Work Style Innovation

Promoting Work Style Innovation

In order for us to increase our corporate competitiveness, it is absolutely essential to sophisticate the working style (shift to a work styles with a strong awareness of time, and with high added value and productivity). Furthermore, we recognize that it is important to achieve work-life balance if we are to have an active, diverse work force. Therefore, with our basic concept of work style innovation, which is to build a win-win relationship between employees and the company to enable employees to work with a firm sense of fulfillment and produce results, it is our aim that each and every employee will fulfill their own role and produce results in the limited time.

In fiscal 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have established and expanded communication infrastructure to enable all domestic employees (approx. 3,000) to work remotely and promoted active utilization of web conferencing system. Additionally, we have made efforts to maintain productivity by holding training to strengthen communication in teleworking and disseminated information and held events to maintain physical and mental health. In fiscal 2021, we implemented initiatives to promote the sophistication of work styles to produce a virtuous cycle of improving productivity by achieving results while enjoying work through the enhancement of the work-life balance, which can become blurred when working from home. As one of these initiatives, we have conducted training programs on the theme of self-discipline, independence to improve productivity, based on our belief that each employee needs to be self-disciplined, independent in performing his/her duties and roles, rather than waiting for instructions from supervisors, in order to improve productivity while working from home and other diverse work styles become more prevalent. Going forward, we will also promote the sophistication of work styles and a virtuous work-life cycle, and also continue initiatives that lead to the maximization of corporate value.

Improvement of Employee Satisfaction

We value communication between management and employees, which includes lectures by directors at each business site and company-wide messages from the president and executive officers.
The aim of our work style innovations is improving productivity. In evaluating productivity, we emphasize employees' sense of fulfillment in their professional and private lives. We have decided to measure employee engagement and turnover rate in order to understand how fulfilling work tasks are and how much employees feel that they are contributing to society through their work.

Every year, we undertake an employee engagement survey-SMP Opinion ("MinOpi"), through the use of an external system. We also compare our employee engagement score with that of other companies and thus strive to understand our status objectively. Our employee engagement score for 2022 is 68%, which is 4.9 points higher than the average of domestic companies, indicating that our employees are in a high state of fulfillment in their work.

From fiscal 2019 to 2021, we have been awarded third place in the large company division of the Best Motivation Company Awards for 3 years continuously. Going forward, we will continue to work to improve employee engagement in each department.

The employee turnover rate of employees leaving for personal reasons has been less than 2% for the last five years as a result of enhancing HR systems and creating comfortable working environments.

Achieving Work-Life Balance
Work-Life Balance

At Sumitomo Pharma, we consider that it is essential for all employees to pursue transformation and to generate innovative ideas in order to continue achieving our Corporate Mission. To this end, we believe that it is necessary to create an environment conducive to exercising one's full capacities while effecting a positive cycle connecting work and personal lifestyles for every employee to achieve our Corporate Mission.

We believe that it is important for employees to have full and satisfying roles in both their professional and private lives. Additionally, we encourage employees to produce maximum results within specified work hours, then, after work and in their free time, engage in personal development, outside interests, and leisure time with their family. We feel that a mindset oriented toward boosting the quality of hours spent on work tasks will spur individual growth and, as a result, produce a virtuous cycle that leads to better results for the organization.

Since fiscal 2017, we have been continuously promoting Work Style Innovation Meetings to take stock of tasks at each workplace and to review work styles and have been working to resolve issues. We will continue making efforts to sophisticate our working styles, promote a virtuous work-life cycle, and maximize corporate value.

In recognition of the Company's efforts to promote childcare support, we received "Kurumin" Certification twice, in 2010 and 2013, and "Platinum Kurumin" in 2017 while working to create a pleasant and rewarding work environment for employees raising children. Since then, we have been "Platinum Kurumin" certified every year. In each workplace, we promote a mindset of understanding and assistance for employees facing diverse life events who require flexible work styles.


The acquisition rate of annual paid leave has increased due to the promotion of work style innovation. In fiscal 2021, the rate of male employees taking childcare leave (one business day or more) was 97.6%. Additionally, from fiscal 2021, we have set a new ambitious goal of 100% male employees taking childcare leave (5 consecutive working days or more). We are aiming to create a comfortable working environment that makes it easier to balance work and life for both male and female employees.

Click here (Health, Safety and Welfare of Employees) for information on working hours management.
Click here (ESG Data Table under Information Related to ESG) for information on uptalking rate for paid leave and usage results for the childcare leave program.