Health Management
Approach
NGK Group Health Declaration
The NGK Group positions the mental and physical health of employees as a critical management foundation at the core of human capital management. Enabling employees to continue working in good health is a critical management priority that supports the sustainable growth of NGK Group. We are committed to achieving this through health management.
Our Commitments
We provide a workplace environment that supports mental and physical health, along with the necessary information and opportunities, so that employees can work, learn, and continue to take on challenges with confidence.
We also foster an environment where everyone can remain active and motivated over the long term, regardless of age, position, or workstyle.
Viewing health as a force that unlocks human potential, we continue to take on social issues through promoting the health of employees and their families.
Our Expectations of Employees
We expect each employee to understand their own mental and physical condition, proactively engage in health promotion, and continue learning to improve their health literacy.
While caring for and supporting one another, deliver your best performance as a team.
The NGK Group hereby declares its commitment to remaining a company that continues to grow, where every employee takes health seriously and values "Investment in People."
President
Promotion Framework
NGK's Health Management Promotion System is overseen by the Director responsible for the Human Resources Department, under the oversight of the Board of Directors through the HR Committee.
With the Health Management & Promotion Office at its core, we collaborate with health professionals, including industrial physicians and industrial health nurses, while incorporating findings and deliberations from the Environment, Safety & Health Committee and employee views gathered through the Labor Union. Working in collaboration with the health insurance association, we plan, promote, and evaluate health management measures across the entire company.
Strategy, Metrics and Targets
NGK uses lifestyle improvements to boost daily productivity and improved health literacy to prevent the worsening of health conditions and extended absences. Through these initiatives, we enhance employee performance, reduce risk, and link health management to improved business outcomes.
Metrics and Targets
| Items | FY2025 Results | Targets | Target Achievement Periods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absenteeism (absence from work or leave due to physical or mental health conditions) |
2.2％ | 1.5% or lower | End of FY2030 |
| Presenteeism (reduced productivity due to physical or mental health conditions) |
62.4 points | 63.0 points or higher | End of FY2030 |
| Work Engagement | 3.3 points | 2.8 points or higher | End of FY2030 |
| Paid leave acquisition rate | 88.9％ | 100％ | End of FY2026 |
| Position-Based Mental Care Education completion rate | 100％ | 100％ | End of each FY |
Initiatives
VIVID ACTIONS
To help employees proactively practice and sustain lifestyle improvements, we have established six recommended behaviors and conduct training, events, and other programs to promote them.
| Items | Initiative Details | FY2030 Target |
|---|---|---|
| Greetings |
Let's Say "Good Morning!" and "Thank You!" Out Loud |
- |
| Diet |
Let's Eat Breakfast |
Breakfast Consumption Rate |
| Exercise |
Let's Walk at Least 30 Minutes a Day |
Rate of Regular Exercisers |
| Sleep |
Let's Get at Least 7 Hours of Sleep a Day |
Sleep Sufficiency Rate |
| Alcohol Moderation |
Let's Choose Non-Drinking Days and Set at Least One Alcohol-Free Day a Week |
Moderate Drinking Rate |
| Quit Smoking |
No Smoking, No Secondhand Smoke |
Smoking Rate |
Initiatives to Reduce Total Working Hours
Reducing Long Work Hours
NGK has established internal caps on overtime of 70 hours per month and 300 hours per half-year to limit excessive working hours and ensure employee health. Under this policy, we generally prohibit overtime when working seven consecutive days or on our twice-weekly Refresh Days, and require advance approval in unavoidable cases. We also require a rest interval of at least 10 hours following late-night work, among other measures to reduce employee workload.
In FY2025, there were 30 cases of overtime work exceeding our upper limit, but no cases which violated legal regulations (Full year results excluding seconded employees).
- Exceeded 70 hours: 9 cases (including 0 general employee)
- *Statutory limits not exceeded
- Exceeded 300 hours: 21 cases (including 10 general employees)
- *Statutory limits not exceeded
Working Hours Optimization Through Labor-Management Cooperation
NGK annually discloses working hours and leave usage to the Labor Union to exchange views and discuss countermeasures. When overtime is projected to exceed 45 hours per month, we identify the causes through Labor-Management Consultations and take measures such as distributing work periods and workloads more evenly and increasing headcount. When excessive working hours actually occur, we consult with the Labor Union at the workplace level on a case-by-case basis to address the issue.
For employees on overseas assignments, when excessive working hours are identified, we require a written explanation and a health checkup to maintain their health and analyze and address the root causes.
Hours / Overtime Hours Worked
Following Up on Employees Working Long Hours
NGK provides employees working long hours, including non-regular and part-time employees, with ongoing opportunities to meet with industrial physicians for health consultations and exams. The results are reported at monthly Safety and Health Committee meetings at each worksite to thoroughly promote the reduction of overtime work.
Number of Employees Having Consultation about Long Work Hours
Promoting Activities Supporting Mental and Physical Health
4 Types of Care for Mental Health
NGK continues its initiatives to promote the mental and physical health of employees, centered on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's recommended 4 Types of Care for Mental Health. We conduct stress checks and share a group analysis report of the results with each department. We also provide e-learning and mental health training on self-care and line care to help managers improve their workplace environment.
4 Types of Care
- 1Self-care
- 2Line care
(care by supervisors) - 3Care by
industrial health
staff within business sites - 4Care by
resources outside
business sites
Percentage of Employees Taking Stress Checks
Percentage of Employees with High Stress
Health Education (Initiatives to Improve Health Literacy)
E-Learning
To ensure employees have access to accurate health information, we share information through our internal portal and e-learning. We cover a wide range of topics, including mental health, women's health, and lifestyle disease prevention, to improve health literacy.
Lectures on Women's Health
We provide education on women's health led by specialist physicians to improve understanding not only among employees but also among managers.
Promoting Better Health and Wellbeing Among Employees
NGK implements a range of programs as part of its Collaborative Health*initiatives with the health insurance association, including the Health Declaration Challenge, personal health apps, walking events, online seminars, online videos on fitness and lifestyle improvements, and smoking cessation support. Through these initiatives, we work to promote employee health and physical fitness.
- *An initiative in which health insurance associations work closely with companies and use their respective strengths to create a positive work environment by efficiently and effectively promoting the health and wellbeing of employees and their families
Rate of Employees Taking Regular Health Exams
Rate of Employees taking Specific Health Checkups
Rate of Employees Eligible for Specific Health Guidance
Rate of Employees Who Completed Specific Health Guidance
Smoking Rate
Health Management when Stationed Overseas and Response to Infectious Diseases
NGK supports employees on overseas assignments and their accompanying family members, as well as approximately 600 employees on overseas business trips annually, to help them live and work safely and in good health. Through training by physicians specializing in travel medicine, we provide precautions for daily life, basic knowledge of infectious diseases, and vaccination recommendations, while strengthening health management, including measures against infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
We also work with external medical consultants to offer medical consultations overseas, interpreter services at local medical facilities, and emergency medical evacuation. Following travel, we continue to provide support through regular health information updates and a consultation helpdesk that includes mental health support.
Furthermore, with regard to overtime worked by employees on overseas assignments, we apply the same monthly limit of 70 hours as in Japan. If this limit is exceeded, we conduct health questionnaires and consultations with industrial physicians to ensure thorough health management.