Human Rights
We adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Children’s Rights and Business Principles, the ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the United Nations Global Compact.
We are committed to respecting the human rights of all individuals involved in our business activities across all countries and regions where we operate.
To express our commitment to human rights and promote company-wide efforts, we established a Human Rights Policy in 2021, following approval by the Board of Directors.
In addition, we are committed to identifying and appropriately managing human rights issues across our supply chain through due diligence.
We promote these efforts not only among all executives and employees, but also with all stakeholders, including business partners, through mutual understanding and collaboration.
Implementation Structure
We conduct assessments on human rights for employees and our supply chain based on our “Human Rights Policy,” which is approved by the Board.
To ensure human rights are respected, we are committed to preventing potential risks before they arise and have established a framework that enables prompt and appropriate responses when such risks realize.
In cases of serious violations, the relevant internal departments and committees take strict action, report to the Board of Directors, and strive for continuous improvement.
Basic Human Rights Policy
ZOZO Group strives to maintain a safe working environment and is engaged in initiatives that respect the human rights and individuality of each employee.
1.Commitment to Human Rights
We, all officers and employees of ZOZO, Inc. and its group companies (hereinafter “We”), contribute to sustainable social development by respecting human rights in every aspect of our business activities. We have established our approach as the “Basic Human Rights Policy (Human Rights Policy)” and promise to comply with the policy.
2.Reference and Scope
In accordance with the international principles of human rights*, we appreciate and respect cultures and customs of all countries and regions where we conduct our business activities, and strive to avoid involvement in discrimination and the violation of human rights in all business activities. We also require our suppliers and business partners to respect and refrain from infringing human rights in conformity with the aforementioned policies.
3.Respect for Diversity and Prohibition of Harassment
We respect all people as individuals and do not tolerate discrimination or any disadvantageous treatment on the basis of political beliefs, ideologies, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical features, illnesses, age, nationality, race, ethnicity, etc. We provide equal opportunity in recruitment, evaluation, development, placement, remuneration, promotion, executive appointment, etc., and foster a work environment in which our diverse workforce can play an active role.
In addition, we do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, and take continued preventive measures, such as through regular employee education.
4.Prohibition of Forced Labor and Child Labor
To protect basic human rights, we forbid the use of any and all forced labor or child labor, and engage in business activities adhering to all compliance requirements.
5.Management of Working Hours and Wages
We stipulate appropriate working hours, break time, overtime hours, late-night work, day offs, and vacation in our rules of employment in accordance with the Labor Standards Act and labor-management agreements. In compliance with legal requirements, we also stipulate minimum wage, legal benefits and deductions, overtime work, etc., in our pay regulations, and make payments directly to our employees.
6.Respect for the Freedom of Association and the Exercise of the Right to Collective Bargaining
We respect the rights of employees to form trade unions based on the employees’ own wills and the right to choose whether or not to participate. We authorize the exercise of collective bargaining right in an effective manner, and shall negotiate in good faith through constructive dialog with labor representatives.
7.Maintenance of Employees’ Safety and Health
We exercise due care to maintain our employees’ physical and mental health and strive to secure safe and healthy workplace environments. We comply with the laws, regulations, and rules related to safety and health, and work to maintain this by adopting appropriate measures to address health risks.
8.Freedom of Expression and Privacy Protection
We recognize freedom of expression and privacy protection in telecommunications and the Internet, and in communications on social media. We take the utmost care not to infringe on such rights. In addition, we serve all our users in a fair and equitable manner and provide safe and convenient services.
9.Initiatives and Structure to Respect Human Rights
We construct mechanisms for effective countermeasures by establishing human rights reporting desks to prevent human rights violations. We conduct human rights due diligence to assess the impact of business activities on human rights, continuously monitor the impact, and report to the stakeholders. In the unlikely event that business activities should have a negative impact on human rights, we shall respond appropriately using fair and equitable remedial actions to mitigate and resolve such effects.
10.Communication
Under the SDGs Promotion Committee which includes the CEO, is responsible for the promotion of human rights initiatives. The committee promotes the ZOZO Group Basic Human Rights Policy to all officers, employees and external stakeholders and actively conducts human rights awareness activities.
*"Universal Declaration of Human Rights," "UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights," "Children's Rights and Business Principles," and the "Eight Fundamental Conventions of the ILO"
*Basic Human Rights Policy approved by the Board of Directors on October 18, 2021
Human Rights Due Diligence
Human Rights Risk Assessment in the Supply Chain
In accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, ZOZO Group has established the following human rights due diligence process.
As part of this process, we conduct human rights risk assessments across our supply chain to identify, prevent, and mitigate ESG risks.
In accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, ZOZO Group has established the following human rights due diligence process.
As part of this process, we conduct human rights risk assessments across our supply chain to identify, prevent, and mitigate ESG risks.
Supply Chain Due Diligence
Human Rights Risk Assessment for Employees
We provide annual training and awareness programs on human rights and harassment for our employees.
In addition, we have established a whistleblowing system accessible to all employees across our group worldwide.
If a human rights violation occurs, we respond promptly and appropriately in accordance with our internal regulations.
Grievance Mechanism
ZOZO Group has established whistleblowing channels for reporting violations of our Human Rights Policy or other compliance-related violation.
These channels are available to all employees across our group globally and accept reports in local languages (multilingual support).
In addition, we have a separate whistleblowing system operated by the LINE Yahoo Group, which is accessible to its officers and employees, as well as those of its business partners.