SUSTAINABILITY Employee Relations

Health Management (Occupational Health and Safety)

Commitment to Health Management

画像:代表取締役 社長 兼 CSO 竹増 貞信

Lawson promotes the health of all its personnel as an appropriate policy for a company dedicated to providing overall support for its customers’ efforts to lead healthy lives in accordance with its Group Philosophy, "Creating Happiness and Harmony in Our Communities." Our concern for employee health extends beyond individuals to include their families as indispensable factors in the Company's development. Employees can perform up to their potential only when their family life is fulfilling. Japanese society is also seeking to secure longer, healthier lives for its citizenry, moreover, as a means of stabilizing the working population and reducing medical costs. Lawson has made it a key mission of management to maintain and improve the health of Lawson Group employees.

Sadanobu Takemasu
President and CEO
Representative Director
Chairman of the Board
CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer)

Vision Regarding Health

Health Vision

The Lawson Group pursues its Three Promises with the aim of becoming the hub of refreshment in every community, based on our Group Philosophy, “Creating Happiness and Harmony in Our Communities.” As part of our efforts for human kindness, one of the Three Promises, we are committed to sell products and pharmaceuticals focused on food safety and health and to establish a workplace environment friendly to workers.
To enable all employees, including franchise store owners and store crews, to share, empathize, and collaborate with one another on the meaning and significance of health, we have established systems for promoting a PDCA cycle to identify, address, and verify issues at each layer of organization and comprising the Lawson Group Health Promotion Office, the Human Resources Division, the Lawson Health Insurance Society, and individual employees.
By constantly promoting this cycle, we will continue to firmly grasp issues and implement measures in response to changes in the social environment and employees’ values.

Vision Regarding Health

Health and Productivity Management Promotion System

As Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) and Chairman of the Health and Wellness Promotion Committee, the President bolsters and drives Lawson’s internal and customer-oriented health initiatives as well as its health management.
To keep Lawson Group employees healthy and improve their health, we established the Lawson Group Health Promotion Office where expert staff members are permanently stationed, as a unit directly under the control of the President. The unit implements various measures in collaboration with the CSO Assistant, Human Resources Division, Lawson Health Insurance Society, and labor unions.
In addition, health ambassador activities are carried out led by the Genki Leaders appointed in each area. At their bimonthly meetings, industrial physicians and public health nurses provide health information and exchange opinions. As ambassadors to expand health activities, they are actively providing information to help employees in each area take an interest in health.

[Organizational structure]

Organizational structure

[Key health meetings]

Key health meetings

Strategy Map

Lawson’s goal in its health measures is a state where all its employees, including franchise store owners and store crews, are self-care conscious, mentally and physically healthy, and able to maximize their performance.
Lawson also aims to achieve a state where all employees respect colleagues and are considerate and cooperative with one another, thereby creating a workplace where employees can work cheerfully, delightfully, and energetically to achieve job satisfaction.
The health as happiness of employees contributes to our Group Philosophy, “Creating Happiness and Harmony in Our Communities,” which we believe will lead to enhanced corporate value.
We are working toward this goal based on a strategy map that visualizes the flow of processes.

*Click on the image to open the PDF

Health Checkup Results FY 2023

In fiscal 2023, in terms of participants in the appropriate range of laboratory values, results improved in certain items from the previous fiscal year, though there were items with deteriorated results.
While aiming to improve each item, for those who already have health risks, we take an approach to prevent the emergence of the risks through a variety of measures.
Slow but steady progress has been made in the smoking status since fiscal 2019, with our quitting support program and information provision on the in-house bulletin board taking effect.
The Lawson Group Health Promotion Office and the Lawson Health Insurance Society continue to work together to help each employee lead a healthy and fulfilling social life.

Regarding responses to the six items in the health checkup questionnaire, improvements were observed in many of the items.
In particular, items related to exercise habits have been steady since fiscal 2019.
With the annual walking event taking root as a habit, the results indicated the rising exercise awareness among employees.
Through various measures, we provide continuous support to help as many employees as possible feel improvement in their lifestyles.

Initiatives Regarding Health Checkups

We believe that in order to create a workplace where each employee can work in a healthier and more productive state, the support from those surrounding them is indispensable. To this end, we have appointed “health ambassadors” in each area and department, who are responsible for disseminating health information and measures to employees around them, and are working to create an environment where employees can improve their lifestyle habits, such as diet and exercise, as well as receive health checkups and consultations without hesitation.
We also provide any necessary information, such as the status of weekly health checkup appointments, to the managers of each department so that employees can respond speedily.
Effects of these ongoing efforts have been seen, such as the completion of health checkups and re-checkup reports becoming earlier and earlier each year.

Increased Uptake of Optional Examinations (Cancer Screening)

We provide optional tests (cancer screening) that employees can take in addition to regular health checkups and make continuous efforts to disseminate the necessity of checkups and detailed examination methods.
As a result, the checkup participation rates have been increasing both in men and in women.
In particular, since fiscal 2020, checkup participation rates in women have substantially increased following the shift to free of charge gynecological examinations in all ages.
The rates of participants in brain examinations have also been increasing year by year, with the participation rate in women exceeding 30% for the first time in fiscal 2023.

Optional tests (cancer screening) participation rates

Response to Post-health Checkup Measures

Post-checkup measures are implemented to support the early medical intervention and treatment start for employees with checkup results calling for medical care.
As a result, we have achieved 100% re-examination ratios reported by the relevant employees.
In addition, we designate three layers of health risk levels and have established a system to support the health of employees in cooperation with the Human Resources Division and workplaces so that treatment can be started as soon as possible in accordance with the risks.
We also work with the Lawson Health Insurance Society to introduce systems for employees who need improvement in their lifestyles, so that they can work cheerfully, delightfully, and energetically, and maximize their performance in good health.
It is extremely important to promote the health of employees. We continue to actively engage in health training and the prevention of severe illness.

[Our Designated High-Risk Individual Categories and Specific Interventions]

Our Designated High-Risk Individual Categories and Specific Interventions

Specific Health Guidance (Health Support Program)

Since fiscal 2016, we have strengthened our initiatives as collaborative health measures between employers and the Lawson Health Insurance Society.

The implementation rate declined to 44.4% in fiscal 2022 but successfully recovered to 49.3% in fiscal 2023.
The Lawson Group has strengthened the employer approach to high-risk employees, including those receiving re-examination reminders following health checkups. This program has led to the start of medication and other therapies, thereby reducing the relevant population.

We have also started planning and examining an approach to promote early intervention into employees aged younger than 40 years who might be subject to this program, expecting to prevent deterioration in their figures as well.

[Participants and participation rates in specific health guidance]

Participants and participation rates in specific health guidance

Diabetes Control Action (Diabetes Deterioration Prevention Program)

In fiscal 2021, we started a Blood Glucose Control Program.
We introduced a program that aims to improve numerical values through self-learning by visualizing blood glucose changes.

As shown in Figure 1, the average HbA1c level of program participants was reduced from 6.5% (diabetes range) to 6.2% (pre-diabetes range).
As shown in Figure 2, the individual graph of HbA1c results for the following year’s health checkup has become smaller overall, indicating that the majority of participants have improved their values.
Because this program has turned out extremely effective, we will further strengthen and promote the relevant initiatives.

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Mental Health Initiatives

In line with our Commitment to Health Management, we are promoting comprehensive efforts to ensure that employees can work in a state of better mental as well as physical health, thus leading to higher productivity.
Industrial physicians fully participate in data analysis, training, and other initiatives, and we have a system in place to directly provide employees with expert knowledge and guidance.
By conducting stress checks and employee awareness surveys and analyzing employee stress levels, job satisfaction, and overall satisfaction levels, we identify requirements by department and by job type and promote measures for improving workplace environment.

Analysis of survey results and visualization of actual status

We are working to visualize a mental health status by analyzing survey results.
We also provide inputs on the characteristics of each department and examples of countermeasures so that department heads can voluntarily analyze their results and take improvement action.
In addition to operational aspects, we also help employees effectively manage their mental and physical health.

Analysis of survey results and visualization of actual status

Line Care

All managers take e-learning courses prepared by industrial physicians based on the characteristics and requirements of their employees, thereby effectively supporting employees under their control in health aspects as well.
At the same time, we are promoting the creation of an environment where employees can work cheerfully and energetically by conducting training on the improvement of workplace environment.

Self-care

All employees take a training cause on resilience (e-learning).
In addition, we provide an environment where employees can freely use videos and other materials to foster health literacy, so that they can efficiently cope with stress and continue working without compromising productivity.

Aggregation of Health Information

In fiscal 2023, we started summarizing and posting health-related information on the company intranet.
In this way, we help employees easily access health information while providing information updates to help improving literacy.

Reinstatement Support Program

We have established a system to prevent severe illnesses in cooperation with the Human Resources Division and workplaces, including interviews with industrial physicians and public health nurses.
With the aim of preventing recurrent absenteeism, we introduced a reinstatement support program in fiscal 2020 for information sharing among an absentee, the workplace, the Human Resources Division, and occupational health staff, which helps the efficient reinstatement and workplace inclusion of employees returning from absenteeism.
As a result of this initiative, the percentage of recurrent absenteeism within five years among employees returning from absenteeism due to mental problems has stayed extremely low at 7.6%.

Consultation Desk

We operate consultation desks both inside and outside the company and have established an environment where employees can easily consult by e-mail, telephone, or in person.

Health Promotion Measures

Genki Challenge!

Genki Challenge! is a health promotion measure for fostering communication through cooperation in a team, by using a diet management app to record daily activities and organize the rhythm of living, promoted in cooperation with the six Lawson Group companies.
App users have increased year after year to approximately 2,500 in fiscal 2023, the sixth year of the initiative.

KPI: target users and accomplishment rate

In a questionnaire survey to which approximately 70% of the users responded, about 90% maintained high satisfaction levels with participation in the program, and about 25% recognized changes in their body, such as weight loss.
Participants receive Ponta points as an incentive. In the optional program Hotto Support Points, which has been continued since fiscal 2020, points have been donated to food banks and the Lawson Group's fund-raising activity, Happiness in Communities. A total of about 400,000 yen has been donated until fiscal 2023.
Step count events have been conducted under different themes every year. In fiscal 2023, a real walking event was held with about 100 participants, including those from consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates, taking a stroll around Edo Castle.

As a collaborative health measure with the Lawson Health Insurance Society, we conducted a weekly health information quiz on the app to improve literacy.
Compared to fiscal 2022, the registered app users increased by 1,121 to 4,918, and the quiz respondents increased by 355 to 918. We will continue promoting this initiative.

Genki Challenge Plus

In the Genki Challenge Plus program, individual participants aim to achieve a BMI of 22 as a health guideline and to reduce weight by 3% to 5% over a five-month period. Successful participants receive up to 10,000 Ponta points.
According to the results of the health checkup in fiscal 2023, more than half (54%) of all participants in fiscal 2022 lost weight, and 35 among them attained the goal.
By actively working with individuals with BMI around 25, it is expected to improve the obesity rate. In fiscal 2023, 311 individuals actively participated in the program.

Sports Meet (of the Expanded Lawson Group)

We have held the Sports Meet every year since fiscal 2009 with the addition of consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates starting fiscal 2023.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, we held a softball tournament in fiscal 2023 for the first time in four years.
We are working to revitalize the health and communication of the entire Group.

Sports Meet (of the Expanded Lawson Group)

No Smoking Measures

Since fiscal 2018, we have promoted initiatives, including no smoking during working hours, with the aim of promoting employee health and preventing passive smoking.
With the aim of creating a corporate culture that supports no smoking, our management sent a message to all employees on May 31 of this year, timed with the World No Tobacco Day.
We will strengthen measures toward a 75% nonsmoker rate as Lawson’s non-consolidated target by fiscal 2025.

Employee health management and present status

In compliance with occupational safety and health laws and regulations, we undertake activities to help employees live cheerfully, delightfully, and energetically, promote health, and balance work with health.
We report progress in our activities using a list of numerical figures that represents the physical and mental health of employees.

図:従業員の健康管理・状況

Initiatives to date

*Click on the image to open the PDF

Expenses Related to Employee Health

We disclose the costs of health-related initiatives for all employees each fiscal year.

図:認定

Health of Franchise Store Owners and Store Crews

Maintaining the health not only of employees but also of our franchise owners and store crews is one of Lawson’s most significant concerns. We offer subsidies for physical examinations, flu vaccinations, etc. through the Lawson Owner Welfare Association along with a menu of other health support benefits.

In addition, we set up a health booth for measuring blood vessel age, blood pressure, and physical function at a seminar for sharing Lawson’s policies and directions with franchise store owners and store crews.
In this way, we helped participants know their health status and review their daily living activities, encouraged them to have health checkups, and introduced effective stretching and physical function check methods for maintaining and promoting their health.
We will continue to call on franchise store owners and store crews to promote their health.

Health of Franchise Store Owners and Store Crews

Publication of Health White Paper

We conduct numerical analyses of transitions in the health of all our employees and the results of various initiatives, and publish an annual Health White Paper showing the status of progress toward our target values along with results based on other health plan data.




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