SUSTAINABILITY Employee Relations

Training System

Basic Concept—Assist Employees' Career Development

In order to fulfill our Group Philosophy, we operate training programs based on Lawson’s corporate and business strategies so that our employees can attain the knowledge and skills needed for various job types and positions. In order for employees to grow autonomously and foster the ability to think and act on their own, we have established an environment where individual employees can learn proactively in addition to the training system that the company provides. We provide continuous and systematic support to all staff members so that they can learn anytime they want to, including enhanced e-learning systems, regularly-held self-entry-style training programs, and improved LOCP (self-development assistance system) from the perspective of reskilling as well.

Aim of Training Systems

We categorize required knowledge and skills as well as provide training for roles of a wide range of people from new employees to managers. We provide different learning content catered for categories such as technical skills that include basic knowledge required for general staff members and job-specific expert knowledge and skills; human skills required for managers to demonstrate their management abilities and exercise their leadership; conceptual skills for executive candidates to foster management perspectives; training on compliance, human rights, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) common for all employees; as well as training for cultivating employees’ awareness such as labor management. We also provide training programs using the optimum means for participants based on the purpose and goals from face-to-face training, online training, and e-learning.

Overview of Training System

Main Content of Training

Human Rights and Diversity Training

We hold human rights and diversity training once a year for all employees to ensure that they have a correct understanding of issues relating to discrimination, prejudice and harassment, and are able to act in a considerate manner towards one another.

SDGs Training

We hold SDGs training once a year for all employees with the aim of helping them understand the Lawson Group's efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and link them to action.

Compliance and Risk Management Training

We hold compliance and risk management training once a year for all employees with the aim of making them aware of compliance and risk management in their daily work, and enabling them to act appropriately. In addition, we provide "training as a manager" tailored to each level in training for new managers at the time of their promotion to management positions.

LGBTQ+ Training

We conduct LGBTQ+ training for all employees once a year to help them acquire basic knowledge about LGBTQ issues and to promote the creation of a workplace where everyone can play an active role.

Labor Management Training

We hold labor management training once a year for all employees to allow them to acquire basic knowledge on correct work styles and labor management. In addition, we also hold labor management training for managers once a year to ensure that they are able to properly manage the labor of their subordinates. In addition, we provide "training as a manager" tailored to each level in training for new managers at the time of their promotion to management positions.

Mental Health

As education related to compliance and risk management training and labor management, understanding and learning about mental health is a mandatory subject for management appointments, we provide “training as a manager” tailored to each level in training for new managers at the time of their promotion to management positions. In addition, those to be promoted to management positions are required to learn specific subjects through e-learning as the required items to learn.

E-learning

To create a culture in which each and every employee takes the initiative in self-development, we operate e-learning as a system to support learning for career development. We provide a system that enables employees to learn whenever they want to learn, including the acquisition of technical skills specific to each type of job, general business skills necessary for working adults, and knowledge on compliance, harassment, mental health, and labor management. We offer more than 160 subjects of general-purpose content to meet a variety of needs.

LOCP (Lawson Open Challenge Program)

In order to create a corporate culture in which each and every employee raises his or her own hand and takes the initiative in self-development, we operate a system to support self-development for career development. We provide subsidies for self-education and introduce services that are useful for self-education, such as correspondence courses, commuting courses, external seminars, purchase of study materials, and magazine subscriptions.

●List of main training programs (FY2023)

Name of training Frequency of training Aims of training Main subjects covered
in training		 Number of
participants
per year
Training for new employees
Initial training for new employees joining the company 1 times a year Understand Lawson’s basic systems and structures, and change consciousness “from student to working adult (Lawson employee)” and to become a “working adult and business person.” Group Philosophy, Lawson’s Way, business manners, personnel and labor systems, compliance and risk management, commerce, retail business, franchise business, the Three Essential Practices, framework of stores, team building 98
Initial training for new employees joining the company at other times of the year 9 times a year Understand Lawson’s basic systems and structures, and the basic concepts of the Group Philosophy, Lawson’s Way, the business model, and store operation. Group Philosophy, Lawson’s history, business model, personnel systems, compliance and risk management, the Three Essential Practices 85
Training for employees at stores
Training for new employees joining the company (college graduates) 5 times a year Understand the basics for a working adult and business person, and acquire basic knowledge and skills required to become a store manager. Sales floor development, budget management, work procedures, understanding of the structure of settlement sheets, back management (hygiene, labor, money, disaster prevention, crime prevention), philosophy (five declarations), training crew members, communication, logical thinking 91
Training for new employees joining the company (high school graduates) 4 times a year Understand the basics for a working adult and business person, and acquire basic knowledge and skills required to become a store manager. Sales floor development, budget management, agreements, understanding of the structure of settlement sheets, back management (hygiene, labor, money, disaster prevention, crime prevention), work process, philosophy (five declarations), franchise business, training crew members, communication, logical thinking 10
Pre-store manager promotion training 2 times a year Acquire basic knowledge as the managers of directly managed stores (roles of store manager and the concept of the Five Pledges). Roles of store manager, formulation of Five Pledges, communication of Five Pledges, and realization of Five Pledges 80
Training for new employees joining the company at other times of the year 2 times a year Acquire basic knowledge and skills required for store operation. Sales floor development, budget management, understanding of the structure of settlement sheets, back management (hygiene, labor, money, disaster prevention, crime prevention), training crew members, communication 2
Job-specific training
Training for store managers 4 times a year Acquire basic knowledge on store operation required for store managers. Sales floor development, monthly management plan, store action plan, problem solving, business management, labor management, money management, SV operation, and FC contract 74
Follow-up training for store managers 2 times a year Acquire knowledge required to create a store supported by customers. Reviewing store manager operations, problem solving 36
Training for those newly-appointed to ASVs 2 times a year Understand the knowledge and skills required for promotion to a supervisor (SV) in order to acquire abilities to work with franchise stores to create stores supported by customers. Franchise business, supervisor operations, flow of management support, practice 47
Training before promotion to SV 7 times a year Understand the mission of supervisors (SVs), consider own attitude and actions, and acquire the minimum knowledge and skills required for management support as a supervisor. SV-WAY, roles of headquarters and franchise stores, flow of management support, practice, sharing issues 158
SV training 7 times a year Build the ability to analyze individual franchise stores based on the operating years and acquire skills to plan measures and take actions. Problem solving for individual franchise stores, community-based management guidance, understanding human resource development 435
Training for those newly-appointed to MCs 2 times a year Understand the roles of management consultants and acquire the required knowledge and skills. Understanding the mission, action guidelines, and roles; sorting and understanding issues regarding requirements for operating an organization; acquiring and practicing basic knowledge on financing and labor management 27
AMD training 2 times a year Learn about the supply chain related to the operations of the Product Department as well as main operations, and acquire the minimum knowledge that an assistant merchandiser (AMD) should have. Roles and initiatives of headquarters, work of each department within headquarters, specialized knowledge of related departments such as legal affairs related to operations, confirmation of processes at VDR and distribution centers, merchandiser operations 53
ARFC training 6 times a year Acquire the knowledge and skills required for recruitment field counselors (RFCs). Compliance, what is an RFC, area strategies, flow of property development and knowledge on operations, flow of franchise development and knowledge on operations 26
Training by job level
Training for new junior managers 2 times a year ・As junior managers, understand the key points for applying the necessary labor management knowledge to the practice. ・Further strengthen compliance and risk management systems as part of the internal control system. ・Upgrade management capabilities and strengthen leadership as a business promoter. Requirements for entry-level managers, mindset as a manager, DX, compliance and risk management, labor management, health of employees, Group Philosophy, 5W1H thinking, single-tasking, organization building, strategic thinking, organization management, accounting 172
Training for new managers 2 times a year ・Acquire the roles, knowledge, and skills necessary for attaining goals through employees. ・Further strengthen compliance and risk management systems as part of the internal control system. ・Upgrade management capabilities and strengthen leadership as a business promoter. What is expected of managers with subordinates, management, compliance and risk management, labor management, health of employees, evaluation system, remote management, anger management, management strategies, training for evaluators, coaching 128
Training for new senior-level managers 2 times a year Further reinforce the compliance and risk management system as part of the internal control system. What is expected of senior-level managers, compliance and risk management 27
M1 upskilling training 2 times a year Brush up on the knowledge and skills required of M1 workers after years of experience. Acquire the management skills required in the current situation. 5W1H thinking, accounting, strategic thinking, organization management 210
M2 upskilling training 2 times a year Update knowledge and skills for M2 positions in response to changes over the years. Acquire the management skills necessary for developing employees under the present circumstances. Anger management, single-tasking, remote management, accounting, strategic thinking 157
Selective training
Lawson management school 1 times a year Make each individual aware that they are business managers and exercise their leadership to enable the Lawson Group to grow further. What a business manager is; abilities to earn profit, create teams, and seek an ideal 178
Lawson management course 1 times a year Learn about the skills, knowledge, and perspectives that are required for business managers and utilize them on the front lines in order to improve practical abilities and expand horizons and perspectives as next-generation management candidates. Competitive strategies, finance and accounting, corporate analysis, design thinking, branding, innovation, CSV management, corporate regeneration, DX, leadership, relationship marketing, service management, Purpose management, management issues 27
Executive management course 1 times a year Raise awareness as a member of the management level. Leadership, sharing experiences, lectures by business managers, cross-industrial exchange, management issues 10
Innovative leader training program 1 times a year Produce new world-class management leaders from Japan. Liberal arts, management, leadership, and management issues 1
Common for all employees
Human rights and diversity training 1 times a year Correctly understand discrimination, prejudice, and harassment in order to act with consideration for one another. Basic knowledge of human rights and diversity, understanding of diverse populations, harassment, unconscious bias, a world where respect for human rights and diversity have advanced All employees
SDGs training 1 times a year To understand the Lawson Group’s efforts to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and link them to action. Background and overview of SDGs, initiatives in the company, involvement of SDGs in business operations All employees
Compliance and risk management training 1 times a year Understand the compliance risk rules required in each position and to act accordingly. Lawson Code of Ethics, risk management, and incident management All employees
LGBTQ+ Training 1 times a year Acquire basic knowledge about LGBTQ issues and promote the creation of a workplace where everyone can play an active role. About LGBTQ+, social background, company initiatives, coming out and outing, outing, and harassment All employees
Labor management training 1 times a year Acquire basic knowledge of correct work styles and labor management Basic knowledge of daily working style and working hours, work plans, work reports All employees
Labor management training for managers 1 times a year Acquire the mindset and basic knowledge of labor management for subordinates, and realize appropriate labor management Basic knowledge of labor management, understanding of working hours, concept of overtime work, work plans All managers
Career design training 5 times a year Looking at turning points in careers that can occur in the future, have employees reconsider their career from various perspectives, including work, health, leisure, and money to provide an opportunity to think about their future career independently. Personnel system for those 55 years and older, life plan, money plan, health and leisure, what is independent career development, career plan 130
Female employee career development training 1 times a year Formulate a long-term career vision and think about a work style conscious of balancing life events. Company initiatives for DE&I promotion and the status of women's participation in the workplace, work-life balance support systems, career thinking, lectures by senior female employees and roundtable discussions 44
Training for employees on childcare leave 1 times a year Prior to reinstatement, catch up with the company situation, think about the work style that suits oneself in balancing childcare, and resolve any concerns and questions. Business policy for the next fiscal year, work style after reinstatement (career thinking), personnel systems and benefits, lectures by employees who balance childcare and roundtable discussions 33

Training for Affiliate Stores (BMC Training)

We provide BMC training for affiliate stores that are just starting out in business, to help them learn the principles, concepts, and operations for a smooth start in store management and sales. A total of 217 people take this course annually (2023).




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