Labor Practice Initiatives
Basic approach
Policies concerning labor practices are raised in the “SoftBank's Human Rights Policies,” and we maintain various systems directed at the promotion of appropriate labor practices. Moreover, policies concerning wages, working hours, and other labor standards are translated into various languages so that they can be understood by all employees working in Japan and overseas.
Major initiatives
Labor-management relations
We respect the freedom of association and the right of collective bargaining as employee rights and accept the effective exercise of these rights. SoftBank has signed a labor agreement with the labor union. In order to engage in constructive discussions between labor and management, we host labor-management consultations and committee meetings between the representatives of the labor union and management to improve various systems and regularly exchange opinions about the management environment in addition to discussions about wages, lump-sum payments, and occupational safety and health.
Labor risk assessment
In order to verify that we are complying with the appropriate labor practices in our own business activities, we implement a risk assessment of labor problems including overwork, implement measures in a timely manner, and establish a framework for resolving issues. Especially, we assign a human resources area specialist as the person in charge of human resources when launching a newsubsidiary so that the organization functions in a healthy manner to accomplish goals and to make sure that the affiliate employees do not ruin their health.
In our existing businesses as well, we are conducting assessments of the risk of overwork occurrences and implementing corrective measures for the purpose of compliance with the “Article 36 agreement.” Specifically, we adjust the working hours particularly for employees who are projected to work long hours according to a simulation of monthly and annual working hours using the attendance management system by verifying each individual situation, considering countermeasures, and reporting on each case one by one to management. Moreover, we assess the actual working conditions through regular “service overtime surveys” of all employees and conduct educational activities through “employee attitude surveys concerning overtime work.” Through regular reporting to the Division Heads Meeting and the Occupational Safety and Health Committee about such initiatives and the overwork situation, we verify the effects of risk reduction while also further strengthening the initiatives.
Labor-related compliance
In FY2021, one compliance violation occurred. The violation involved a failure to conduct health checkups necessary for those working late at night in certain workplaces. Following the violation, we have revised the operation of health screening for late night work, and submitted this to the Labor Standards Inspection Office to correct our practices.
Ensuring fair and industry-competitive treatment
SoftBank strives to pay industry-competitive wages which go beyond compliance with the legal minimum wage and exceed a living wage. When it comes to deciding remuneration, we comply with the laws in each region and set a standard* for the starting wage of new graduates which greatly exceeds the national weighted average amount of the regional minimum wage.
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Equivalent to approximately 170% as of 2021 (the comparison with the minimum wage in Tokyo is approximately 150%)
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Talent development initiative
We are actively engaged in realizing workplaces that allow each employee to work to achieve self-actualization, with support for independent career development.
Participating in initiatives
As a company which has signed the United Nations Global Compact, SoftBank Corp. has announced its support for the freedom of association and the effective approval of the right of collective bargaining, the abolition of forced labor, the discontinuation of child labor, and the elimination of discrimination with respect to employment and occupation. In addition, we are strengthening initiatives directed at appropriate labor practices through opportunities for proactive information exchange with external entities.
In the past, we have conducted continuous exchanges with the human resource departments of leading companies in various industries. In particular, since 2017 we have exchanged mutual opinions about labor problems and considered measures through jointly hosted workshops regarding labor practices. The information obtained was fed back into the company to be utilized in the promotion of appropriate labor practices.