Employees

Global perspective and respect for diversity

The Yamaha Motor Group strives to create workplaces that respect diversity, with the aim of achieving an organizational structure that is based on the sharing of ideas and equally high ambitions and spirit, cooperation, and joy in our work among the Company and its employees from a global perspective.

Human resource system linked to achievements and performance

Under the belief that a company can build a win-win relationship with its employees only when it becomes a group of independent individuals, we support the development and active participation of our employees and adopt a human resource system linked to achievements and performance, regardless of gender, age, nationality, and other such factors.

Specifically, each individual sets work targets at the beginning of the fiscal year in light of the Companywide policy and division policy, then finalizes the targets following a review with his or her supervisor. These targets are used as a base for managing progress and directly reflected in the base salary and bonus in year-end evaluations.

Multifaceted Human Resources Development

In keeping with our business development, which is being carried out increasingly at a global scale, we believe that we need to undertake the hiring of human resources based on diverse values as well as to take an eclectic approach to human resources development.

In regard to hiring, we work to secure global human resources while engaging in hiring various types of human resources and respecting diverse values. We also promote the strengthening of such matters as our industry-academia partnerships. As for internships, we make calls for interns under a variety of business themes, and we provide opportunities to many students to gain work experience and further their understanding of our Company.

In regard to human resources development, we offer stratified training, training to refine specialized functional skills, and training systems that develop human resources who are able to work at the global level through fourth-year-employee overseas experience and working as an overseas trainee, as well as coaching to enhance performance as an organization with cohesive teamwork.

This coaching was implemented full-scale in 2017 as a tool to make managers fully functional as the middle management in the organization, and is producing solid results.

Training hours per employee to enhance employees' capabilities (total training hours / No. of Yamaha Motor employees) in 2020 were 4.0 hours excluding compliance training, training related to health and safety laws and regulations, and training for new hires, and the amount (total training expenses/number of Yamaha Motor employees) was 14,000 yen excluding internal personnel expenses, facility operation expenses, etc.

Employee Motivation

Since the 1980s, the Company has carried out annual employee awareness surveys, and measured their satisfaction levels and motivation at work, as well as identified current issues. In 2020, we made significant changes to our previous methods, strengthening the significance of the indexes that indicate the degree of employee engagement (the state in which they are voluntarily undertaking matters while feeling an emotional commitment toward the organization or their work). Specifically, we are focusing on four questions related to engagement, and feeding results back in real time so as to enhance engagement. Each division swiftly formulates plans and implements measures to solve their respective issues, with the human resources management division providing follow up.

In response to the question, “Are you motivated in the performance of your job?”, with a score of (5) for “Highly motivated,” (4) for “Somewhat motivated,” (3) for “Neither motivated nor not motivated,” (2) for “Not very motivated,” and (1) for “Not at all motivated.”

Percentage of employees replying, “Highly motivated” or “Somewhat motivated” in response to the question, “Are you motivated in the performance of your job?”
2017: 72.0%, 2018: 69.9%, 2019: 70.0%, 2020: 70.4%
According to the third party of employee survey, the pass grade is employees’ average score of 3.5 and the employee rate chosen “highly motivated” or “somewhat motivated” is around 55%. Therefore, our target sets as keeping 3.5 as average and 55% of highly or somewhat motivated employee.

Supporting Work-Life Balance

We support career planning that is based on the assumption of mutual confirmation by both the employee and the Company, and aim to create workplaces that promote a healthy work-life balance.

We are enhancing our systems so that employees can work in ways that suit their individual circumstances, by providing childcare leave, nursing care leave, and family illness leave, as well as systems such as flexible work time, short working hours, and the rehiring of employees who resigned to accompany their spouse on overseas postings. We are also working to support employees raising children through “Wai-Wai Land,” an in-house childcare facility providing broad-based support for both “work and family.” In 2016, we expanded the size of this facility and increased the number of children who can be accepted.

Since 2021, under a new human resources system, we have incorporated teleworking and staggered office hours to accommodate diversity. We have also introduced special leave in hourly units and shortened working hours for injury or illness. We continue to increase work style options so employees can meet challenges with vitality and passion at any stage of life.

Our policy is to reduce excessive work hours with the aim of reducing overtime, and in consideration of maintaining mental and physical health. We have also established Rules Regarding Overtime Work, which are stricter than the legal requirements, based on labor-management consultations. In addition, the Labor-Management Committee on Working Hours, comprising participants from both the labor union and the Company, meets every month to confirm the present state of working hours.
Regarding the use of paid leave, we comply with the Work Style Reform Act, set targets between employees and management based on the Act, and promote the taking of paid leave through initiatives including a system for taking consecutive days of paid leave.

In particular, we are raising awareness and increasing the effectiveness of this system by sending special notices to those eligible for five consecutive days of paid leave.

Occupational Health and Safety

Under the leadership of the Central Safety and Health Committee, with authority delegated by the President and Chief Executive Officer, Yamaha Motor is promoting the establishment of safe and healthy working environments around the world. We are also engaged in various activities with the aim of zero occupational injuries.

For example, we strive to prevent occupational injuries by performing risk assessments in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS), to detect potential dangers and harmful conditions in the workplace. We implement detailed risk assessments when new equipment is installed and when new projects are launched.

We monitor situations with regard to occupational illnesses (caused by exposure to chemical substances, organic solvents, dust, etc.) through workplace patrols, special health examinations, and other measures. In addition, regular checks based on ergonomics are carried out to ensure that workplaces are safe and comfortable.

In addition to the above, health managers patrol weekly the workplaces for which they are responsible and safety managers patrol manufacturing and testing sites daily, to ensure that workplace environments are safe and comfortable.
We are focused on developing human resources that can support workplace safety and a healthy occupational environment through job-specific stratified education and training to improve the skills of safety managers, supervisors, and operations chiefs, and by holding occupational safety and health meetings. The following training programs on workplace safety were held during 2020.

We also thoroughly manage lighting, noise, air quality, temperature, and humidity overseas as well, based on laws, regulations, and in-house standards, and proactively implement occupational health and safety education and training.
In addition, in 2008, we developed an Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) for Yamaha’s main manufacturing centers, in an effort to prevent accidents. For centers obtaining Group certification, we have introduced a system under which headquarters conducts regular follow-ups with the aim of improving the level of management, performs inspections to determine whether the centers are meeting OSHMS levels, and grants Group certification to those that have achieved the required level, with follow-ups conducted on a regular basis.
We make efforts to prevent occupational injuries among outside subcontractors by establishing work safety guidelines.

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate^*1External Assurance

*1 Lost time injury frequency rate: Number of lost time injuries occurring in a workplace per million work hours
*2 Calculated from data for a total of 32 companies, comprising Yamaha Motor and its consolidated subsidiaries and affiliated companies with manufacturing functions.

During 2020, there were a total of 12 accidents at Yamaha Motor, including 0 accidents that resulted in lost work time. In regard to workplace accidents, we are seeing a marked occurrence of accidents in which there had been no standards set, or the standards were not being complied with. We disseminate information about accidents Companywide in an effort to prevent recurrence.

There were no incidents of occupational illness that resulted in lost work time in 2020 (Occupational Illness Frequency Rate: 0%).External Assurance

Employee Health

Policy

As a “Kando Creating Company,” Yamaha Motor aims to provide customers with new excitement and more fulfilling lives. This requires that each and every one of our employees be “healthy,” both mentally and physically. We believe this enables them to make full use of their abilities and passion, leading to customers’ trust in the products and services we provide.
We consider employee health to be a key management issue for the Company’s development, and are working together with all employees to maintain and promote the health of our employees.

1. We will work to reduce health risks in workplaces and create comfortable workplace environments, so that employees can perform their jobs with vigor and in good health.
2. Working with our health insurance association, we will proactively support self-care initiatives to promote employee health.
3. Employees will take an interest in, and responsibility for, their own health.

Promotion System

To promote health measures, we have established the Central Safety and Health Committee (chaired by executive officer and chief general manager of Human Resources & General Affairs Center and comprising occupational health physicians, representative supervisors of manufacturing, technology, and administrative divisions, and the labor union, among others). We evaluate how well we are promoting health and productivity management, make any necessary improvements, and formulate medium-term and annual plans. We discuss implementation of specific measures at the Health Promotion Team Meeting (comprising the Human Resources Division, occupational health physicians, the Health Promotion Center, and occupational health nurses, among others), and we use achievement indicators to review the implementation status as we move forward. We also hold monthly health policy joint promotion meetings with the health insurance society to discuss collaboration on measures.

Health Checkups and Follow-up Measures

We conduct statutory health checkups with the goal of achieving a 100% participation rate. We also emphasize following up on the results of health checkups, and have occupational health physicians provide thorough health guidance to prevent aggravation and assess whether an individual is fit for employment according to internal regulations on follow-up measures. Occupational health physicians assess employment categories for all checkup results (assessment rate of 100%).

Measures against Overwork and Maintenance of Work-Life Balance

The human resources management division and health promotion division work together to promote proper working hour management, and ensure thorough implementation of health maintenance measures at the workplace. Employees who work excessively long hours are given guidance in consultations with an occupational health physician that follow more stringent standards than what is required by law. The average number of days of paid leave taken has increased from 14.3 days in 2010 to 16.8 days in 2020.

Response to COVID-19

With the aim of giving first priority to the lives and health of our stakeholders, including employees, we are responding to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 in accordance with our Business Continuity Procedure(Pandemic Influenza section) that was established in 2014. Specifically, we swiftly set up a COVID-19 Task Force headquarters led by the President and a COVID-19 Task Force Office headed by the General Manager of the Human Resources & General Affairs Center, which carried out the collection of information, determination of response policies, and communication of information. As for overseas operations, we gave instructions to Yamaha Motor employees and their families residing in some countries to return to Japan in accordance with the state of the spread of COVID-19 infections and local medical risks in the relevant country. As for employees working at headquarters, we introduced teleworking and staggered office hours systems. We also built a site on our intranet for the sharing of information between headquarters and Group companies, and we are thoroughly implementing measures to prevent infections.

Measures against Lifestyle-related Diseases

Employees who were found to be at risk for a lifestyle-related disease in a health checkup receive ongoing health guidance (specified health guidance) by nursing staff and registered dietitians. As for anti-smoking measures, we created an internal rule that prohibits smoking during working hours, and we provide guidance and various support tools to help employees quit smoking.
The smoking rate among employees has dropped from 33.4% in 2010 to 25.9% in 2020.

Health Promotion

As part of our Companywide "Well-Be " health activities, we conduct various health programs including walking events and a "health mileage" program in which employees can earn points by improving lifestyle habits, such as exercising and eating well. We also support employees' health from a nutritional aspect as well by, for example, providing a cafeteria menu tailored to each workplace based on an analysis of the health checkup results.

Health Support for Women

To address health issues unique to female employees, we have a special consultation desk and seminar programs. We also coordinate with the health insurance society regarding gynecological exams to make it easier for female employees to take the exams, while also ensuring they receive the follow-up support they need.

Health Support for Employees Stationed Overseas

In addition to making sure employees stationed overseas take health checkups, we send occupational health physicians to overseas subsidiaries to monitor the local healthcare situation and living environment. Before sending employees overseas to take a new post, we provide vaccinations and training on health management including preventing infectious diseases such as viral hepatitis. We also provide prophylactic medications to employees who are traveling to areas where there is a risk of contracting endemic diseases such as malaria.

Performance Indicators for the Promotion of Health and Productivity Management

In promoting health and productivity management, reducing the risk of lifestyle-related diseases among employees is one of the biggest issues at present. We are taking a comprehensive approach to addressing this issue by setting numerical and achievement targets with the aims of preventing aggravation among those at high risk and improving the health literacy of all employees.

Support for Mental Health

System

Stress checks are performed each year together with health checkups, and analysis results are provided to individuals as feedback in the form of a radar chart. We have also put in place a system for follow-ups with an occupational health physician as necessary. We have resident counselors who work with those who have mental health issues and help them develop mental toughness through counseling and coaching. Furthermore, we have introduced an in-house mental health physician system and are clarifying various aspects of diagnoses and policies.
For employees who return to work after a leave of absence, the “Rework Program” helps prevent a relapse. The relevant manager, Human Resources Division, and occupational health physician cooperate to support the individual for about a year after his or her return to the job.

Training

To ensure that mental health issues are promptly identified and addressed, we conduct training for newly appointed managers, supervisors and general managers on such matters as knowledge about mental health and how to handle it at the workplace.

Expanding the System Overseas

Since 2005, we had been providing a telephone consultation service available 24 hours a day for employees stationed overseas, and have revised the system to take a more proactive approach. The stress checks carried out in Japan have been conducted in the United States since 2016, and in India since 2017. We expanded the checks to all employees stationed overseas in 2018.

Relationship with Labor Union

Yamaha Motor has concluded a labor agreement with its labor union “to establish working conditions and management systems that are based on mutually fair understanding and good faith.”
Under this agreement, the Company provides the labor union with appropriate explanations of various measures to be implemented and publishes reports on labor management in an effort to ensure employees’ understanding of these issues. Moreover, the Company holds labor-management conferences and committee meetings regularly, as well as additional labor-management conferences taking up themes based on management initiatives or to address issues raised by the labor union. Officers of the labor union also participate in the management and operation of the corporate pension fund, the health insurance cooperative, and the mutual aid association.

An agreement dedicated to maintaining minimum wages is also concluded between the labor union and management each year.
Yamaha Motor adopts a union shop system in which non-managerial employees are members of the labor union, where the participation ratio is 85% of all employees, and 63% globally. Domestic Group companies have also established labor unions or labor committees and engage in labor-management dialog through those bodies. Labor unions of Group companies including the Yamaha Motor Labor Union are members of the Federation of All Yamaha Workers Unions, and are pursuing mutual cooperation through the federation. Overseas Group companies have established structures for engaging in appropriate labor-management dialog based on the labor practices of the respective country or region, and wages are paid in compliance with local regulations.

Addressing Overseas Labor Risks

Many of our production sites are located in ASEAN member states, India, and China, where the risk of labor disputes is high. Accordingly, situations in these countries must be watched closely as we carry on our business activities. For this reason, we incorporate "shutdown due to labor disputes (strike, etc.)" into a risk management ledger employed across the Group, so that we can use it to monitor self-inspections and development of countermeasures.

Manufacturing companies regularly collect information about the legislation in each country and regional labor issues, work to strengthen labor-management relations, and ensure people know where to report and discuss labor issues. At the headquarters, we are working on sharing the know-how within the Group and maintaining and strengthening the communication system for emergencies, leveraging the knowledge accumulated over the years on labor dispute cases.

In 2020, there was no noteworthy occurrence of any labor issues.