Promotion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Message from the CSO (responsible for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion)

We will vigorously promote diversity, equity, and inclusion to make a leap forward to becoming a "resilient global enterprise." Representative Director, Executive Vice President Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer: Toshinobu Shinoda

The MOL Group aims to be a strong and resilient corporate group that provides new value to all stakeholders and grows on a global scale under the Group Mission: "From the blue oceans, we sustain people's lives and ensure a prosperous future." The Group Vision, expressing what we want to be in 2035, sets out a bold path forward to becoming a global social infrastructure company. The entire group shares MOL CHARTS, our common values and code of conduct, as well as the five key sustainability issues, namely "Environment," "Safety," "Human Capital," "Digital Transformation (DX)," and "Governance." We strive to enhance corporate value while balancing the management plan and our approach to social issues.

On the other hand, the MOL Group is facing significant changes in its business environment. Geopolitical risks have become increasingly complex and serious, and major powers are continually seeking to reevaluate traditional global trade and industrial structures. We have entered an era in which it is difficult to make predictions about the future. In such an environment, we must accurately and fully grasp the advantages we have built up to date, leverage them to transform our business portfolio, and successfully address social issues, including progress toward decarbonization, while continuing to grow as a social infrastructure company. To achieve this, we need to make great strides toward becoming a "resilient global enterprise" that can grow sustainably while responding to complex and constantly shifting international political, economic, and industrial environments.

A "resilient global enterprise" is created by the "people" who make up the group. For the MOL Group to achieve significant growth, we need the strength of each individual and the collective strength of the organization. Critical elements in achieving this strength are a genuine understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the promotion of these concepts through concerted efforts throughout the group. We can build an organization that is resilient to change by securing and developing diverse human capital, respecting "differences and diversity" in lifestyles and values in addition to nationality, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation/identity, and disability status, and forming a diverse team that recognizes and encourages each other. Then, under strong leadership, we will continue to pursue workstyle reforms and create an open and level organizational structure by increasing the engagement of all employees, thereby establishing a fair workplace environment where all individuals can maximize their potential.

As part of this approach, we will accelerate our initiatives to promote the advancement of diverse talent, with a focus on increasing opportunities for women and multinational professionals. Through the MOL Group Key Positions (MGKP) candidate development program, we actively promote broader representation in leadership roles, encouraging appointments from a wide range of backgrounds, with the aim of achieving the core KPIs of the MOL Group Management Plan, "BLUE ACTION 2035," ahead of schedule (*1). In April of this year, we revised the Head Office personnel system and laid the foundation to ensure that we place the right people in the right place, while opening up diverse career paths driven by a sense of ownership. Through these initiatives, the MOL Group will bring to life the concept set out in our Human Capital Vision (*2): All on Board, Success through Growth (Basic Principles: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Mutually Empowered, and Highly Engaged).

"People" are at the heart of our global strategy, and the root of our competitiveness is a diverse workforce and an organization that can leverage their strengths. On the other hand, organizations that fail to draw upon the competencies, ideas, and energy of their diverse human resources will significantly narrow their playing field. Diverse organizations generate not only economic value, but social value as well by achieving the MOL Group's mission and fulfilling its social responsibilities, thereby setting in motion a virtuous cycle of value creation. And by passing on the value created in this way to all stakeholders, we will enhance corporate value and realize our group vision as a "social infrastructure company" that is growing globally beyond the shipping industry.

The MOL Group is now entering a stage of evolution as we work to become a resilient global enterprise that continues to grow worldwide. We still have a lot to do, but the president & CEO, myself, and other executives and senior managers will take the lead in driving change, enhancing the strength of our group-wide organization and human capital, and vigorously promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion on a global scale.

The Vision of Diversity Management in Our Company

The MOL Group views diversity as encompassing not only such superficial attributes as gender, nationality, and age but also each individual's inner characteristics, including experience, natural aptitudes, skills, and values.

In April 2021, MOL group established a new basic policy, which was later revised in Aug 2023 as the "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Basic Policy". This basic policy clarifies our group's policy on "diversity, equity & inclusion," one of the basic principles of the Human Capital Vision, which is the basic principles of the group's human resources policy in the future. This "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Basic Policy" is central to our human resources strategy, and we move forward a framework that can combine the diverse individual abilities of every group employee all over the world to create new values.

The MOL Group will create new value by combining the diverse individuality and capabilities of our groupwide Human Capital, all over the world, and ensure sustainable enhancement of corporate value. We positiondiversity, equity and inclusion as driving force of new growth, and will implement the following initiatives:

  • Provide opportunities for diverse range of human capital to get together and grow, and enable every one of them to bring out the best of their abilities.
  • Foster a corporate culture that enables them to express their diverse individuality, sense of value, and points of view, freely and openly.
  • Flexibly establish a human resource system and workplace environment that can leverage the diversity of the group.

Established in April 2021
Revised in August 2023

Activities of Global Human Capital

Diverse personnel

The MOL group, which develops businesses globally, has employees of various nationalities. We have worked to develop an environment that will increase our group-wide comprehensive strength and allow multi-national, diversified personnel including women to play more active roles.

Nationality Ratio of Seafarers
(MOL owned vessel)

At the Head Office cafeteria, in consideration of employees of different ethnicities, cultures, and religions, the menu features icons designating the content of fish and meat products used (including seasoning extracts), and a vegetarian menu is available. We will continue to deepen our efforts to provide a place where a diverse range of employees can interact with each other and to create a workplace where everyone can work comfortably.

Achieved Level 1 Rating under Policy B-BBEE for the Republic of South Africa

MOL Auto Carrier Express South Africa (Pty) Ltd., a South African subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "MOL") has achieved the Level 1 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) status. This is a significant milestone in its journey towards promoting economic transformation, inclusivity, and social progress in South Africa. What makes the achievement even more significant is the fact that this Level 1 status has been achieved for the third consecutive year. Under the management policy consistent with the policy, it invests in programs that provide skills training, mentorship, and educational opportunities for employees. These programs include internships and professional development courses. The company implements fair and transparent recruitment that encourages diversity and inclusion in the workforce and ensures equal opportunities for career growth for all employees. It also makes donations to support initiatives that address poverty alleviation, job creation, and skills development within disadvantaged communities. We will continue to contribute to South Africa's economic growth and job creation.

B-BBEE certificate (English)[954KB]

Promoting more active roles for women in the workplace

MOL fully supports Keidanren (the Japan Business Federation)'s "Challenge to 30% by 2030".

More active roles for female employees are indispensable to promote diversity and inclusion. The group takes a proactive stance in various initiatives such as enhancing systems needed during different life stages such as childcare support, extensive support for career development, training programs for build awareness at managerial levels, and dialogues to support the MOL Group's women in networking and career development. This phase of our efforts was highly regarded and earned use the honor of selection as a "Nadeshiko Brand," companies recognized for encouraging women's success in the workplace. (Selected for 5 consecutive years in fiscal 2024) In addition, in March 2021, we renewed the action plan based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace. We proactively press forward with various initiatives such as selection of diverse careers by double-tracking career path-setting, allocating personnel according to individual capabilities by strengthening talent management and providing growth opportunities.

In September 2022, we endorsed the aims of the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) (*Note 1), and the president signed the statement to act in accordance with those principles. In the same month, the president participated in the "Male Leaders Coalition for Empowerment of Women" (*Note 2), an initiative of the Japanese government's Cabinet Office, and as we position diversity and inclusion as new growth drivers, we will accelerate our initiatives to further promote gender equality and women's advancement.

Women's Empowerment Principles

(*Note 1) Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs)
The UN Global Compact (GC) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM, now UN Women) jointly developed a set of seven principles for promoting women's advancement. Companies that agree with these principles are expected to utilize them to promote women's activities. More than 9,400 companies worldwide have endorsed the program.
https://www.weps.org/

Male Leaders Coalition for Empowerment of Women

(*Note 2) the "Male Leaders Coalition for Empowerment of Women"
The association is a gathering of business executives and others to promote initiatives in line with the "Declaration of Action" to promote gender equality and women's advancement, which was formulated at the direction of the Cabinet Office, and to accelerate corporate efforts by building a network among participants and sharing initiatives and issues. Currently, approximately 320 business executives and other participants, as well as prefectural governors and mayors of municipalities, are involved with the association.
https://www.gender.go.jp/policy/sokushin/male_leaders/index.html

Objectives

The MOL Group is looking at ways to foster more active roles for female employees from the viewpoint of recruiting talented human capital, growing our businesses, and ensuring diverse perspectives in risk management.
We confirm and discuss our progress in expanding opportunities for women in the workplace at the annual meeting of the Human Capital Development Committee, which includes members of the Executive Committee take part.

Action plan

The MOL Group promotes more active roles for women in the workplace in compliance with an action plan based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace, which was established at the end of March 2021.

Percentage of Women in Managerial Positions

MOL sets a goal of percentage of women in managerial positions as follows with an action plan based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace.

  • Increase the percentage of women employees in managerial positions both on land and at sea to 7% or higher.
  • Increase the percentage of land-based women employees in managerial positions to 10% or higher.
  • Increase the percentage of land-based women employees (equivalent to team leaders) in leadership positions to 20% or higher.

* The HC Vision/Action1.0, which was formulated in April 2023, sets a new goal of achieving the goal by the end of fiscal 2025: Percentage of female employees in managerial positions (Office workers, non-consolidated) will be 15%
https://www.mol.co.jp/en/sustainability/management/issues/

Action Plan Based on 'Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children'

MOL helps all employees achieve work-life harmony, demonstrate their maximum enthusiasm and vitality to perform at their full potential, and gain fulfillment from their work in compliance with an action plan based on 'Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children', which was established in April 2025.

Personnel System Allowing for Diverse Workstyles

In July 2018, MOL introduced a new personnel system, based on changes in the areas of businesses-and the different characteristics of those business fields-as well as changes in workers' sense of value in society. We are moving ahead to create multi-faceted career paths based on individual employees' career orientatation, values, and life stage. Specifically, we nurture and retain top professionals, and establish job categories that limit work locations. We can also provide our employees with more flexible, diverse workstyles through an occupational change system.

In addition, we developed a system to support autonomous career development to maximize employee performance. This allows each and every employee to realize their own value and potential, perform to the best of their ability and expertise, and approach their work with an ideal balance of good work environments and rewarding jobs.

Various Supporting Systems

The MOL Group has developed support measures to keep up with life events, to help all employees to maximize their skills even as their life stages change due to marriage, childbirth, childcare, and so on.

Details of the systems

Item Program Details
Systems available during pregnancy Morning sickness leave ★ 10 working days; 5 working days paid leave.
Commuting Relief Measures ★ During periods of morning sickness, staggered arrival and departure times of one hour per day are allowed.
Prenatal care leave ★ One working day of paid leave each month, separate from morning sickness leave.
Maternity and childcare leave-related systems Leave before and after childbirth ★ 8 weeks before and 8 weeks after childbirth. 6 weeks before and after childbirth is paid.
* By law, maternity leave can be taken starting 6 weeks before the expected date of childbirth.
Spousal maternity leave ☆ 3 working days (with pay) can be taken when a spouse gives birth. 
Temporary return home system for spousal childbirth ☆ Subsidy for temporary return home expenses up to 15 days of stay for a spouse who gives birth in Japan while working overseas.
Childcare leave ★ Until the day before the child's second birthday.
* By law, childcare leave can be taken until the age of 1 year old.
Postpartum return to work support program courses ☆ Provides financial assistance for "postpartum care classes" and services for "prenatal and postpartum online self-care classes."
Post-return to work support Cooperation with company-led nursery schools ☆ Priority admission to company-led nursery schools operated by "ten" company.
Childcare leave reinstatement support subsidy ☆ Those returning to work who use a non-licensed daycare center will receive ¥20,000 per month per family per child until the end of the following March.
Nursing hours When a child under one year of age is cared for, 60 minutes/day of paid childcare time is granted.
Child nursing care leave Until the child reaches the beginning of elementary school.
Overtime work limitations Those who care for a child in the sixth grade of elementary school or younger can limit overtime work to 20 hours/month, or 44 hours/month and 390 hours/year upon request.
Limitations on late-night overtime work While taking care of a preschool child, an exemption from late-night overtime (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) is available upon request.
Overtime work exemption Those who are raising a child under 3 years of age are eligible for an exemption from overtime work upon request.
Reduced working hours for childcare ★ Those who care for a child in the sixth grade of elementary school or younger can reduce daily working hours to 6 hours.
Sick child care (babysitting) ☆ Babysitter staffing for sick child care is available at a corporate member price. A portion of the fee is also subsidized.
Relo Club ticket 700 ☆ Subsidy of ¥700/hour for babysitting fees and use of childcare facilities for preschool children.
Discount coupons for babysitter staffing services by the Children and Families Agency ☆ A discount of ¥2,200 per child is available.
Workstyle-related systems Flextime system ☆ Start/end hours are between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Telecommuting system ☆ In principle, available up to 10 days per month.
Re-employment system for retirees whose spouses are transferred out of the country ☆ Reemployment opportunity within 4 years after resignation due to accompanying spouse on overseas assignment
Volunteer leave ☆ 5 working days available for eligible volunteer activities.
Nursing care leave system ★ Can be taken for up to two years for the same caregiver.
Reduced working hours for nursing care ☆ Eligible employees can reduce daily working hours to 6 hours.
Systems for women's health issues Gynecological health clinic Breast cancer, uterine cancer, and bone density testing available at no out-of-pocket cost.
Menstrual leave ★ Paid on one day a month.
Birth support leave ☆ Allows forfeited annual leave from the previous three years to be used for infertility treatment leave.
Training programs on women's health issues ☆ Improve health literacy through lectures on women’s health issues and health seminars by outside speakers
  • ★ Programs/systems that exceed legal requirements
  • ☆ MOL's original programs/systems
  • * It is unpaid during childcare leave, but the childcare leave benefits is paid by the employment insurance.

Various systems to support work and childcare balance

Various Supporting Systems
Other systems related to women's health issues
  • Gynecology checkup (breast cancer, uterine cancer, bone density test): Employees can have a medical exam at no cost.
  • Menstrual leave: Employees are eligible for leave in case of difficulty working during their menstrual periods.
  • Training program related to women's health issues: MOL seeks to improve health literacy by providing lectures related to women's health by a public health nurse from the Health Administration Center and holding health seminars featuring outside lecturers.

System Usage Stats

Sustainability Data

Other initiatives

To promote more active roles for female employees, MOL not only enhances systems centering on support for childcare, but also provides expands support for their career path and provides seminars to improve motivation.

Interactive Event on Women's Empowerment

Since 2017, we have held the "MOL Group D&I HOT Dialogue" for female employees of the Group. The purpose of this program is to encourage participants, regardless of gender, through lectures, panel discussions, and dialogues to think about and gain insight into what is necessary for them to develop their careers in accordance with their life stages.
Currently, the program has been expanded to include male employees and has been renamed "W Dialogue". It is held as an interactive event jointly with other companies such as Mitsui Chemicals, Mazda, JERA and JFE. For companies aiming to create organizations in which a diverse range of human capital can succeed over the next generation, this event provides a valuable opportunity to interact across companies and industries and think about gender equality and diversity, as well as how to advance their own careers.

Diversity Promotion Lecture/Training Program

  • MOL provides the following training programs according to career path/level
    "Relationships among diverse personnel, their active roles, and results of business performance/Training program to encourage understanding of the importance of a workplace where diverse personnel can play active roles"
    "Training program about understanding diverse attributes of employees, how to ensure smooth communication"
    "Training program to promote understanding of inhouse systems related to childcare/nursing"
    "Unconscious bias training program"
    "Promoting understanding of human rights and LGBT"
  • Assigning female employees to an outside training program to support more active roles for women

In addition, we conduct diversity promotion courses, lectures, and training programs, management poisition-specific training, and so on, regardless of gender.

Achievement of senior talent

Continued employment of senior personnel

MOL has introduced a re-employment system after retirement in order to realize our sustained growth together with senior human resources who have abundant knowledge, experience, and a desire to work.

Recruitment of athletes

Kae KurahashiCareer and Wellness Team
Human Capital Management Division

To promote the development of an environment where diverse employees play active roles, MOL recruited an athlete for the first time in 2016, Kae Kurahashi, a wheelchair rugby player. She balances work and athletic activities.
As One MOL, MOL Group executives and employees support Kurahashi, who participates in games in Japan and overseas, and played a tremendous role in the wheelchair rugby World Championship in August 2018.

Wheelchair rugby is a sport that can maximize the team's strength with all the players demonstrating their ability to perform, depending on the degree of disability, and playing their own roles. It is an ideal sport to embody diversity. MOL aims to convey the attractiveness of wheelchair rugby, encourage a greater appreciation of diversity and energize the company going forward.

MOL is an official supporter of the wheelchair rugby team AXE. It serves as an official partner of the Japan Wheelchair Rugby Federation, and supports wheelchair rugby through co-sponsorship of the World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge 2019.

MOL continues to promote the growth of wheelchair rugby and works to develop an environment that celebrates the diversity of employees inside and outside the company.

About Wheelchair Rugby
Wheelchair rugby is a game combining elements of rugby, basketball, volleyball, ice hockey, to name a few, and played in the same space as a basketball court. It is a team sport for athletes who have disabilities requiring them to use wheelchairs. This is the only sport in the Paralympic Games that permits contact between wheelchairs. Players are allotted from 0.5 to 3.5 points depending on their level of disability. Under this system, the total points of four players on the court must be within 8.0 points. The wheelchairs used in the game are reinforced to make them durable enough to withstand extreme contact, and modified for players in different positions.

Employment of disabled workers

Realizing that disabled workers can have meaningful lives as members of the local community

MOL leased part of the "Work Happiness Farm: Saitama Koshigaya Farm" (*) in Koshigaya-shi, Saitama Prefecture, and started operation of its own "MOL RAISE" program in April 2021. Harvested vegetables are used in lunch menus at the employee canteen in the Head Office, helping to maintain and enhance the health of employees.

MOL believes that indoor vegetable farming is one of the workplaces where every disabled employee can move toward achieving their full potential. We hope we can help them take a step into participation in society and enjoy rewarding lives as members of the local community through their work at "MOL RAISE."

(*) A rental farm for companies, established in Koshigaya-shi, Saitama Prefecture, by S. Pool, Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo), which supports the employment of disabled persons.
The second plantation was also leased in December 2022.

Working on the farm
MOL President & CEO Takeshi Hashimoto listens to a demonstration.
MOL Chairman Junichiro Ikeda experiences harvesting firsthand.

Workstyle Reforms

Initiatives

Since establishing the Workstyle Reforms Committee in 2016, we have implemented various measures and initiatives. In October 2023, we re-established the Workstyle Reforms Committee as the HC Action Committee.

[Reduction of total working hours and improvement of paid leave utilization rate]

Since 2016, we have put in place the organizational infrastructure (mainly hardware, systems, and DX support) that will lead to operational reforms. To create a virtuous cycle of further productivity improvement, innovation creation, diversity, and corporate value enhancement, we are promoting initiatives to reduce working hours themselves and increase the rate of paid holidays taken.

(Major initiatives)

  • Recruitment and appropriate allocation of human resources
  • Establishment of meeting rules and reduction of meeting time
  • Work disconnection
  • Visualization of paid leave utilization results and continuous promotion of leave utilization, etc.
[Promoting male employees to take childcare leave]

We are promoting efforts to develop a system and foster awareness and workplace culture to encourage male employees to take childcare leave.

(Major efforts)

  • Conducting interviews when a spouse becomes pregnant
  • Distributing role model books for male employees who have taken childcare leave
  • Holding seminars for returning to work after childcare leave, etc.
[Workplace Reform Project]

After establishing a pilot office based on the "free-address" system in May 2019, we finished to renovate MOL's entire office space in FY2022 based on the concept of the "constantly connected office." Using each space for its intended use on top of making the best use of online meetings and other information and communications technology (ICT) tools not only enhances employees' job satisfaction, but also improves their operations.

[To Spur Further Innovation]

One of the aims of MOL's workstyle reforms is to realize innovation by making use of time freed up by various workstyle reform measures. As an example, in FY2019 we launched the "MOL Incubation Bridge" as a system to solicit ideas for new businesses from MOL Group employees. Employees who propose an idea that is accepted are allocated to another division for a year and work full-time on verifying the feasibility of the proposed business. In 2024, we opened "SANGO" in Toranomon Hills Station Tower, a few minutes' walk from our headquarters, as a new place for communication and innovation creation. It has simulator training facilities for onboard operations and is widely used by employees for its training functions and as a place for internal and external communication.

[Other measures]
  • Implementation of Smart Biz (*a system that allows employees to determine by themselves the appropriate attire for their work style and practice it throughout the year)
  • Introduction of an off-site work system
  • Introduction of flexi-time and core time Abolition of core hours, etc.

The HC Action Committee will continue to promote each initiative defined in the HC Action 1.0, while also working to reduce total working hours.

Transition of Company-wide Overtime Working Hours(*)

* Overtime working hours results are calculated based on our company's prescribed working hours (7 hours per day).

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