The Shin-Etsu Polymer Group respects the human rights of all people based on “The Shin-Etsu Group Human Rights Policy”. To enable our Group companies across the globe to perpetually continue respecting human rights, we comply with all international codes of conduct and actively promote activities to respect human rights.
Shin-Etsu Group (the “Group”) engages in business based on its Business Principle, “The Group actively conducts in sustainable business practices and creates the value sought by society and industry through the provision of unrivaled key materials technologies.” The foundation of this is respect for human rights. The Group respects the human rights of all individuals. To ensure respect for human rights perpetually, the Group commits to observe the laws and regulations applicable in the countries and regions where it does business, respect international codes of conduct*, and vigorously promote the activities listed below. In the event that a contradiction arises between the laws and regulations of a particular country or region and international codes of conduct, we will deal with the matter appropriately based on our Group principles for respecting human rights.
*“International codes of conduct” follows:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILO International Labour Standards, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, UN Global Compact's 10 Principles, etc.
Respect for Human Rights
- Prohibition of discrimination
The Group does not discriminate at all on the basis of nationality, race, ethnicity, sex, religion, personal views, beliefs, age, social status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, labor union participation, health, marital status, political opinion, or any other status.
- Prohibition of damaging human dignity
The Group does not in any case conduct sexual harassment, power harassment, maternity harassment or any other acts that damage human dignity.
- Protection of privacy
The Group protects the privacy of individuals and handles personal information properly in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations of each country and region.
- Respect for basic labor rights
The Group respects the workers’ right to organize, the right of collective bargaining, and further rights given to workers to establish, maintain, and improve trust and good cooperative relationships through dialogue between labor and management.
- Prohibition of child labor and forced labor
The Group prohibits our operations in all countries and regions from using child labor in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations of each country and region. We also prohibit the use of forced labor.
- Working hours and wages
The Group complies with the working hours, breaks, holidays, and minimum wages stipulated by the applicable laws and regulations of each country.
- Health and safety
For the Group, safety is a fundamental prerequisite for business operations. We prioritize safety above all else and strive to further improve the work environment so that employees can work with peace of mind.
Activities for Respecting Human Rights
- Human rights awareness
The people responsible for human resources in each business site and company of the Group will strive to develop the proper understanding of human rights and awareness of respect for human rights through activities including education for employees on human rights.
2. Human resources development
The Group will create an environment in which diverse individuals can work at their full capacity and equally give all employees opportunities aligned with their aptitudes to develop and utilize their abilities.
- Working environment
The Group will make efforts to create a sound and comfortable working environment and to ensure safety.
- Prevention of human rights infringement
The Group will make efforts to prevent the infringement of human rights in the course of business activities by conducting human rights due diligence* in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- Measures for handling issues
If there are concerns regarding human rights infringement in our business activities, the Group will take appropriate measures promptly to resolve them.
- Remedies
If an incident occurs in the course of our corporate activities that is deemed to have had a negative impact on human rights, we will respond appropriately in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations of each country as well as international codes of conduct. For this reason, we have established a whistleblowing hotlines that can be used by officers and employees of the Group, their families and business partners.
- Promotion of respect for human rights
The Group will encourage all people associated with the Group to respect international codes of conduct for human rights.
- Information disclosure
We will regularly disclose information on the Group’s efforts to respect human rights.
*“Human rights due diligence” means:
To regularly implement the identification, evaluation, preventative/corrective measures, investigation, monitoring, and information disclosure of human rights risks in accordance with the Group’s human rights policy.
Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
Yasuhiko Saitoh, President
Established on May 21, 2019
Revised on May 17, 2024
