Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Promoting the Achievements of Female Employees

Status of promotion

We promote our initiatives based on the 3 main pillars of “Awareness and Organizational reform,” “Work life management promotion,” and "Enhancement of skill development."
In particular, we aim to strengthen our pipeline of the next generation of female leaders by proving goal-oriented training by position with the support from our Departments.
With regards to the ratio of female leaders with decision-making ability, we aim to have 30% of our executives be female by 2030 and have 30% of our managers and line managers be female by 2024.
We are implementing various initiatives with this realization in mind.

• Dai-ichi Life Holdings Integrated Report 2023 PDF

Percentage of Female Managers at the Domestic Life Insurance Group^*1 (as of April 1, 2023)

• *1
  Total figures for Dai-ichi Life Holding and domestic life insurance group companies (Dai-ichi Life, Dai-ichi Frontier Life, Neo First Life)
• *2
  Managers, Managers of Branch Offices, Deputy Branch Office Heads, etc.
• *3
  Senior General Managers, Regional Branch Office Managers, Line Managers, Deputy Branch office managers, Block Sales Managers

Initiative for In-house Employees

Promoting the Early Development of Female Leaders

Female Branch Manager Network

Newly appointed branch office executives exchange information and opinions with other members and senior branch office executives which fosters better organizational management and enables a stronger internal network among members.

Female Manager's Seminar

In order to realize an organization that can create new value, participants learn the roles of a manager and understand the ability to think from a management perspective. Members also become advisors of for participants of the Next Generation Female Leader's seminar for their development.

Next Generation Female Leader's Seminar

By incorporating the paricipants' regular workplace activities and with the support of their managers, they put what knowledge that they had aquired through the training and turn it into practice in their work. Participants get together in small teams and share their workplace practices. Through regular dialogue with their managers, partipants understand various role models and discover their own image of what a manager should be.

Domestic and Global open recruiting system

In order to support our employees in realizing their careers, we are working to provide opportunities to demonstrate their skills and abilities.
In Japan, we have introduced the “My Career System” to encourage employees to think autonomously and develop their own careers. We offer a wide range of positions inside and outside the group that enable employees to work in diverse fields beyond the framework of insurance.
The number of open positions, applicants, and successful candidates is increasing every year, and the “era of employees choosing their own careers” is becoming a reality.
Further, we have launched a global job posting program, whereby employees can pursue opportunities to work globally and demonstrate their expertise across various countries outside of Japan.
The number and scope of applications have expanded to include Japan, Singapore, India, Thailand, and the United Kingdom for open positions in the United States, Australia, Singapore, and India for participants, leading to the creation of a culture where the Group grows together, enhances each other's abilities, and supports each other's success.

My Career System (Domestic)

*As of April 2023

Adoption of full remote work

In April 2022, we adopted a full remote work option; 17 employees are trying out this new style of work. Among those whose work is limited to a particular region and does not require a move, employees for whom it is difficult to commute to work within 90 minutes, such as in Tokyo or Osaka, are able to perform work for the headquarters in a fully remote fashion, five days a week, from anywhere in Japan. Also, for those who have chosen short workdays for reasons such as childcare, the elimination of commute time due to remote work could allow them to choose to move to full time. A flexible work style that does not depend on time or location of residence is driving a diverse range of career options.

Career rotations outside our group by leveraging Japanese hometown tax program

As part of our efforts to solve regional issues throughout Japan, we have made use of the corporate version of the Furusato tax system by dispatching employees.
As of April 1, 2023, we have dispatched a cumulative total of 61 employees to 58 local governments through the corporate version of the Furusato tax system.
We promote cooperation and collaboration with local governments to realize a sustainable society, and dispatch our employees with specialized knowledge and know-how to local governments which equally benefits local communities, employees, and the Company toward a realization of a sustainable society.

Internal and external side jobs

Starting in April 2021, the restriction on side jobs outside the company was lifted. This policy enables the utilization of relevant skills and specialties outside the company and is intended to help in community building. The range of possible outside work is broad, including things like teaching seminars. Currently, many employees are taking advantage of this opportunity. Furthermore, internal side jobs were allowed beginning in December 2020. Each project can advertise jobs; gathering participants from various departments enables collaboration and innovation across department boundaries. Participants who have a chance to work on projects for other departments also get the opportunity to think about their own careers.

*As of July 2023

Efforts to prevent unconscious bias

To maximize and develop an employee's individual skills and abilities, it is necessary to recognize and consciously control any perceived distortions and biases that we see daily. It is essential to overcome unconscious bias and not be steered to assumptions such as gender stereotypes. Therefore, in addition to conducting unconscious bias training for all employees, we also provide an “evaluation error checklist” that makes aware of any unconscious bias during evaluations to implement fair and impartial evaluations.

Efforts to address women's health issues

Various seminars are held each year that address health issues and treatment that are unique to women that may affect their career development. These seminars are held to raise awareness and to attain a deeper understanding for themselves and for those employees around them.

【Seminar Topics from 2021 and 2022】

• Women's cancer
• Uterine disease
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) • Dysmenorrhea (Period pain)
• Male and Female menopause
• Infertility treatment • Egg freezing

【Joint seminar with other companies】

Dai-ichi Life co-hosted a seminar with the cooperation of other companies on the topic of menopause, which has many symptoms that are common to both men and women. The panel discussion was held by external experts and by management from the co-hosting companies and they spoke about the importance of "an environment where everyone can work comfortably" and creating a "culture where anyone is free to consult." For the wide range of participants, the seminar was a great opportunity to deepen their understanding of well-being work styles and correct health literacy. In addition, we have collaborated with other companies to raise awareness of health issues that are important to society as a whole.

February 2023, a joint seminar with other companies on "Well-being work styles from the perspective of menopause for both men and women"

External Recognition

Selected the “Nadeshiko” brand in 2018 and “Semi-Nadeshiko” brand in 2019^*

• *
  The Nadeshiko Brand is a joint initiative from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) that publicizes TSE-listed enterprises that encourages women's success in the workplace.

Selected as a Nadeshiko brand for two consecutive years.
2018 Nadeshiko Brand
2019 Semi-Nadeshiko Brand

Active Participation of Employees with Disabilities

Dai-ichi Life not only actively hires people with disabilities, but also conduct follow-up interviews after they have joined the company as well as well as administering Human rights training to understand people with disabilities so that they will be able to perform their duties in a comfortable working environment as we aim to realize normalization. The employment rate of persons with disabilities is 2.49%. 977 employees are active nationwide. (as of June 2023)

Initiatives of Dai-ichi Life Challenged

Dai-ichi Life Challenged Co. Ltd. was established in August 2006 as a subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life and was certified as a special subsidiary in November 2006. Dai-ichi Life Challenged mainly hire those with intellectual and mental disabilities and currently have over 380 employees working in 8 locations. We strive to create a culture where every individual can be entrusted towards personal growth while accepting and supporting each other.

Dai-ichi Life Challenged Co.,Ltd.(Japanese only)

At Dai-ichi Life Challenged, there are a wide variety of jobs in various business departments. The main business is outsourced from the Dai-life Life Group and there are more than 20 different types of tasks such as printing, document shipping, administrative assistance, cleaning, and being coffee baristas. Through these jobs, each employee utilizes their own strengths that compliments in developing their skills. Going forward, we would like to challenge ourselves in learning new tasks that come our way.

Global Diversity

Group Initiative Task and Global Leaders Committee

With the goal of solving issues that surrounds the Group, the Dai-ichi Life Group has established various task forces (Group Initiative Task Force) consisting of members from each of the overseas Group Companies. These task forces cover a wide variety of topics to engage in Group-wide collaborative initiatives. With our diverse range of global talent and specialties, our Group engages in discussions to solve issues and create value. The Group has also created the Global Leaders Committee comprised of top executives from each Group company as they engage in deep discussions with the goal of further growth of the Group.

Hiring of International Students

We hire newly graduated international students from Japanese educational institutions as part of our proactive efforts to develop global human resources. These employees bring diverse cultural backgrounds and values that enrich the workplace and help us to improve our organization and the Group's international competitiveness.

Other Initiatives

• Global Talent Seeds (GTS) Developing language and business skills to junior employees
• Dispatch of employees overseas for study and training

Global DE&I Summit

Although our DE&I activities vary depending on the environment in each country, we began DE&I activities as a Group in 2022 and held our first Global DE&I Summit online in November 2022.
The aim of the event, titled "Learning Together" was to create a Group-wide culture that respects diverse values, embraces differences, and promotes people's well-being. It was attended by 59 leaders from 13 Group companies from Japan, the United States, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. In addition to sharing their understanding of DE&I and learning about global trends through lectures by external professor, participants were divided into small groups and actively exchanged opinions on future initiatives they would like to implement and ideas for the Group as a whole. By having diverse people assemble and share their thoughts, we continuously foster Group's DE&I understanding and actions to create an organizational culture that makes the most of diversity.

Work-Life Balance

Dai-ichi Life strives to promote work-life management of our employees based on two pillars - the Improvement of work-life support systems and the promotion of flexible work styles and creating an environment in which our employees can work with enthusiasm. Further, from fiscal year 2022, for the promotion of having our male employees taking on a more active role in childcare with their partners, Dai-ichi Life has set a company goal of 100% of our employees who will become expecting fathers take paternity leave for a minimum 1 month cumulatively. In addition, we hold seminars to promote awareness and provide educational materials on taking childcare leave and provide communication tools for managers and team members.

Enhancing support systems for balancing childcare and work

• *
  below are our own support systems and systems that exceeds what is required by law.

Support from pregnancy to birth

• Prenatal and postnatal leave (100% paid leave for 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after childbirth)
• Maternity leave (up to 5 days per month can be used as paid time for pregnancy-related ailments such as morning sickness and hospital visits)
• Leave when spouse gives birth (3 paid days granted when spouse gives birth)
• Grandchild birth leave (3 paid days granted upon the birth of a grandchild)

Childcare support

• Childcare leave (until the end of April or end of October, whichever comes first a month after the child turns 1 year and 6 months old; depending on the situation, this can be extended until the child turns 2 years old)
• Child support / Childcare leave (up to 12 days per fiscal year can be taken to tend to a child not yet enrolled in elementary school)
• QOL improvement leave (leave granted for the purpose of improving one's quality of life such as attending a child's school event)
• Reduction of working hours and exemption from overtime until a child graduates elementary school
• Subsidy for childcare support service expenses

Support for men participating in childcare

• Promoting the goal of 100% of male employees to take childcare leave for a total of 1 month or more
• Up to 20 days paid leave are granted for each child when taking childcare leave
• “Pre-papa seminars” held for male employees and their partners
• Held “Ikuboss seminars” for management-level employees
• Shared stories of male employee's experiences of childcare leave on the company intranet

The promotion of male employees taking childcare leave

From fiscal year 2022, we have been working towards the goal of having 100% of our male employees take a cumulative total of at least one month of childcare leave. We are implementing initiatives that go beyond legal requirements, such as raising awareness through "pre-papa seminars" so that our male employees can proactively engage in childcare and housework, submitting written childcare leave plans, and granting up to 20 days of paid leave. We also hold "Ikuboss seminars" for management-level employees, share experiences of male employees who have taken paternity leave on our Intranet, and work towards creating a workplace environment where diverse employees can support each other through understanding and collaboration.

• *
  Dai-ichi Life Holdings and three domestic life insurance companies

External Recognition

Based on the Law for Measures to Support the Development of the Next Generation, Dai-ichi Life Insurancewe obtained the “Platinum Kurumin Plus Certification” from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The “Platinum Kurumin Plus Certification” is a newly established system in April 2022. Based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising the Next-Generation of Children, the certification was granted in recognition of the company's high level of childcare support and its efforts to create a workplace environment that facilitates work and infertility treatment.

Usage of various systems

LGBTQ-Friendly

Dai-ichi Life clearly expresses its respect for basic human rights in the Dai-ichi Life Human Rights Declaration . As a part of its efforts to ensure Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Company also promotes initiatives to make it a LGBTQ^* friendly company.

• *
  LGBTQ is an acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender and Queer or Questioning persons, including persons with gender identity disorder.

Dai-ichi Life participates with other companies as a member of the executive committee in “work with Pride” an organization that supports sexual minorities. President Inagaki has also sent a message supporting LGBTQ initiatives.
(Position is as it was at the time of signing)

• *
  Obtaining the highest "GOLD" Pride Index for the 8th Consecutive year

Initiatives to customers

Insurance Beneficiary

If a policyholder wishes to designate a same-sex partner as a policy beneficiary, the designation procedures are easier to follow so long as the policyholder submits a copy of the certification issued under the partnership oath system of local governments.

Initiatives to employees

Full Provision of Information

Dai-ichi Life provides seminars to all employees to promote understanding of LGBTQ individuals.

Establishment of Consultation Desk

Dai-ichi Life has established a system consisting of a consultation desk to respond to individual cases of consultation concerning LGBTQ issues.

Formulation of LGBTQ Policy

In the policies (including the Code of Conduct) that employees are to follow, it explicitly states not to discriminate against others because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Extended Application of Leave System

In the Leave system for marriage, childbirth, etc., persons eligible for the system in principle now include the same-sex partners of employees in the same manner in which spouses are, based on objective materials, etc.

Extended Application of Use of Company Housing

In the standards for granting the use of company housing, same-sex partners in principle shall be considered family members, based on objective materials, etc.

Efforts for Experienced Hires

Concierge System

In addition to securing skilled and specialized talent for future business reforms and business development, we are strengthening our mid-career recruitment efforts to promote diversity in knowledge, experience, and way of thinking and to lesson the homogeneity in the company culture. We started to implement a "concierge system" as a follow-up system for new employees. During the first six months after hiring, the "Concierge System" is designed to help mid-career hires resolve any concerns or questions they may have through the use of digital tools such as chat rooms, and to help them better understand the organization. Through these efforts, we will promote the success of mid-career hires in a variety of fields and enhance the strength of the organization.

Percentage of mid-career hires among all domestic group companies

Top management agrees with domestic and international initiatives to promote women's advancement

Declaration of action "Meeting of male leaders to accelerate the success of shining women"		Principles of conduct of the "Association of Male Leaders to Accelerate the Active Participation of Shining Women" supported by the Cabinet Office
30% Club Japan		"A global campaign aimed at increasing the proportion of women in key decision-making bodies of companies, including the board of directors, which began in the United Kingdom."
Challenge to 30% in 2030		Keidanren's campaign aimed at forming a movement of top management toward the same goal as 30% Club Japan
"Women's Empowerment Principles WEPs"		Code of Conduct jointly established by the United Nations Global Compact and UN Women
"G20 EMPOWER" Advocate		Private sector alliance for the Empowerment and Progression of Women's Economic Representation

• Initiatives for Stakeholders