COVID-19 Response

Under the influence of COVID-19, we have undertaken various efforts and support for our customers, business partners, employees and staff.

For customers

Online services

Due to a limited number of employees and staff in the workplace, it had become difficult to reach customer support by telephone.
Customers were asked to use the SoftBank website to utilize our services, view or change contract details and confirm prices.

Store initiatives

We made the following efforts so that customers can visit our stores with peace of mind.

  1. (1)
    Ensure sufficient distance between seats when serving customers
  2. (2)
    Sterilization of spaces and items shared by customers and staff
  3. (3)
    Face masks, goggles, sterilized wipes and disinfectant spray provided for staff
  4. (4)
    Use of plexiglass barriers for face-to-face interactions with customers
  5. (5)
    Mandatory face masks for staff, thorough hand washing and gargling
  6. (6)
    Staff temperature measurements and health reports every morning
  7. (7)
    Customers visiting the store require temperature measurements using an AI body temperature detection solution and a non-contact thermometer
  • Store initiatives

Extended payment deadline

For customers who experienced difficulty paying their service usage fees, payment deadlines were extended.

For corporate and
government partners

“SenseThunder” AI
temperature detection solution

This solution uses AI to authenticate individuals and measure their temperature, while detecting within 0.5 seconds without contact whether they are wearing a mask or not, to identify individuals suspected of having a fever, in real time. In this way the solution provides thorough screening for mask wearing and fever.

  • “SenseThunder” AI temperature detection solution

SoftBank telework support

SoftBank launched SoftBank Telework Support, a telework support website to provide solutions useful for telework free of charge (for a limited time only). This service supports customers' new workstyles with solutions to realize remote conferencing and strengthened security.

Device lending

We lend smartphones and tablets to facilitate the work of local governments and promote telework. We are promoting the support of initiatives that ensure continuity of government and related bodies through the provision of ICT terminals during emergency situations.

Extended payment deadline

For customers who experienced difficulty paying their service usage fees, payment deadlines were extended.

Support for non-profit
organizations

We are working to support non-profit organizations that support medical professionals in the face of new coronavirus infections.

Donation to support activities to prevent “medical collapse” of new coronavirus infection
(From April to June 2020)
Fund to support activities to prevent the collapse of the medical system, which is in dire need of medical care for patients suffering from the new coronavirus infection.
Initially, the fund will support the distribution of medical supplies such as masks, antiseptic solutions, protective clothing, and other items that are desperately needed in the medical field through local governments, but we are also providing more direct support to medical institutions. We also support NPOs that support the individual needs of medical professionals.
2020 New Corona Support Fund Project
(May 2020)
SoftBank Corp. accepted donations to the Japanese Red Cross Society, which is working in medical and other fields to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection, through an employee fund-raising campaign targeting its employees.
The donations collected through the employee fund-raising campaign will be compiled as “All Employees of the SoftBank Group”, and SoftBank will contribute the same amount to double the donation amount and donate it to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

For students and children

In response to the new coronavirus infection, we provided support to students and children to cope with temporary school closures, class cancellations, and online classes.

50GB of additional data provided free of charge to users under 25 years old In order to support students who use their smartphones for online classes, we have made the purchase of additional data up to 50GB free of charge for individual customers under the age of 25.
Providing free online lesson service “Smart Coach” to schools and cram schools that are temporarily closed From March 9, 2020 to April 30, 2020, the online lesson service “Smart Coach” was provided free of charge so that children and students across the country could engage in learning and physical activities even during temporary school closures and cancellations.
Start of “Emergency Relief Fundraising Project to Support Children and Families During Temporary School Closures” In order to support families whose daily lives have been severely affected, the “Let's Support Children and Families During Temporary School Closure Emergency Relief Fundraising Project” was launched.
The donations raised through this project will be donated to the Central Community Chest of Japan. The funds raised through this project were donated to the Central Community Chest of Japan, a social welfare corporation, and used for emergency support activities such as creating a place for children and distributing meals as part of the Red Feather “Emergency Support Fund to Support Children and Families During Temporary School Closure” grant program.

For employees

Working from Home

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, we removed restrictions on working from home on February 25, 2020, then shifted to a full-time work-at-home system.

  • Working from Home

Antibody and PCR testing for
safe and secure workplaces

In May and June 2020, COVID-19 antibody testing was conducted on SoftBank Group employees, business partners and employees of medical institutions.
The Company is partnering with SB Coronavirus Inspection Center Corp., a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp., to provide a framework in which interested departments and employees can obtain a saliva PCR test using the healthcare app HELPO. Through measures such as these, the Company provided support to prevent the spread of infection, protecting Company employees and their families, as well as business partners.

Vaccination at the workplace
and provision of
special paid
leave in cases of side-effects

SoftBank provided inoculation with COVID-19 vaccines at the workplace for employees of SoftBank and its Group companies, along with their families, as well as for staff working at SoftBank and Y!mobile shops and call centers, among others. The Company established vaccination sites wherever in Japan it has locations, offering vaccination through partnerships with occupational-health physicians, doctors and nurses working at Group companies, and medical firms partnering with the Company on health checkups and the like. If employees suffer side-effects caused by vaccination, requiring convalescence; are needed to escort family members for vaccination; or require nursing due to side-effects, they can obtain special paid leave, called “COVID-19 post-inoculation side-effect leave.”

  • Vaccination at the workplace and provision of special paid leave in cases of side-effects

SoftBank's Sustainability

At SoftBank, we will work to resolve various social issues through our corporate and business activities to realize a sustainable society in which all things, information and minds are connected.

Sustainability

  • SoftBank's Sustainability