Canon respects the rights of every employee and works to ensure that its workplaces are free of all forms of discrimination and harassment.
The Canon Group Code of Conduct prohibits all Group executives and employees, irrespective of their position or duties, from engaging in discrimination based on race, religion, nationality, gender, age or other unfair grounds. To disseminate and ensure understanding of the Code of Conduct, the code has been translated into 14 languages and is also practiced at Group companies outside Japan.
Canon Inc. and its Group companies in Japan carry out collective readings of the Canon Group Code of Conduct as well as discussions concerning work-related risks at each workplace.
Through such activities, we strive to deepen employee understanding of the code and thus maintain a fair, comfortable and safe work environment. In 2016, there were no incidents involving unjust discrimination in reports made to the human resources division.
Canon maintains a zero-tolerance policy on harassment, which it communicates to management executives and all employees.
In addition to sexual harassment and power harassment, Canon Inc.’s employment rules and Harassment Prevention Provisions clearly stipulate prohibition of maternity harassment and moral harassment in accord with new legislation passed in Japan in 2017. These provisions have been publicized throughout the Canon Group, and serve as a template for establishing similar rules at Group companies.
In a further effort to maintain a comfortable workplace environment, Canon Inc. and its Group companies in Japan have established a Harassment Hotline at each Group company in Japan. Confidentiality is strictly maintained and a firm guarantee against detrimental treatment is provided to victims and informants. These hotlines have been in operation for some time, and in recent years the number of harassment complaints has remained largely unchanged. Regular liaison meetings are held for persons responsible at Canon Inc.’s operational sites and Group companies, enabling the hotlines’ operational status to be monitored and shared. Reviews of procedure manuals are conducted at such meetings, and guidance on how to respond to reports of harassment is also provided on an ongoing basis.
In addition, we periodically conduct employee awareness surveys, which enable us to identify and observe trends as well as gather the opinions of our employees. Managers can then raise their awareness of current conditions and take necessary measures aimed at further improvement of the organizational climate.
Organizational Structure for Harassment Prevention
Canon conducts a variety of training programs and poster campaigns to raise awareness of harassment issues among employees.
Canon Inc. conducts harassment-prevention and workplace communication-improvement training for executive and managerial-level staff. The aim is to develop measures to address decreased productivity due to deteriorating workplace conditions, mental health issues, occupational injuries, lawsuit risks and corporate legal responsibilities. Most of those already in managerial roles have completed training. In 2016 we conducted 11 training sessions for 46 employees who had returned from overseas assignments and had not previously received the training. There were also 12 training sessions for all management candidates, with 288 participants in total for the year.
The same training program will be held for staff in charge of Harassment Hotlines at Group companies, who will in turn assist with training employees at their respective companies.
To prevent harassment and raise awareness of consultation desks, Canon created posters that are on display at Canon Inc. and Group companies. We are preparing posters using the 2017 theme of appreciation. We are focusing on daily communication to generate feelings of compassion for fellow coworkers and create a favorable work environment.
Posters to raise awareness about harassment prevention
Target | Number of sessions | Participants |
---|---|---|
Returnees from overseas assignments | 11 | 46 |
Management candidates | 12 | 288 |
All Canon Group companies manage human resources in compliance with the laws and regulations of each country and region in which they operate, as well as Canon’s own regulations.
In 2016, we again carried out investigations at our manufacturing companies in Asia to confirm their compliance with laws pertaining to child labor and forced labor. To date, no Canon Group company has violated laws relating to child labor or forced labor.
Canon respects workers’ basic rights, including the freedom of association, and we strive to address issues by promoting dialogue between labor and management. In addition, in our basic statement on social responsibility*, we clarify our intent to comply with the laws and regulations of various countries and regions. In Japan, for example, Canon Inc. has formed a collective agreement with the Canon Workers’ Union that confirms the union’s right to organize, the right to collective bargaining, and the right to engage in labor disputes.