Health Management and Occupational Safety and Health

The Dai-ichi Life Group's "Health Management" aims to improve the health not only of our employees, but also of our customers and society as a whole. Since its establishment, the Dai-ichi Life Group has been fulfilling its social mission through the life insurance business by providing customers with peace of mind in their lives while at the same time conducting management that contributes to the promotion of good health. In order to solve the social issue of continuously extending healthy life expectancy, we are taking on the challenge of "contributing to the wellbeing of each and every individual and to healthy communities and society" by continuing and strengthening the health promotion of our employees, who are the bearers of this challenge.

The Dai-ichi Life Group has made clear both internally and externally its commitment to promoting health management by establishing "Dai-ichi Life Group Health Statement" in 2011 and the Basic Policy on Health Promotion in 2013. We will continue to contribute to the health and well-being of each and every one of our employees based on "the Group Code of Conduct" and "Dai-ichi Life Group Health Management Statement", which were both updated in 2024.

• Code of Conduct

< Health Management Statement >

Under the leadership of the CHRO, we are working to improve the level of initiatives led by the person in charge of health management promotion in the Human Resources Unit. Specifically, we are promoting various measures based on health issues by collaborating with internal and group companies, health insurance unions, worker representatives, and others, and by implementing the PDCA cycle.
In addition, each business site has a person in charge of promoting occupational health and safety activities and health promotion initiatives, such as a work management supervisor and health supervisor, who work together with industrial physicians, public health nurses, and the Health Promotion Group Secretariat to implement initiatives. The PDCA cycle is used to promote health management initiatives and the improvement of occupational health and safety by regularly consulting with the CHRO, various committees, health insurance association meetings, health committee, worker representatives, etc., regarding health issues, measures, promotion status, etc. Sustainability Officer chairs the Group Sustainability Promotion Committee, which reports on health management initiatives and implements the PDCA cycle. Members of the Health Promotion Group are also working to enhance their expertise by acquiring qualifications as occupational health consultants and health management expert advisors.

Aiming to realize employee well-being, the Dai-ichi Life Group has established indicators based on the Health Management Strategy Map and implements health measures accordingly. In addition, based on the concept of occupational health and safety management system, we are working on measures to ensure, maintain, and improve a healthy and safe working environment. In order to enhance the effectiveness of these measures, we implement the PDCA cycle and conduct periodic reviews, including the effectiveness of the measures, to promote the improvement of the level of health and occupational safety and health of our employees and the organization. In addition, we regularly identify and assess risks related to occupational health and safety, such as accidents, incidents, diseases, and pandemics. We prioritize countermeasures against significant risks identified through this process, and work to prevent recurrence by implementing a PDCA cycle for health measures, including collaboration or consultation with the CHRO and related committees, and by providing regular training and information on accident prevention to employees.

< Health Management Strategy Map >

We believe that for each employee to work with a sense of "fulfillment" and "purpose," it is crucial to lead a healthy daily life. Therefore, we are continuously working towards implementing health management practices. Led by the management team, we aim to create a workplace with high psychological safety, where every employee can be themselves and perform to their fullest potential.
Moreover, the rapid changes in work styles, triggered by telework and other factors in recent years, have led to an increase in lifestyle disease risks and changes in workplace communication. Consequently, we have identified "Lifestyle Disease Prevention" and "Mental Health Measures" as our key initiatives. We are dedicated to these initiatives to achieve employee well-being.

We are working on early response to lifestyle-related diseases and prevention of serious illnesses by thoroughly recommending employees to undergo reexamination after regular health checkups and health guidance as well as providing full support for specific health guidance conducted by the health insurance association.

• *1 Percentage of employees with a BMI under 25
• *2 Percentage of employees who responded "1. Fully rested" or "2. Fairly rested" regarding sleep
• *3 Percentage of employees consuming 40g or more of pure alcohol per day for men, and 20g or more for women
• *4 Systolic blood pressure of 180 mmHg or higher / diastolic blood pressure of 110 mmHg or higher
• *5 HbA1c of 8% or higher
• *6 Percentage of employees who were judged to "need a hospital visit or a full medical examination" for lipids
• *7 Currently Implementing

We are also making efforts to improve the screening rate for various types of cancer, and provide full subsidies for the cost of screening. In particular, since approximately 90% of our employees are women, we are working to create an environment that makes it easier for them to receive breast cancer screenings by, for example, providing mammo buses to approximately 320 locations nationwide. The cost of the mammo bus in FY2023 was 187 million JPY.
In addition, to increase the cervical cancer screening rate, we are stepping up efforts, led by specialists, to distribute videos on the HPV vaccine and the latest information on cervical cancer.

Mammo buses running nationwide

< Mental and Physical Health >

Every year, we conduct self-care training for all employees and line-care training for managers, followed by a test to confirm their level of understanding. Health seminars are held by public health nurses from Group companies, covering topics such as disease prevention, lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness. QOLism, a health app for which more than 80% of employees are registered, provides online seminars and videos on exercise, as well as information on diet, sleep, stress, and other topics. In addition, we have recently held seminars for management and employees by the chairman of the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, with whom we have a comprehensive partnership, to promote proper understanding of preventative measures and illnesses to create a better work environment.

• *1 Content: Balancing family and medical treatment, healthy lifestyle, stress management, women's health, etc.
• *2 Content: Mental health/line care, support for balancing work and family, women's health, self-care for subordinates

< Balancing Health and Work >

Since the Dai-ichi Life Group has a high percentage of female employees, we consider women's health to be one of the most important health issues. We conduct various seminars to help employees build a career that is unique to them by deepening their understanding of women's specific health issues and treatment, and improving their own and others' literacy.

< Themes for the fiscal years 2021-2023 >

Women's cancer / uterine disorders / premenstrual syndrome / dysmenorrhea / menopause / infertility
Menopause in men and women / Fertility treatment and egg freezing / Male menopause

< Joint seminars with other companies >

In FY2022, we co-sponsored a seminar with other companies that took menopause, a common symptom shared by many men and women, as a starting point, and mixed it with a panel discussion by outside experts and management. A wide range of employees, regardless of gender or age, participated, and surveys showed that approximately 90% of participants were satisfied with the seminar.

< Dai-ichi Life Insurance WOMAN's Day >

In FY2023, Dai-ichi Life Insurance WOMAN's Day was held in conjunction with International Women's Day and Women's Health Week. By having the Group CEO take the stage and holding a talk event with a speech by an expert and the president of a business company, we provided an opportunity for each employee to think about "how to live and work in their own way" and "what support they can provide to the colleagues they work with," from their own, their supervisors', and their colleagues' perspectives.

• Efforts to Address Women's Health Issues

In fiscal 2016, we introduced a "healthcare point system" to provide incentives for each employee's efforts to improve their health, and in October 2021, we shifted to "QOLism", a new health promotion app developed by a Group company, to promote employee health by holding company-wide team competitions and other walking events, recording meals, measuring abdominal circumference, and providing a variety of other content, The application is helping employees improve their health by holding walking events such as company-wide team competitions, and by providing various contents such as diet records, measurement of abdominal circumference, and exercise. According to a survey of users, 89% of them improved their exercise habits by using the app. Similarly, 71% improved their eating habits through the application.

• * Percentage of employees who have been exercising for at least 30 minutes, twice a week for at least one month.

We have designated the days that fall on a "2" (2nd, 12th, and 22nd) of each month as "No Smoking Days" and actively conduct anti-smoking awareness activities, such as posting posters to remind employees of the importance of quitting smoking. We also provide support for employees who wish to quit smoking by offering an app-based smoking cessation support program and subsidizing all out-of-pocket expenses for smoking cessation visits.

We have positioned "mental health measures" as one of our priority initiatives, aiming to realize the wellbeing of all employees. The "Improvement of Engagement" is one of the specific measures we are working on.
For details of the engagement score, please refer to "Final Evaluation Indicators for Health Management".

< Domestic Examples >

As a result of stress checks conducted every year, we offer interviews with doctors and consultations with public health nurses to employees with high levels of stress, and also provide the results of workplace-based analysis to the head of the department. In addition, through efforts to raise employees' awareness of stress and encourage self-care, we strive to prevent deterioration and recurrence of stress by early detection and early response. In addition, we are working to improve communication within the workplace through regular "1 for 1"^*1 meetings between supervisors and subordinates, and we provide 1 for 1 training to supervisors as part of our efforts to strengthen management skills.

In addition, we have made the "KOKOROBO®" (an online mental health care system using smartphones and PCs) provided by the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) known throughout the company to prevent mental health problems and provide early treatment for those who have mental health problems.
In addition, in order to further contribute to solving issues related to mental health, we are participating in a collaborative project with NCNP entitled "Development of a Mental Health Platform Using the 'KOKOROBO-J' Remote Mental Health Care System for All Ages and Nationwide Implementation Bases"^*2.

In addition, we offer a range of welfare benefits as part of our efforts to improve employee engagement. One example is the "Benefit Station" provided by Benefit One, Inc., which joined our group in 2024. This is a membership-based discount service, and we have introduced it as a welfare benefit system for all employees^*3, including not only office-based workers but also sales representatives.

• *1 Name of Dai-ichi Life's version of "1 on 1 meeting"
• *2 Click here to see the activities of the "KOKOROBO-J" remote mental health care system for all generations.
• *3 This is applicable to those who have entered into an employment contract with Dai-ichi Life. Part-time contract employees are excluded.

< Example of an Overseas Representative Case Study >

Protective Life Corporation (PLC) offers a comprehensive range of benefits that support wellbeing, including office amenities, and will introduce a more comprehensive Employee Assistant Program (EAP) with a new provider in 2022. The EAP offers a variety of measures to help employees and their families improve their mental health, from in-person counseling to online therapy. We also leverage information provided by EAP providers from peer engagement survey results to support employees' personal and professional development. This is double the typical usage rate of similarly sized companies in the same industry.

• Click here to read more about PLC's initiatives. (12,310KB)

Employees, including managers, who work in excess of a certain number of hours are interviewed by industrial physicians to check their overall health status, and when necessary, the human resources department collaborates with the head of the division to which they belong. In addition, the Company implements appropriate work management through periodic monitoring in cooperation with the Internal Audit Department. The status of monitoring and appropriate work efforts are reported to the CHRO on a regular basis to promote appropriate working hour management.

In preparation for emergencies such as pandemics, we conduct annual in-house training on infectious diseases and have prepared related regulations, standards, action plans, stockpiles, etc., which are reviewed on a regular basis. In addition, in accordance with the Infectious Disease Control Law, we issue internal notifications of standards for responding to outbreaks of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, and rubella, and ensure that timely and appropriate reports are made to our administrative office to prevent the spread of infection and ensure stable business continuity. In the event of a pandemic, an Infectious Disease Response Headquarters consisting of management, corporate planning, human resources, and occupational health staff was established to flexibly discuss the situation and implement various measures based on the Business Continuity Plan (BCP).

Major occupational accidents at our company (about 80%) are mainly caused by stumbles and falls on station stairs and roads while commuting to and from work or while out of the office, and no serious accidents have occurred. In addition, we have not received any citations for serious violations of laws and regulations from the Labor Standards Inspection Office or other relevant authorities. In addition to taking timely measures to ensure safety and eliminate risks through regular workplace inspections at workplaces by industrial physicians and health managers, risk factors are regularly identified based on the results of analysis of the occurrence of occupational accidents, and recurrence prevention education is provided to all employees. In light of the recent increase in telework, guidance on the working environment for telework is also included in the training opportunities. These are investigated and discussed by the Health Committee in order to prevent occupational accidents. In addition, the company regulations stipulate that the company must accurately and in detail ascertain the circumstances of the accident and the treatment of the person involved, instruct appropriate measures in accordance with the details of the accident, and promptly report the accident to the department in charge. Based on the details of the report, the company identifies the cause of the accident by interviewing the victim and conducting an investigation, and submits a report to the Labor Standards Bureau as required. Regarding disasters, in accordance with the "Disaster Prevention and Response Regulations" approved by the Board of Directors, the Large-Scale Disaster Risk Management Committee submits training plans, issues, and initiatives to the Executive Committee. In addition, we regularly hold training sessions on disaster preparedness and use the "Emergency Call (EMC)" system to encourage employees to stay home or return home early in the event of an expected typhoon or heavy snowfall, and to confirm the safety of employees and their families after a disaster strikes. In preparation for the sudden cardiac arrest of employees or visitors, we have installed AEDs at each of our offices, and when they are installed, we conduct training sessions for employees on how to use them and provide information on their use at all times.

We have set up a health consultation window for internal and external specialists so that employees can feel free to consult with them, and we are making this information known to all employees. Within the Group, we have industrial physicians specializing in internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, etc., and public health nurses registered with the Occupational Health Nursing Specialist System of the Japan Society for Occupational Health, as well as other specialists. In addition, we have a system in place that allows physicians, health counselors (public health nurses, nurses, care managers, etc.), psychological counselors, etc. to provide support for external contacts. As for external contact points, we have set up a telephone hotline for health, medical care, nursing care, childcare, mental health, etc., and a web-based consultation service specializing in women's health, where you can obtain answers and advice based on the professional experience and knowledge of active obstetricians, pediatricians, and midwives (for male partners, we have set up an online consultation service for female partners). (Men can also consult about their partners). Both consultation services are free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Furthermore, based on the belief that the well-being of family members leads to the well-being of employees, the external consultation services mentioned above are available not only to employees but also to their family members.

We believe that "balancing work and medical treatment" at the company will not only ensure the health of workers, but also improve their sense of security and motivation, and help them achieve a better work-life balance. We are also actively developing initiatives for early detection of illnesses. In addition, we provide support for returning to work and health counseling by industrial physicians and other specialists to ensure a smooth balance between treatment and work. Most recently, at the initiative of a volunteer cancer survivor, we have been engaged in peer support activities. This is a place for employees (who wish to do so) to share their experiences and thoughts about their illnesses and treatments, and to support, encourage, and exchange information with each other, which leads to "motivation" for treatment and work.

At the Dai-ichi Life Group, we set targets and work to solve health issues identified through the analysis of health check-up and stress check results, while following the PDCA cycle. The final evaluation indicators for these initiatives are set as three items: absenteeism, presenteeism, and engagement. In fiscal 2023, initiatives to improve each indicator, starting with engagement, were actively carried out, leading to improvements in scores.

< Three evaluation indicators >

< Absenteeism rate >

• *1 Employee survey: "How many days did you take off work in the past year due to your own illness?" Number of people surveyed (response rate): 48,552 (response rate 81.2%) *Excludes employees on long-term leave.
• *2 Employee survey: SPQ (Single-Item Presenteeism Question: University of Tokyo 1-Item Version) Number of people surveyed (response rate): 48,552 (response rate 81.2%) *Excludes long-term absenteeism.
• *3 Wevox survey: Overall score (10-100 points) Number of people surveyed (response rate) : 2022: 52,906 (response rate 68%) / 2023: 50,974 (response rate 70%) *Includes long-term absenteeism
• *4 Number of days not worked due to some form of inability to work / Total number of working days

IndicatorsWe are working to improve the effectiveness of the PDCA cycle by monitoring and verifying the effectiveness of the following specific initiatives, their implementation status, and changes in employee awareness and behavior over time using numerical data. Among the targets set by the Health Management Promotion Team, the percentage of employees who exercise and the smoking rate are on an improving trend.

When outsourcing operations, we require the outsourcing company to submit a Sustainability Assessment Sheet, which covers initiatives for occupational health and safety, including measures to promote the mental and physical health of employees and prevent excessive working hours, from the perspective of promoting the same initiatives as our company.

We are participating in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "Cancer Control Promotion Corporate Action" as an advisory board member, and we are also a member of the Work-Life Balance Support Subcommittee of the Consortium 40, a group of leading companies, and we are working with other member companies to promote cancer control measures in the workplace.

As a director company of the Kenko Kigyo-kai (Health Company Association), which was established by companies that are actively working to improve the health of their employees, we are involved in the management of the association, and we also belong to the Data Health Subcommittee and the Mental Health Subcommittee. Through information exchanges with member companies, we are also working to further improve our collaboration with health insurance associations and our health management initiatives.

In 2013, our efforts were recognized when we received the Health Bureau Director-General Award at the 2nd "Let's Extend Healthy Life Expectancy!" Awards^*1, hosted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. In addition, in 2015 and 2024, we were selected as a "Health Management Brand Stock^*2" jointly selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and in 2017-2024 we were selected as a "Health Management Excellent Corporation (Large-Scale Corporation White 500)^*3" for eight consecutive years. In addition, the company has also been consecutively certified as a "Sports Yell Company"^*4 by the Sports Agency since 2017, and in 2024 it was certified as a Silver Plus. In addition, it was selected as a "2023 Excellence in Cancer Control Corporate Action" by the "Cancer Control Corporate Action" promoted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

• *1 "Extend your healthy life expectancy! Awards" are presented to companies, organizations, and municipalities that are making outstanding efforts to raise awareness of lifestyle disease prevention and promote health in relation to the Smart Life Project's four themes: "moderate exercise", "proper diet", "smoking cessation", and "health checkups and medical examinations".
• *2 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Stock Exchange jointly selected companies that consider the health management of their employees from a managerial perspective and are strategically engaged in it as "health management issues. Health Management" is expected to revitalize organizations by increasing employee vitality and productivity, which in turn will lead to improved business performance and stock price.
• *3 "Large-Scale Corporations White 500" are part of the "Excellent Corporations for Health Management" certified by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and only the top 500 corporations in the Large-Scale Corporations category are certified.
• *4 "Sports Yell Company" is a certification system established by the Sports Agency to support companies that support and promote sports activities to improve the health of their employees.

We collaborate with all six national centers (National Center for Advanced Medical Specialties) in Japan to provide health and medical information through tools and seminars for a wide range of generations, from the three major diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease), diabetes, hepatitis, and infectious diseases, to medical care for pregnancy, childbirth, child rearing, and longevity such as dementia. In fiscal year 2022, we held 190 seminars nationwide, with 23,877 participants. As of March 31, 2023, we have concluded "comprehensive cooperation agreements" with 42 prefectures and 334 municipalities at the municipal level. We have concluded "comprehensive cooperation agreements" with 334 local governments at the municipal level, contributing to solving social issues in each region.

We are implementing initiatives to contribute to improving the quality of life in the local community by making donations to companies, organizations, local governments, etc. that contribute to solving local issues. We calculate the amount of the donation based on the total number of healthcare points earned by employees through health promotion activities using the QOLism health promotion app and eco points earned through ECO Action. We are also making donations of healthcare points earned through the QOLism app to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

By sponsoring marathons that represent the area and providing opportunities to think about health and experience the joy of running with others, we support the realization of "well-being" by enabling citizen runners nationwide and everyone involved to lead affluent and healthy lives.

We provide "Healstep^®", a one-package service for health insurance societies to support the optimization of future medical costs and efficient management of health services, with the aim of solving social issues such as "widening gap between average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy". The number of health insurance societies that have adopted Healstep^® is steadily increasing, and we have begun offering the service to employers as well. We will continue to provide support tailored to the needs of health insurance associations and employers.