Our View of DE&I at F&LC
Top Message
Recognizing each other,
Towards building a society where people can work
with the challenging spirit that may even deviate from the norm.
We aim to promote DE&I in the ways that are expected
of F&LC and take another leap forward together
with our people who have diverse personal qualities.
President & CEO
Masahiro Yamamoto
Our corporate philosophy at FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES includes the guiding principle, “Diversity is based on individuality.” For the company to continue to provide value to all stakeholders, it is essential to embrace diversity and support each individual in making the most of their individuality. We believe that when coworkers feel that they can participate in the company or organization in their own way, they grow as individuals, new value is created, and this leads to the social contribution we aim for.
Thanks to you, our company has continued to expand since its founding, and we believe that the driving force behind this is the growth and success of each and every one of our diverse colleagues, regardless of gender, age, nationality, race, ethnicity, or whether or not they have a disability.
In 2021, we established the DE&I Promotion Committee, which includes both internal and external executives. One of the themes is listening to the voices of employees.
We are working on a range of initiatives, from educational activities to deepen understanding of DE&I, to establishing systems to improve the workplace and strengthening human resource development.
We are confident that each of these efforts will lay the foundation for our diverse colleagues to become even more vibrant and thrive.
We will continue to work with many colleagues to provide “tastier than expected, more exciting than imagined, and more satisfying than the price.”
We will continue to promote DE&I while taking on challenges that go beyond what is typical of F&LC.
DE&I mindset
One of our corporate philosophies is our guiding principle, “Diversity is based on individuality.” Behind this guiding principle is the belief that in order for the company to continue to provide value to all stakeholders, it is essential to embrace diversity and support the individuality of each and every employee. We believe that the success of each and every one of our diverse colleagues, regardless of gender, age, nationality, race, ethnicity, or disability, is the driving force behind the growth of our Group, and we are promoting the development of an environment and systems that support this belief.
DE&I promotion system
We are promoting DE&I as part of the activities of the Sustainability Promotion Committee, which was established with the aim of furthering the sustainable development of the Group and society.
The presidents and executive officers of each company act as supporters to ensure the smooth promotion of DE&I initiatives across the entire group. They confirm, advise, and assist in the promotion of proposals and issues raised by workshops made up of volunteer employees and the DE&I Promotion Office. With “listening to employee voices” as one of the themes, each company and department is working together to realize measures.
Initiatives to promote DE&I
We provide opportunities for employees to deepen their understanding of the purpose and efforts of DE&I promotion through information dissemination via in-house newsletters issued by the DE&I Promotion Office and awareness-raising at store manager meetings. We also actively promote measures such as childcare leave, a paid leave reserve system, and support for promoting the employment and retention of people with disabilities. In particular, we call childcare leave “Family Time” within the company, and encourage male employees to take it as well. For employees who have taken long-term maternity or childcare leave, we hold interviews in advance to hear about their family situation and desired working style, and support a smooth return to work.
Holding workshops
We hold workshops to consider various initiatives to promote DE&I across all of our companies. Members are diverse in terms of gender, age, nationality, race, ethnicity, disability, company affiliation, position, and occupation.
By bringing together members from different fields, active discussions, including the exchange of information, are held, allowing us to reexamine the current environment from multiple perspectives. The DE&I Promotion Committee makes recommendations regarding current internal issues and necessary systems and measures that have been investigated and considered through these activities, and we are working to realize these measures.
The activities of the workshop members have become a major driving force behind DE&I across COMPANIES.
A total of nine sessions were held in FY24, with 17 employees working on themes such as “Creating a culture of gratitude” and “Improving job satisfaction.”
Promotion of understanding
We provide opportunities for each employee to learn about the purpose and initiatives of DE&I promotion so that they can deepen their understanding of DE&I. For example, we publish an internal newsletter called the DE&I Newsletter every month. This newsletter introduces employees who make the most of their individuality and shine in their own way, thereby enhancing our ability to accept diversity.
DE&I Newsletter (an internal newsletter themed on DE&I) distributed to raise awareness
Raising awareness at a meeting of restaurant managers
Revitalizing local industries and creating jobs
Our group operates in nine countries and regions around the world, with approximately 60,000 employees working for us. At our overseas stores, we hire and promote local employees to a variety of positions, expanding the scope of their activities by utilizing their native language skills to support store operations. Going forward, we will continue to actively hire local staff in each country and region, aiming for coexistence and mutual prosperity with local communities.
