feel at ease in seeking advice without having to bear worries or health issues that they would find difficult to discuss internally.

  • Establishment of the “Let’s Get Healthy by Eating Vegetables” Section

    A large number of young employees work at the S-Pool Group. To help improve the health of young single employees, who are often said to have insufficient vegetable intake, we established an internal department specializing in vegetable production to operate S-Pool Farm. Many people with disabilities also work at this farm, which delivers vegetables to Group offices across Japan about once a month. When receiving the vegetables, employees donate ¥20 per bag. These donations are used as school meal expenses for children in developing countries through the NPO TABLE FOR TWO International.

Health Management Effects and Analysis

Results of analysis suggestive of the efficacy of health management

  • Increased percentage of employees with blood pressure in the normal range
  • Increased percentage of employees with normal liver function values
  • Decreased percentage of employees with abnormal lipid metabolism
  • Increased percentage of employees with normal blood sugar levels
  • Increased percentage of employees undergoing stress checks
  • Analysis of presenteeism over the years

Provision of a Safe and Secure Working Environment

Since 2017, we have been continuously implementing S-Pool’s Work-Style Reforms to provide employees with a safe and secure working environment. In addition to complying with all relevant labor laws and regulations, including the Labor Standards Act, the Industrial Safety and Health Act, the Labor Union Act, and the Minimum Wage Act, we are fostering a corporate culture with a strong sense of ethics through initiatives that promote diversity, equal opportunities, equal pay for equal work, and the elimination of discrimination.
Furthermore, to ensure thorough employee understanding, we publish personnel and labor-related regulations of each Group company on the intranet and conduct regular compliance training, including confirmation tests delivered through e-learning.

Practical examples

  • Strict Management of Working Hours

    In addition to its own employees, the S-Pool Group creates employment for more than 10,000 people annually through its various human resource businesses. For this reason, we regard the strict management of working hours for all employees—such as tracking labor hours by the minute and verifying log-in/log-out times on personal computers—as a vital element of business execution. By rigorously managing working hours in full compliance with labor-related laws and regulations, we not only provide employees with peace of mind but also contribute to improving working environments, enhancing productivity, and ultimately increasing the Group’s corporate value.

  • Establishment of Health and Safety Committee

    In addition to workplace-level health committees required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the S-Pool Group operates a monthly Head Office Health and Safety Committee, led by a health manager and attended by safety and health personnel from each Group company. Through regular opinion sharing in these committees, we work to ensure the health and safety of employees by facilitating smooth communication on occupational health and safety issues and promoting improvements in the working environment.

    Key activities include:
    -Monthly reporting of occupational accidents
    -Review of workplace inspection checklists
    -Confirmation and sharing of seasonal health-related lecture materials
    -Deliberation of stress check results
    -Reporting on the implementation and results of health checkups, stress checks, and e-learning programs
    -Sharing progress on health and productivity management initiatives
    -Annual formulation of the safety and health plan (once per year, at the end of the fiscal year)

  • Correction of Long Working Hours

    To help employees maintain their physical and mental health, the Group is striving to control long working hours and prevent health problems caused by overwork. By managing daily working hours in detail, we can quickly identify employees’ health conditions and monitor cases of long working hours (overtime exceeding 60 hours per month) as well as work imbalances (overtime exceeding 45 hours per month).
    As countermeasures against overwork, we report cases to management meetings, provide guidance to labor managers and request improvement reports, and instruct employees to adjust their working hours. In addition, the Health Office conducts fatigue checks and individual interviews for affected employees to help maintain and improve their health.

    Other Initiatives
    - Introduction of “No Overtime Days”
    - Inclusion of average monthly overtime hours as an evaluation item in the semiannual MBO system
    - Reduction of total working hours through DX initiatives such as the introduction of new IT systems
  • Eruboshi certification (three stars)

    Acquisition of Eruboshi Certification under the Act on the Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace

    As part of our efforts to promote diverse workstyles, we position the advancement of women as one of our key human resource strategies. Under the Eruboshi certification program, established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to recognize companies promoting women’s participation in the workplace, our Group companies have obtained either the highest three-star rating or the two-star rating in line with their respective initiatives.

  • Promoting Communication and Enhancing Employee Engagement

    We have introduced internal communication tools that enable employees to share small daily expressions of appreciation, such as “thank you” and “good job.” These tools are intended to foster a workplace environment where words of gratitude naturally emerge and to enhance employee engagement. By promoting casual and open communication, we aim to invigorate the entire Group.