Home > Sustainability > Society > Respect for Human Rights
Respect for Human Rights
Aside from compliance with the laws of individual countries, the Kyocera Group implements measures in accordance with the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Fundamental Human Rights Convention by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and other international conventions. The Kyocera Group has joined the United Nations Global Compact, a global platform setting out 10 fundamental principles relating to human rights, labor, environment, and prevention of corruption, out of agreement with the main purport of the Compact. The Kyocera Group has established "Kyocera Group Human Rights Policy" and explicitly prohibits the use of forced labor and child labor as well as discriminatory treatment on the basis of gender, age, beliefs, nationality, physical features, etc. The Kyocera Group is also working to prevent abuse of power and sexual harassment in the workplace. In addition, the Kyocera Group endeavors to exchange views and share information with employees through organizations such as labor unions and workplace associations. The Kyocera Group promotes development of a comfortable work environment that fosters motivation.
Human Rights Policy
Kyocera Group Human Rights Policy
The Kyocera Group is engaged in corporate activities to create a sustainable society under the management rationale of "To provide opportunities for the material and intellectual growth of all our employees, and through our joint efforts, contribute to the advancement of society and humankind" and based on the Kyocera Philosophy*1 which is the corporate philosophy that forms the basis of our management.
We also recognize that our corporate activities have various impacts on the global environment and the lives of peopleand we believe that it is the most important responsibility for a company to respect the human rights of everyone involvein the entire value chain.
Each employee will contribute to the progress and development of a society in which the human rights of all people are respected by acting based on the Kyocera Philosophy and using "what is right as a human being" as a criteria for judgment.
*1 The Kyocera Philosophy is the management philosophy of the Kyocera Group based on the criteria of "What is right as a human being".
Position of this policy
The Kyocera Group Human Rights Policy (Hereinafter, this policy) is a code of conduct for employees based on the Kyocera Philosophy and realizing the Management Rationale. It was discussed and approved by the Board of Directors and signed by the President and Representative Director of Kyocera Corporation. The term "Kyocera Group" in this Policy refers to Kyocera Corporation and Kyocera Group companies, and the term "employees" includes all officers, full-time employee, fixed-term and short-time employees, contract employees, and temporary employees working for the Kyocera Group. "Business partners" includes material suppliers, staffing agencies, and on-site contractors.
We have also obtained expert advice from external experts in the preparation and revision of this policy.
Scope of this policy
This policy applies to all Kyocera Group employees. We also require all business partners, including suppliers, to understand and comply with this policy.
Basic approach to human rights
In accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Kyocera Group will fulfill our responsibility to respect human rights by avoiding violations of human rights in our business activities and taking appropriate action to correct any adverse impact on human rights. We respect the human rights defined by the International Bill of Human Rights and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work*2, and we respect children's rights based on the Children's Rights and Business Principles. We also respect international standards, including the "OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct", and are a signatory to the "10 Principles of the UN Global Compact".
We comply with applicable laws and regulations in the countries and regions where we conduct business. However, where national law and internationally recognized human rights principles differ, we follow higher standards and seek ways to maximize respect for internationally recognized human rights. We do not tolerate or be complicit in threats, intimidation or attacks against human rights defenders who strive to protect and promote human rights in a peaceful manner.
*2 Includes the following core labor standards: the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor, the effective abolition of child labor, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, and a safe and healthy working environment.
Human rights due diligence
The Kyocera Group undertakes human rights due diligence to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights impacts in the value chain. Human rights due diligence actively involves internal and external input, including from affected right holders. We also respond appropriately through active dialogue when we determine that adverse human rights impacts are occurring or are likely to occur in the value chain.
Remedial action
If the Kyocera Group is found to be causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts, we consider all possible means and work to provide for or corporate in remediation. In addition, if we find adverse human rights impacts that are linked to our business, we engage in dialogue with our business partners to work together toward redress.
If there are adverse human rights impacts on the Kyocera Group value chain, we work to resolve all, but if we are unable to address all at the same time and need to prioritize our efforts, we re-evaluate the impact on human rights and prioritize the most severe issues where delayed response would make the circumstance irremediable.
Access to remedy
The Kyocera Group has established and publicized a hotline where all stakeholders can report their human rights concerns without fear of disadvantage. We will promptly investigate reports received and work diligently with the parties concerned to resolve problems. We also strive for continuous improvement based on the experience gained from our efforts.
The Kyocera Group believes that these reports and feedback enhance the transparency of corporate activities and strengthen trust with stakeholders. Therefore, we do not prevent stakeholders seeking redress from using judicial or non-judicial grievance mechanisms, and we also cooperate positively with judicial or non-judicial grievance mechanisms. We do not require waivers of legal rights to file through other judicial or non-judicial grievance mechanisms as a condition of using grievance mechanisms, nor do we require confidentiality clauses for human rights concerns. In addition, the Kyocera Group does not condone retaliation against those who have sincerely expressed concern or cooperated in the investigation but protect them in accordance with the laws and regulations of each country.
Dissemination and education
The Kyocera Group we make efforts, so contents of this policy are reflected in internal policies and procedures and realize them. We will also work to promote understanding of this policy through human rights education for employees, and by establishing "guidelines" for our business partners to follow.
Monitoring and information disclosure
The Kyocera Group undertakes continuous human rights due diligence based on the understanding that internationally recognized human rights change with time and the social environment. We also monitor responses to remediation, mitigation, prevention and evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to respect human rights. The progress of these efforts will be disclosed in a timely and appropriate manner. When disclosing information, we make sure that affected rights holders are not in a position of disadvantaged.
Established: November 2, 2020
Revised: August 1, 2024
President and Representative Director, Kyocera Corporation
Hideo Tanimoto
(Attachment) Promotion System
1. Human rights due diligence system
The Kyocera Group regards human rights risks as a corporate risk, and the results of conducting human rights due diligence are approved by the Risk Management Committee chaired by the President and Representative Director of Kyocera Corporation. The matters discussed by the Risk Management Committee, including human rights, are reported to and supervised by the Board of Directors. Human rights due diligence is carried out by the Corporate General Affairs Human Resources Group of Kyocera Corporation in cooperation with relevant departments, including supply chain management departments, incorporating both internal and external expert advice. The effectiveness of human rights due diligence is evaluated by incorporating opinions from affected rights holders through surveys and interviews. Measures to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts, or to remedy them, are carried out by the relevant departments that will take responsibility, and their progress is monitored.
2. Remedial process
The Kyocera Group provides access to by establishing and publicizing multiple channels through which internal and external stakeholders can report human rights concerns without fear of disadvantage. In addition to the "Compliance Hotline," which is accepted by specialized organizations within the Kyocera Group, there is also a contact for external specialized organizations. All these services are available anonymously, and we take care to protect the privacy of the reporting party and ensure that the reporting party and the cooperating party are not treated unfavorably.
Kyocera Corporation's Corporate General Affairs Human Resources Group and other relevant departments will cooperate to investigate and consider corrective measures. In cases where corrective measures are deemed necessary, appropriate corrective measures will be taken through dialogue with the parties concerned and experts, and efforts will be made to prevent recurrence as lessons learned. Corrective measures are determined and executed by the relevant department in response to a reported incident, and the Senior General Manager of Corporate General Affairs Human Resources Group is responsible for the implementation of human rights corrective measures.
(Attachment) Kyocera Group Policy for Addressing Human Rights Issues
(Salient Human Rights Issues)
The Kyocera Group evaluated the adverse impact on human rights (Hereinafter, "Human rights issues that have emerged") and the potential adverse impact on human rights (Hereinafter, "potential human rights challenges"), by rights holder ("employees (non-consolidated)," "employees (domestic groups)," "employees (overseas groups)," "suppliers," "temporary employees," "contractors," "local residents" and "consumers"), country and industry. with the cooperation of external organizations. We then identified the following 13 issues as "human rights issues (outstanding human rights issues) that the Kyocera Group should address" based on the severity of impact and likelihood of occurrence, which we analyzed by checking internal records, interviewing relevant departments and labor unions as affected right holders, and obtaining advice from external experts.
If the Kyocera Group is found to be causing or contributing to an adverse impact on human rights, we will promptly provide for or corporate in their remediation. If we identify potential adverse human rights impacts, we take measures to prevent and mitigate. To promote efforts to respect human rights in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, it is important to assess the impact of salient human rights issues and take appropriate measures, including preventive measures. In particular, we will conduct surveys on the impact of human rights on each rights holder in each value chain, particularly in high-risk areas where there is concern that the impact could be severe if it were to surface. Workers include employees of business partners (Material suppliers, staffing agencies, premises contractors, etc.) in addition to employees of the Kyocera Group.
Regarding the 13 salient human rights issues identified, we have established response policies to minimize adverse impacts. We also ask all business partners, including suppliers involved in Kyocera Group products and services, to understand and comply with this policy. We will respond appropriately to transactions with business partners who do not agree with this policy, considering the "severity of human rights violations" and the "adverse impact on human rights by reconsidering our business relationships."
Periodically conducting human rights due diligence and review of the human rights issues to be addressed and the response policy will be conducted.
13 Policies for responding to issues
1. Forced labor
- Provide workers with employment contracts in a language they can understand so they can correctly understand the contents of their employment contracts.
- Prohibit charging workers for hiring fees or other fees. If such fees are found to have been paid by the worker, such fees shall be refunded to the worker.
- The Company will not retain the original passports, government-issued identification materials, or other valuables of its employees.
- All work is voluntary and, if notice is given as contracted, the worker may take time off work or terminate the employment relationship without fines or penalty.
2. Child labor and youth labor
- Do not allow children*1 to work at any stage of production.
- Do not allow workers under 18 years of age (young workers) to engage in physically demanding work such as dangerous work*2 including working at nighttime and overtime work.
*1 Child: A person who is less than the higher of either the age of 15, or the age of completion of compulsory education, or the national minimum age for employment.
*2 Examples of dangerous work: working at heights, working with heavy materials and hazardous materials, etc.
3. Occupational safety and health
- Confirm workers have not suffered any death or serious illness/injury related to work.
- Conduct risk assessments for occupational safety and occupational health (including health).
- Provide workers with appropriate protective equipment.
4. Right to social security
- Encourage all eligible workers to purchase social insurance as required by law.
5. Fair wages
- Pay workers the wages (living wage) they need to maintain an appropriate standard of living.
- Wages are paid regularly and on time to workers in full.
- For overtime work, workers are paid appropriate extra wages that are equal to or above the legal minimum.
- Do not allow workers to bear the cost of purchasing work-related goods.
6. Fair working hours
- Working hours do not exceed the limits prescribed by local law.
- Weekly working hours do not exceed 60 hours, including overtime, except in emergency or unusual situations.
- Give at least one day off every seven days.
- All overtime work is done with consent.
7. Workplace discrimination
- "Race, color, age, sex, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, military service experience, protected genetic information, medical history and disability, information on affiliation, results of pregnancy and virginity tests" are not included in the standards and requirements at the time of hiring and after hiring, such as determining salary, training, promotion, dismissal etc.
8. Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining
- Respect the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining at the will of workers in accordance with local law. Establish legitimate alternatives and seek ways in which workers' rights are respected, even in situations and places where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining are legally restricted.
9. Rights of foreign workers
- Employment contracts are given to foreign workers before they leave home country.
- Important documents*3 provided to foreign workers are provided in a understandable language.
*3 Important documents: recruitment guidelines, employment contracts, pay slips, work rules and regulations, safety and health manuals, internal and external consultation services, etc.
10. Social discrimination and invasion of privacy
- Do not contribute or be in violation of the privacy rights through the use of AI and IoT.
11. Harassment
- Conduct fact-checking investigations into harassment consultations and take appropriate measures, including measures to accommodate victims and punishment of perpetrators, as necessary.
12. Impact on local communities (environment and society)
- The local community will not be adversely affected by noise, odor, vibration, etc. at the factory.
- Pollution on the environment including rivers, groundwater, soil, that may be caused by business operations such as runoff of chemical substances will not adversely affect local communities.
13. Product safety
- It does not adversely affect users of any product due to defects in product design or errors in usage.
Human Rights Management System
The Kyocera Group holds regular Risk Management Committee meetings to determine risk management policies, corporate risks, and risk owners, while also reviewing the progress of response measures. Risks related to human rights are considered on the level of corporate risks and deliberated upon at meetings of the Risk Management Committee.
Initiatives Related to Human Rights and Labor
We have designated May as "Morality Month" to improve human rights and labor awareness among employees. Workplace compliance information is announced at morning meetings. The Kyocera Code of Conduct, which covers our stance on initiatives in human rights, legal compliance, environmental and social contribution, and workplace attitudes, is made available to all employees via the company intranet, and employees are made aware of its contents. Also, human resource divisions undertake independent checks for legal violations such as discrimination, appropriate payment, and working hour management according to labor-related laws and regulations, in-house rules, and labor agreements with unions. Auditing divisions also carry out audits regularly to ensure thorough legal compliance. Details specific to each area of work are compiled in the Labor-related Code of Conduct.
Kyocera Document Solutions Labor-related Code of Conduct
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Labor-related Code of Conduct
- (1) Free Selection of Jobs
- (2) Labor by Minors
- (3) Working Hours
- (4) Remuneration and Benefits
- (5) Humane Treatment
- (6) Elimination of Discrimination
- (7) Freedom of Association
Since shortly after its founding, Kyocera has declared that it will "provide opportunities for the material and intellectual growth of all our employees, and through our joint efforts, contribute to the advancement of society and humankind" as its management rationale, and has managed its business based on the Kyocera Philosophy - the core management philosophy that guides the Kyocera Group. By practicing the Kyocera Philosophy daily, we will contribute to the sound development of society and build mutual trust with stakeholders while continuously developing the Kyocera Group.
Therefore, the Kyocera Group CSR Guidelines is established, our standards of corporate conduct, and will act towards creating a sustainable society. More specific details for each area of work are compiled in the Labor-related Code of Conduct.
This code of conduct applies to Kyocera Document Solutions Corporation and Kyocera Document Solutions Japan Corporation (hereinafter, it is included in Kyocera Document Solutions Corporation), as well as all executive officers and employees.
Kyocera Document Solutions Corporation shall uphold the human rights of all workers and engage with all workers in a manner that can be considered respectful and indicative of good faith by international societies. This applies to all workers, including temporary employees, migrant workers, students, contracted employees, directly hired employees and all other working capacities.
Labor standards are as follows.
There shall be no use of forced or compulsory labor (including debt bondage), labor in detention, involuntary or exploitative prison labor or labor obtained through slavery or human trafficking. This includes transportation, concealment, employment, transferral or acceptance of persons through threats, coercion, force, abduction or trickery for the purpose of receiving labor or services. Entry to and exit from facilities provided by the company shall not be restricted in an unreasonable manner, nor shall unreasonable restrictions be placed on workers' freedom of movement in company facilities. In the event that a worker will leave their country of origin to work for Kyocera, a written employment contract describing the conditions of employment must be provided in the worker's native language prior to the worker's departure from their country of origin as part of the employment process. The employment contract must comply with applicable local laws and must not be substituted or changed on the worker's arrival in the country where they will work, unless the new contract contains equivalent or better conditions. All work shall be done on workers' own volition, and workers must be free to leave the workplace or terminate their employment at any time. Employers and agents must not keep any identification or immigration documents belonging to workers, including government-issued identification, passports or work permits (except those that they are legally required to keep), and must not destroy, conceal or confiscate these or prevent workers from using them. Workers shall not be required to pay an employment commission to their employer or agent or any other fees related to their employment. If it is discovered that any workers have paid fees of this nature, the money shall be returned.
Child labor shall not be used in any stage of production. For the purposes of this code of conduct, "child" refers to persons under the highest of age 15, the age of completion of compulsory education or the minimum working age in the country in question. Reasonable work-study programs are supported as long as they comply with all laws and regulations. Workers under the age of 18 (minors) shall not be permitted to engage in work that may be hazardous to their health or safety, including night work or overtime. Kyocera Document Solutions Corporation shall ensure that student workers are suitably managed according to applicable laws and regulations through suitable record-keeping about student workers, strict due diligence regarding the partners providing education, and protection of student workers' rights. Kyocera Document Solutions Corporation shall provide suitable support and training to all student workers. If no applicable local laws exist, remuneration for student workers, interns and apprentices must be no lower than that paid to other entry-level workers performing the same or similar work. There shall be no use of forced or compulsory labor (including debt bondage), labor in detention, involuntary or exploitative prison labor or labor obtained through slavery or human trafficking.
Many studies on business practices have shown a clear link between overworking and a decrease in workers' productivity, increase in turnover and increase in injury and illness. Working hours must not exceed the limits set in local laws.
Remuneration paid to workers must comply with all applicable laws on remuneration, including those concerning minimum wage, overtime and legally required benefits. Overtime must be compensated at a higher hourly rate than the usual rate, in accordance with applicable local laws. Remuneration must not be deducted as a disciplinary measure. Workers must be given a comprehensible pay slip for each pay period. This must be provided in a timely manner and contain sufficient information for the worker to confirm that they have been paid correctly for the work they performed. Kyocera shall comply with the limitations in local laws regarding the use of temporary, dispatched or externally contracted workers.
Workers shall not be subjected to sexual harassment, sexual abuse, physical punishment, emotional or physical suppression, verbal abuse or other mistreatment. Workers must not be subjected to any treatment that is inhumane or could be considered as such. Disciplinary measures and procedures to handle such treatment must be defined and communicated to workers.
Kyocera Document Solutions Corporation must take all possible measures to ensure that its workplaces are free of harassment and illegal discrimination. Kyocera Document Solutions Corporation must not discriminate based on race, skin color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, ethnicity/nationality, disability, pregnancy, religion, political affiliation, union membership, presence or absence or military experience, genetic information or marital history in the application of any employment conditions including remuneration, promotions, bonuses or training. Provisions shall be made within a reasonable scope for workers to practice their religions. Requests from workers for religious accommodations shall be handled by the General Affairs and Labor Division, who shall consider how to handle the request and then provide the necessary accommodations. Workers and prospective workers must not be subjected to medical or physical examinations that may be used for discriminatory purposes.
Kyocera Document Solutions Corporation shall respect the right of all workers to join a union for the purposes of collective bargaining and peacefully assembling, based on local laws. Workers and/or a representative shall be able to directly communicate their opinions and concerns about working conditions and management practices to management without fear of discrimination, reprisal, threats or harassment.
Human Rights Due Diligence Process
The Kyocera Group is working to establish an effective company-wide structure for human rights due diligence by FY2026. Efforts to ensure human rights are also a part of our workplace enhancement initiative.
Survey on Prominent Human Rights Issues
The Kyocera Group made a declaration on "Conducting Human Rights Due Diligence" in the Kyocera Group Human Rights Policy (announced on November 2, 2020). In order to comply with this Human Rights Policy, we construct and implement human rights due diligence frameworks using the UN "Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights." In 2022, Kyocera established a working group for promoting human rights due diligence alongside third-party bodies specializing in sustainability to conduct assessments to identify ways in which human rights are adversely affected.
- 1.Areas covered by the survey
- 2.Scope of the survey
- 3.Steps to identifying human rights issues
- 4.Results of implementation
Areas in which the Kyocera Group and Kyocera Group suppliers are located
The value chains and rights holders within the Kyocera Group are defined as follows. Potential human rights issues are investigated within each category.
[Value chains]
"Resource mining," "raw materials procurement and transport," "R&D and manufacturing," "construction, product use, and services," "product disposal"
[Rights holders]
"Employees (non-consolidated)," "employees (domestic Group companies)," "employees (overseas Group companies)," "suppliers," "temporary employees," "contractors," "local residents," "consumers"
[Step 1] Survey country risks
Assess the degree of human rights risks in the country being surveyed by searching for literature and articles on (1) the state of human rights violations (severity), (2) the state of law enforcement guarantees (potential to occur), (3) the state of the ratification of treaties and local laws pertaining to human rights (potential to occur), and (4) frequency and trends in human rights violations (potential to occur).
[Step 2] Survey industry risks
Identify industries that Kyocera Group companies (production and non-production) belong to, and identify human rights issues that are likely to occur for each respective industry type considering the frequency and trends in which said issues occur for each industry.
[Step 3] Survey human rights issues in the Kyocera Group
Investigate the existence of human rights issues in the Kyocera Group and the management of such by having a third-party body review internal Kyocera records, conduct interviews with related departments, and search articles on human rights issues pertaining to the Kyocera Group over the past 20 years.
[Step 4] Prioritizing human rights issues
Add the human rights issues identified in steps 1 to 3 to a list of human rights issues and score them by their severity and potential to occur based on the results of interviews performed in step 3. Based on the list of human rights issues scored, deliberate within the working group regarding any human rights issues and issues that need to be added or excluded (human rights issues that are already being managed) to identify the human rights issues facing the Kyocera Group. Note that this step shall be repeated three times.
Based on the results of the survey, we identified 15 countries and regions as high-risk areas and 13 items as salient human rights issues.
Results of the Survey on Prominent Human Rights Issues
- (1) Forced labor
- (2) Child labor and young workers
- (3) Occupational health and safety
- (4) Right to social security
- (5) Fair wages
- (6) Fair working times
- (7) Discrimination in the workplace
- (8) Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
- (9) Rights of migrant workers and overseas workers
- (10) Social discrimination and privacy rights
- (11) Harassment
- (12) Impact on local communications (environmental and social impact)
- (13) Product safety
Human Rights Mitigation & Remediation
Measures Addressing Human Rights Issues
Steps are taken to identify whether any of the prominent human rights issues identified are occurring in accordance with the UN "Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights." If said issues do become readily apparent, prompt relief and corrective action are taken. Furthermore, additional steps are taken to alleviate and prevent latent human rights issues. To achieve this, we will need to identify issues that have surfaced and prevent potential human rights issues from occurring by first assessing the prominent human rights issues identified and confirming the state of human rights issues. In particular, we plan to verify the state of affairs concerning each rights holder within each value chain, focusing on regions at high risk of human rights issues worsening should they manifest.
Prohibition of Forced Labor
The Kyocera Group Human Rights Policy prohibits slavery, human trafficking and all other forced labor, along with child labor, throughout the Kyocera Group.
Harassment, Discrimination, and other Human Rights Violations Prevention Measures
We have designated May as "Morality Month" and are working on sharing the guidelines that should be followed by the entire company. In addition, we are striving to create a workplace environment where harassment and discrimination do not occur by conducting training for managers that includes case studies, discussions, knowledge online learning. In addition to our anonymous employee consultation services, we established a third-party consultation service as a Kyocera Group in 2021, with appropriate considerations taken for privacy, to monitor human rights, harassment, and discrimination violations.
Freedom of Association
At our company, great emphasis is put on building relationships based on trust and heart-to-heart bonds among employees. Labor-management relations at Kyocera go beyond the generally accepted idea of harmony between management and labor. At Kyocera, the basis of the relationship is "coaxial labor and management," where perspectives are shared on the same level. We carry out sports meets, summer festivals and many other kinds of events that stimulate and sustain such relations through unity. In Europe, the U.S.A., China and other countries, we continue to maintain appropriate labor relations via thorough labor-management consultation in accordance with labor laws of individual countries. Labor and management on the same axis is the key for successful labor relations. Maintaining this stance will help to resolve problems in the workplace and keep the company on the path of sustainable development.
Home > Sustainability > Society > Respect for Human Rights