We strive to create relaxed, employee-friendly workplaces in the belief that there is a connection between the vitality of the company and employees being happy and healthy at work.

Safety is one of our criteria for evaluating worksite performance at our plants. Our Health and Safety Committee plays a central role in our efforts, which are matched to the characteristics of the business processes and the circumstances of each worksite. In 2010, we had 26 work-related accidents, with a frequency rate^*1 of 1.94% and a severity rate^*2 of 0.002%. We continue working to increase employee awareness and to improve the safety regime we have in place for when employees are making their commutes and when they are in the workplace.

Consideration of the physical and mental health of employees is a company's most important responsibility. We conduct comprehensive health examinations and have established a follow-up program so that our employees can thrive in their work.

Providing Comprehensive Health Examinations

We provide health examinations that include detailed medical tests in excess of legal requirements. Employees aged 40 and older are required to take a day-long, full physical examination in addition to the regular annual check-up. We also offer telephone and face-to-face counseling on health issues. We are further working toward improving the prevention of lifestyle diseases, and helping our employees to maintain and improve their health.

Lifestyle diseases are on the rise due to changes in diet and exercise habits. The Suntory Group has introduced a Lifestyle Program (Walking Program) with the goal of preventing and ameliorating lifestyle diseases. The program provides employees with opportunities to reexamine their daily lives and improve them on their own. We have also been working together with health insurance associations to provide specialized examinations and health guidance for employees aged over 40 as required by law since 2008.

Initiatives for Preventing Mental Health Problems

We have created two mental health management initiatives for the prevention and early detection of mental health problems: our self-care initiatives which aim to make employees aware of stress and take appropriate measures to counter it, and our line-care initiatives in which managers strive to improve the working environment and provide individual counseling. We also encourage employees to make use of consultations with in-house specialist physicians and outside counselors as needed, as well as to engage in mental-health self checks. We are also putting into place systems related to prevention and early detection of mental health problems. We have further developed programs to help employees who have taken time off for mental health issues to return to work, through such means as improved support by specialist physicians.

We have various councils that meet regularly to enable labor and management to study and discuss key management challenges. These include the President's Council, the Finance Reporting Council, and division and topic-specific councils. These councils hear statements from the labor union about shopfloor conditions and both parties debate the management policies of the Suntory Group. We operate and revise our programs involving human resources and labor based on thorough consultations rooted in mutual awareness of the issues. Corporate operations have been made more objective and transparent and the effectiveness of our various measures increased thanks to this relationship between labor and management.

Promoting Labor-Management Cooperation

The councils meet regularly to take up topics of shared importance to labor and management. Councils met some 45 times during 2010.