Stories
Dialogue between Employees and the President: Advancement of Well-Being Management
At Sysmex, as a healthcare company, we are committed to creating a more comfortable working environment through various measures for the promotion of employees’ health, occupational safety, and diversity. As the labor force decreases due to the declining birthrate and aging population, and as business diversification and variety continue to grow, the improvement of value-added productivity and a working environment where diverse human resources can thrive are even more necessary. Under these circumstances, we believe it is extremely important to realize an organization that leverages diversity and health management, prioritizing employees’ mental and physical health based on the concept of well-being.
Well-being refers to a state in which employees feel both mentally and physically fulfilled, and experience a sense of job satisfaction. We held a roundtable discussion between employees and the president on topics such as working with well-being, fostering a working environment that respects diversity, and implementing systems and frameworks to create a comfortable workplace. Here, we will introduce part of the dialogue that enabled them to further understand each other, transcending differences in various occupations, ages, and positions.
The thoughts embedded in our long-term vision, “Together for a better healthcare journey”
A raised awareness of your own health condition is the first step to achieving our vision
Under the long-term vision of Sysmex’s Long-Term Corporate Strategy 2033 (VA33), we have created the concept of “healthcare journey.” We view this journey as the various healthcare-related events a person experiences throughout their lives (life stages), along with the corresponding process this involves (such as treatment at healthcare institutions).
| Facilitator: | First, please tell us your thoughts on our long-term vision, “Together for a better healthcare journey.” |
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| President: |
We formulated the long-term vision in consideration of the value that we can provide and our ideal society. Specifically, we wanted to emphasize our ability to provide value at each stage of the “healthcare journey”, from presymptomatic and preventive measures to prognosis monitoring and treatment, in addition to conventional “examinations”.
In this context, “better” refers to an earlier stage, such as earlier detection and treatment. “Together” is also important, as our company cannot realize the healthcare journey alone. It will be possible through co-creation with various healthcare-related stakeholders, such as patients, doctors, and medical institutions. Additionally, this long-term vision entails a shift from our previous B-to-B business to a B-to-B-to-C business with a focus on individuals.
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| Facilitator: |
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the healthcare journey. What can our employees and their families do to realize a better healthcare journey?
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| President: |
As Sysmex is a healthcare company, I already sense a very high level of health awareness among our employees. I believe that demonstrating how our employees manage health maintenance and regular checkups to optimize their own healthcare journey will clarify our company’s role in realizing a better healthcare journey. Therefore, being aware of our own healthcare on a daily basis is the key to realizing our long-term vision.
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Enhancing both health and job satisfaction
Sysmex’s health and safety system and the importance of well-being from a public health nurse perspective
Our company have formulated the “Sysmex Declaration of a Healthy Company: United In Sound Health” in April 2020 to emphasize the pursuit of employee well-being. This declaration aims to not only promote our employees’ health but also enhance job satisfaction, or fulfillment and value gained from work. As part of these activities, we aim to realize a working environment where everyone can work with peace of mind through the introduction of a job-based human resource system, smart work (a flexible way of working using ICT), and a support system for work-life balance.
| Facilitator: | To our members in the Human Resources Department (public health nurses) who are promoting these activities, what are your thoughts on daily operations, and our systems and their features? |
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| Public Health Nurse I: | I will introduce the health and safety system of our domestic Group companies. To ensure the safety and health of employees, we established the Central Health and Safety Committee and are working to strengthen our health and safety management system. To promote health promotion, disease prevention, and awareness, we have further clarified the roles of the industrial physicians and nurses at each office, as they are the closest to the employees who work there. We support our employees in terms of both mental and physical health. For mental healthcare, we introduced a stress check-up in 2009 before a legal revision mandated it. For physical healthcare, in addition to providing health check-ups with additional examination items beyond the legally mandated requirements, we also offer follow-up examinations and consultations based on the results. Our employees’ health check-up rate is 100%. We also have health hotlines where our employees can consult with industrial physicians and nurses about health issues—no matter how trivial—and we encourage employees to make use of them. |
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| Public Health Nurse H: |
That’s right. Simply establishing these systems isn’t enough; it’s also important to encourage employees to use them. For this reason, we have careful discussions when naming new systems. Take, for instance, “Mebae Leave” (“Mebae” means “new buds” in Japanese), which focuses on infertility treatment and morning sickness. We chose this name with the hope that it would symbolize not only the growth of families and the associated lifestyle changes but also create opportunities for colleagues to support each other. Similarly, “Hagukumi Leave” (“Hagukumi” means “nurturing” in Japanese) is a warm-sounding name that not only deepens employees’ understanding of childcare but also encourages a corporate culture of allowing male employees to take childcare leave. It was chosen after repeated discussions with our colleagues.
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| Facilitator: |
I see. The thought put into these names shows just how much the company cares about each individual. |
The creation of a working environment that respects DE&I
Toward a workplace where every employee can thrive
| President: | I’d like to discuss the words and ideas that I cherish in the Sysmex Declaration of a Healthy Company. When it comes to mental and physical health, as well as job satisfaction, I believe the most important thing is respecting diversity. That is because understanding other individuals and different cultures leads to news innovations. I would like everyone to be aware of this.
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| Facilitator: | What would be your idea of an ideal organization, or an ideal workplace where everyone can thrive? |
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| President: | Our raison d’etre is to solve social issues, so I would like our company to commit itself to that goal with a strong sense of purpose. Building relationships of trust serves as the foundation for becoming such an organization. I believe that working with internal and external stakeholders toward the same goal and maintaining a spirit of altruism will lead us in the right direction. |
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| Facilitator: |
Finally, do you have any ideas about working styles you would like to see realized at Sysmex in the future? |
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| President: | Just like the spread of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I fully support the idea of adapting our working styles according to societal changes and needs. I think it’s great to have a wider variety of working styles available. |
During the discussion, many employees asked the president questions, allowing us to share thoughts on the well-being that Sysmex is aiming for. We hold these roundtable discussions around once a month.
Moving forward, we will continue to foster mutual understanding through various opportunities and work toward improving employee well-being.
Moving forward, we will continue to foster mutual understanding through various opportunities and work toward improving employee well-being.
Related Information
- Information contained in the stories is current as of the date of the announcement,
but may be subject to change without prior notice.