Human Rights: Respect for Human Rights and Prohibition of Discrimination

Policy on Respect for Human Rights and Prohibition of Discrimination

In order to encourage the development of organizations imbued with respect for human rights and valuing diversity and creativity, Toshiba Group provides education on human rights to all employees.

The “Toshiba Group Standards of Conduct‘ stipulates adherence to all relevant laws and regulations, respect for fundamental human rights, and prohibition of discriminatory treatment, child labor and forced labor. It requires that respect be accorded to diverse values, individuality, and privacy of individuals, prohibits discriminatory behavior based on race, religion, gender, nationality, disability, age, or sexual orientation, and prohibits physical abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of power, and any other actions that disregard the dignity and individuality of others.

Also, our participation in the UN Global Compact is another aspect of our support for universal principles concerning human rights and labor, and our determination to put those principles into practice.

We also recognize the importance of implementing our human rights policies not only within the Group but also throughout our supply chain. To this end, we stipulate the policy of respecting human rights in our supplier code of conduct “Supplier Expectations‘ and request their compliance with the policy, which we then verify through CSR surveys.

• Toshiba Group Standards of Conduct Chapter 2 15. Human Resources

Ensuring the three rights of labor to employees

Toshiba supports the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Global Compact, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and works to ensure that its employees have fundamental labor rights. In the labor agreement concluded with the Toshiba Labor Union, Toshiba stipulates that the Labor Union has the three rights of labor (the right to association, the right to collective bargaining, and the right to act collectively).

Human Resources Management Policy

Toshiba Group recognizes the significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also established the Human Resources Management Policy in 1973, which specifies human resources as the most valuable assets and requires that the personnel policies be implemented based on respect for fundamental human rights and social norms of different countries and areas.
We formulate and promote various programs for the recruitment, assessment and treatment of personnel based on this management policy.

Framework for Respecting Human Rights

Based on the policy of respect for people and diversity and prohibition of discrimination, Toshiba is working to raise awareness of the importance of respect for human rights by providing enlightenment training on human rights.

Promotion Structure

In accordance with the above policy and the structure shown below, Internal Human Rights Promotion Committee of each in-house company formulates and implements a concrete education and training plan in order to provide enlightenment on human rights.

Toshiba Corporation Internal Human Rights Promotion Committee Structure

Education on Respect for Human Rights

Toshiba Group strives to be a discrimination-free organization in which employees enjoy optimal job satisfaction, based on our policy of respecting fundamental human rights and the diverse values of individuals and prohibiting discriminatory treatment; and foster an awareness of human rights among our employees through the activities of the Employee Wellness Division.

In addition, we undertake initiatives that place an emphasis on human rights and diversity. For example, “Toshiba Group Standards of Conduct” has been translated into 15 different languages so that the awareness takes root within all companies and business sites.

Education on human rights is provided to new recruits and to employees at the time of promotion, including those promoted to managerial positions. In December every year during Human Rights Week, Toshiba holds a Human Rights Week Memorial Lecture at the Toshiba headquarters in Japan, as a Toshiba Group CSR month event. In FY2011, the lecture addressed the issue of power harassment, and was attended by about 150 officers in charge of administrative affairs, human resource management, etc.

Human rights enlightenment training according to positions

• Training of new employees and training of mid-career employees (Training of university and technical college graduates is conducted collectively by the headquarters)
• Training before and after promotion and assuming of managerial positions

Prohibition of Forced Labor and Child Labor

Toshiba Group strives to create a work environment where human rights are respected and diversity and creativity are nurtured. As a participant of the UN Global Compact, with universal principles concerning human rights and labor, it pledges to adhere to all relevant laws and regulations, respect fundamental human rights, and ensure prohibition of discriminatory treatment, child labor and forced labor.

Labor-Union Relations

Toshiba maintains a good relationship with the Toshiba Union, which represents our employees. Management and union representatives periodically negotiate and discuss employee working conditions and other matters.
At the Toshiba Group Labor-Management Congress held every six months, Toshiba discusses the Toshiba Group's business policies with representatives of the Association of Toshiba Group Unions, with which the labor unions of Toshiba and Toshiba Group companies in Japan are affiliated.
Toshiba Group companies overseas hold discussions with their labor unions or employee representatives in accordance with the laws and regulations of the countries in which they operate.

Protection of Employees' Personal Data

Toshiba obtains and uses employee personal data after first obtaining the consent for the purpose of use. The Human Resources and Administration Division play a central role in strictly managing employee personal data.
Also, with regard to personal data of job seekers, retention period is determined, and data is used appropriately within the scope of the purpose of use for which consent was secured and is protected strictly.

Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Power

The Toshiba Group Standards of Conduct, a code of conduct for executives and employees, stipulates respect for diverse values, individuality, and privacy of individuals, prohibition of discriminatory behavior based on race, religion, sex, nationality, disability, age, or sexual orientation, and prohibition of physical abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of power, and any other actions that disregard the dignity and individuality of others.
In accordance with this policy, the employment regulations and the labor agreement prohibit sexual harassment and abuse of power and stipulate disciplinary punishment for any person found guilty.

Provision of Consulting Services for Employees

Toshiba Group provides consulting services regarding employee problems and grievances on an individual basis. Expert consultants respond to employee inquiries via telephone, fax, e-mail or postal mail regarding problems related to work environment, interpersonal relationships, personnel treatment, sexual harassment, and abuse of power.

Protecting human rights throughout our supply chain

Having recognized the importance of implementing our human rights policy not only among Toshiba Group employees but also throughout our supply chain, we urge our suppliers to respect human rights in their business activities in accordance with our supplier code of conduct “Supplier Expectations,” which is specified in the Toshiba Group Procurement Policy. Their compliance is monitored through our CSR survey.

EICC membership

In June 2011, Toshiba joined the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), which is a CSR promotion group in the electronics industry. We support the EICC Code of Conduct and promote CSR throughout our supply chain. In May 2012, we revised the Toshiba Group Procurement Policy to specify the use of conflict-free minerals as an additional request to our suppliers in the area of human rights and to present specific examples of inhumane acts such as slavery and human trafficking.

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Support for the Use of Conflict-Free Minerals

For humanitarian reasons, Toshiba Group’s policy stipulates that raw materials such as gold, tantalum, tungsten, and tin mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries experiencing armed conflicts must not be used. In October 2011, we built an internal system for conflict minerals and established the Toshiba Group Conflict Mineral Policy and publicized it on our website.

As a part of our efforts to carry out due diligence, we conduct surveys with the suppliers of our semiconductor department and other departments regarding the use of conflict minerals and the smelter verification using the EICC-GeSI* reporting templates.

We are also a participant in the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA), which is a privatepublic project advocated by the US Government. We hope to eliminate the fund sources of armed groups and provide economic support to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries. In February 2012, we exchanged opinions with a US NGO (Enough Project) and A SEED JAPAN, which are working on issues related to conflict minerals.

In 2011, we conducted a pilot survey of 300 suppliers in the semiconductor and other sectors using the “EICC-GeSI(*6) Conflict Minerals Reporting Template” to identify their use, and to single out smelters of conflict minerals.
In 2012, we surveyed a total of about 10,000 suppliers on their understanding of the issue of conflict minerals, and what initiatives the suppliers had in place.
From 2013 on, the Group plans to continue surveying suppliers about any potential use of conflict minerals or implicated smelters, using the “EICC-GeSI Conflict Minerals Reporting Template.”

• 　Toshiba Group Conflict Minerals Initiatives (PDF:49K)

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