The GALILEI Group establishes the quality management system and is committed to continuous improvement to boost the quality of products, systems, and services.
Human rights are fundamental rights of all people. The GALILEI Group fulfills our responsibility to respect human rights in every aspect of our business activities.
The GALILEI Group identifies, prevents, and deals with any possible negative impacts on human rights in order to ensure that all our stakeholders respect human rights in their business activities, in line with our human rights policy.
We conducted an anonymous survey of all employees of FUKUSHIMA GALILEI in July 2024 to identify any potential human rights violations by the company. We asked the survey participants about harassment, gender, child labor, forced labor, and workplace health and safety issues based on our human rights policy, and approximately 1,500 employees participated in the survey, achieving a 75% response rate. We will address and deal with the survey findings accordingly and conduct similar surveys of our group company employees as well.
The GALILEI Group has established the GALILEI Group Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, which are aimed at promoting and implementing sustainable procurement. We conduct a survey based on the Guidelines to examine how our suppliers implement sustainable procurement and manage risks that may affect human rights. Introduced in FY2023, the survey was conducted in December 2023 with suppliers from the GALILEI Supplier Hub and Contractor Hub participating. We plan to expand the scope of the survey to include more suppliers, and conduct it on a regular basis.
Following the establishment of the human rights policy, we organized an e-learning workshop for all employees of the GALILEI Group. Business and human rights was the main theme of the workshop, and the participants learned about the social context of human rights, potential human rights violations, and the GALILEI Group's human rights initiatives. The workshop strongly emphasized the crucial importance of respecting human rights. We will continue to provide human rights training in the future.
We promote fair and free transactions in accordance with our Charter of Corporate Behavior when conducting purchasing activities. Additionally, we consider social issues such as environmental and human rights issues to ensure a sustainable supply chain.
Legal compliance
In all purchasing activities, we comply with laws and regulations as well as internal rules, acting with integrity and responsibility while upholding social norms and ethical principles.
Fair and transparent transactions
We select business partners fairly and impartially, evaluating their business conditions, product quality, technical capabilities, pricing, delivery schedules, and commitment to social issues. Under no circumstances we accept cash, cash equivalents including gift vouchers, or gifts or hospitality beyond socially acceptable norms.
Partnership
We strive to build strong relationships of trust with our business partners and work toward mutual prosperity. Also, we collaborate with business partners to manufacture and develop products, systems and services that deliver value.
Environmental considerations
We conduct purchasing activities that minimize environmental impact in accordance with our Environmental Policy.
Respect for human rights
We ensure that our purchasing activities uphold human rights in accordance with our Human Rights Policy.
To promote and ensure sustainable procurement, the GALILEI Group has established the GALILEI Group Sustainable Procurement Guidelines (November 2023). The Guidelines are positioned as a tool to communicate to our business partners the initiatives promoted by the GALILEI Group. The Guidelines describe the sustainability policy and initiatives of the GALILEI Group and the requirements for our business partners to follow based on our eight material issues in the section of “Requests for Cooperation of Business Partners.” For details, refer to the GALILEI Group Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
To enhance trust-based relationships with our suppliers and contractors, the GALILEI Group holds the “GALILEI Supplier Hub” with part and component suppliers and the “GALILEI Contractor Hub” with construction and service contractors regularly.
The GALILEI Group aims to enhance its training programs and framework, as well as boost employee engagement, to develop individuals who will lead the way for the future of food and life.
We offer a broad spectrum of training programs, including level-specific training, aimed at enhancing our group-wide training framework. This approach enables staff to collaborate more effectively, shape the direction of their workplace, and boost engagement significantly.
In 2022, we launched the GALILEI Academy, a dedicated training facility aimed at offering professional development opportunities for our staff. The goal is to enable them to quickly acquire and demonstrate their skills in the workplace. Freezing and refrigeration technology is essential for supporting the food infrastructure. One of the major challenges we face, along with the broader industry, is the difficulty in finding and training successors because of the aging technical workforce and the higher turnover among younger workers. To address this challenge, we established the GALILEI Academy. It serves as a platform where experienced technical staff can pass on their knowledge and skills to younger workers. This initiative not only enhances the technical competencies of our workforce but also ensures the consistent delivery of our technical services.
At the GALILEI Academy, participants engage in a comprehensive one and a half months practical training program that includes both classroom learning and hands-on training. This program is designed to impart fundamental product knowledge, repair and maintenance skills, and installation techniques. In the second half of the curriculum, on-the-job training is provided. This enhances the participants understanding and response skills, ensuring they are fully prepared to enter the workforce. In addition, the training program offers support for those aiming to obtain nationally recognized qualifications, such as Class 3 Refrigerated Equipment Supervisor and Class 2 Electrician. In December 2022, GALILEI Academy was accredited and recognized as a Short-Term Vocational Training School by the Osaka government. The academy regularly hosts workshops for our customers, aimed at enhancing their understanding and knowledge of our products. We also have plans to extend the use of this facility to our contractors for conducting their own training sessions.
At GALILEI Academy, our goal is to develop human resources who are not only skilled technically but also motivated to contribute positively to society. We believe in empowering our trainees to find their work rewarding and to grow both personally and professionally.
In 2023, we inaugurated the Sales Academy, designed to provide job-specific training for new sales staff who joined us post-graduation. The purpose of the Academy is to enable these new sales staff to quickly adapt and demonstrate their skills in the workplace, ensuring they feel comfortable and prepared when assigned to their respective workplaces. In its first year, 13 people completed the training course. The training is tailored to equip sales staff with the basic technical skills and essential work knowledge required for their roles as sales representatives of a manufacturer. Teams from the factory, equipment design, installation, and service departments contributed to the program, which spanned a total of one and a half months. This cross-departmental approach to sales training has been particularly beneficial for new staff with less experience, helping them build a strong network within the GALILEI Group.
We established GALILEI Juku with the aim of encouraging our employees to obtain construction-related qualifications. This initiative is supported by internal instructors who provide follow-up training courses. In 2022, the program helped 12 employees to pass the Class 1 Chief Piping Work Engineer examination. To further motivate our employees in their pursuit of professional qualifications, we offer qualifications allowances.
The GALILEI Group aims to create new value by developing a work environment where all employees recognize and respect each other's diversity, regardless of nationality, race, creed, gender, or disability, and can express their individuality while fulfilling their potential to tackle challenges.
FUKUSHIMA GALILEI has a department known as the Kirari Promotion Office, which promotes women’s empowerment. The Kirari Promotion Office is specifically focused on hiring, retaining, and empowering women. The office has implemented a range of measures designed to create a positive working environment that helps women stay in the workforce and thrive in their roles.
To boost the proportion of female employees in career track positions, we are proactively hiring female liberal arts graduates in these roles, aiming to ensure that they comprise 50% or more of such hires each year. After hiring, we offer dedicated support to these employees, including the organization of round-table discussions.
We are committed to increasing female representation in management to 10% by 2030. In May 2024, we organized the Career Design Forum for Women and the Ikubosu Seminar in collaboration with other companies. Discussions with female leaders from other companies at the Career Design Forum for Women empowered participants to envision their future career paths. The Ikubosu Seminar equipped managers with skills to support staff in balancing work and family care duties, enhancing both personal and professional growth. These initiatives mark significant steps toward a diverse and inclusive workplace.
In 2016, we launched a job transfer program enabling female employees to move from administrative roles to career track positions. As of the end of March 2025, a total of 34 female employees used the scheme to transition to career track positions, and four of them have been promoted to managerial roles.
We aim to foster a corporate culture where male employees feel comfortable taking paternity leave, aiming to increase its uptake. Since April 2022, we have encouraged this by offering five days of paid special leave to those who take paternity leave. Additionally, we internally acknowledge male employees who utilize this benefit.
One of the GALILEI Group's missions is to pursue both material and spiritual happiness for its employees. We aim to foster a positive work environment to ensure that each and every employee feels safe and satisfied.
In September 2022, we initiated a pilot engagement survey and workplace improvement activities in selected areas, which significantly increased engagement. In June 2024, these initiatives were extended to all business sites in Japan. After a survey is completed, we share overall survey results with managers, who then share with their peers the strengths and challenges of their workplaces, the improvement actions they are taking, and advice for one another. This will help reform our framework and strengthen our corporate culture. We are committed to qualitatively evaluating and monitoring our work environment to ensure that every employee feels safe and satisfied.
The company upholds the philosophy of "Respect for Human Life" and ensures the safety and health of its employees.
Employees always act with "Safety First" and strive to achieve zero occupational accidents and traffic accidents.
In April 2023, the GALILEI Group established the GALILEI Safety Committee to prevent workplace accidents.
It aims to ensure a work environment free from accidents, including traffic incidents and health issues. It is superior to Health and Safety Committees that have been set up for business sites. In addition to implementing group-wide measures, the GALILEI Safety Committee holds a monthly meeting with the Health and Safety Committees to share information about workplace accidents and details of interviews with those who work longer hours and guidance given to them. Committee members also conduct safety patrols to prevent workplace accidents.
The GALILEI Group declares that it strives to be a Happiness Creation Company, promote the physical and mental health of employees, create a cheerful and vibrant workplace, and help consumers improve their health through our food business operations.
The GALILEI Group designates the President as Health and Productivity Manager, and the Executive Officer in charge of Human Resources as Health and Productivity Management Promoter and Chairperson. They work together with the Health and Productivity Management Committee (commonly known as Aoharu Team) and the Health Management Office, both of which are under the management of the Human Resources Department, to develop and implement health management measures and monitor the progress of health and productivity management measures through the Management Committee. The Aoharu Team consists of the Human Resources Department, the Corporate Planning Department, staff engaged in health-related jobs in each business site, occupational physicians, occupational health nurses and other medical staff, the Health and Safety Committees, the Employees Committee, and the Kirari Promotion Office. The Aoharu Team discusses health issues and items requiring improvement from a diverse, unbiased viewpoint and determines company-wide health management measures to take.
We conduct an annual stress test for all employees, offering an opportunity for self-care. We encourage all employees to take the test, aiming for a 100% attendance rate. We also conduct Line Care Training for managerial staff to ensure that mental health issues are identified and prevented at an early stage.
On June 30, 2022, we issued a non-smoking declaration to encourage employees to quit smoking and to provide support for those who want to stop smoking. We implement a variety of initiatives to prevent health risks associated with passive smoking and to promote good health through non-smoking. The initiatives include designating the 22nd of each month as a non-smoking day, banning smoking during working hours, banning smoking in the head office building and on the Okayama Factory premises, and partially covering the cost of outpatient smoking cessation services to provide support for those who want to stop smoking.
We are committed to managing and reducing excessively long working hours through the implementation of several initiatives, including the No Overtime Day, Work from Home, and Interval schemes, as well as requiring advance requests for overtime work. We ensure that all employees plan their paid annual leave at the start of each year, encouraging them to take leave as scheduled.
The above metrics are applied solely to FUKUSHIMA GALILEI. *1 The average number of days when employees are absent from work due to illness and injury or take paid leave (measured based on a questionnaire survey) *2 Presenteeism: An indicator of declined performance and productivity of employees who attend work while being sick or having any symptom. The figure was calculated by conducting the Single-Item Presenteeism Question (SPQ) developed by the University of Tokyo Working Group, one of the evaluation metrics available, averaging the answers of survey respondents, and subtracting the average percentage from 100 percent. *3 An indicator of employees’ positive mindset and a sense of fulfillment at work. Survey respondents were asked to answer the two questions, among the 80 questions on the New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire, on a scale of 1 (Not at all) to 4 (Definitely); (1) I feel invigorated when I am working and (2) I am proud of the work that I do. Then, the figure was calculated by dividing the total score of Questions (1) and (2) by 2.