“YKK is a Forest Organization.” These are the words of our founder, Tadao Yoshida. In a forest, some trees are old and venerable, rich with experience and knowledge, while some trees are young, scarcely more than saplings. Our organization aims to be like a forest, with each individual growing onward and upward in their own unique way. Forest Management enables everyone to exercise his or her own strengths with individuality and to work skillfully without needing to be directed by others, all the while moving forward together. While we are all employees, we are also all managers.
Labor Practices
YKK's efforts to render benefit to others
Forest Management
Practicing Diversity Characteristic of YKK
Based on this idea of Forest Management, the YKK Group has positioned the promotion of diversity as a priority management issue.
The effects of practicing diversity lead to the development of not only our company as a whole, but also a corporate climate in which all employees find it easy to work and can feel motivated. In accordance with the Personnel Principle of independence and coexistence, the YKK Group seeks to employ diverse human resources without regard for age, gender, nationality, disability, and so on, conduct educational programs relating to diversity, and implement measures that reflect the opinions of employees, taking into account regional characteristics and other factors.
Diversity Initiatives in Japan
The YKK Group designs fair systems that are receptive to diverse working styles regardless of age, gender, educational background, or nationality in order to enable all employees to fully exhibit their capabilities and develop their long-term careers. In addition to building a system that allows employees to work regardless of age so long as they fulfill their role, we emphasize human resource development and support for each employees’ self-sufficiency and try to improve the environment so that they can be successful. We also support workplace participation by women, encourage participation in childcare by men, support the employment of persons with disabilities, and other measures.
Supporting Work-Life Balance
The YKK Group supports workplace participation by women and provides support to individuals facing restrictions so that each employee can effectively manage work and life.
Many employees in Japan have used the childcare leave system regardless of gender. There are also systems that can be utilized upon a return to work following childcare leave. Employees in Japan with a child in the sixth grade or younger can opt to work staggered hours. In addition, they can choose to work shorter hours, or take leave to nurse children. Our initiatives to support the raising of the next generation have been recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), and we have acquired the right to use the MHLW’s “next generation” certification logo (“Platinum Kurumin”). We also promote working from home and flextime to support the balancing of work and childcare/family care.
Human Resource Development
The YKK Group establishes and operates personnel systems tailored to each overseas company. We also work to enhance measures that support improvement of employee abilities and career development.
Employment of Persons with Disabilities
YKK Rokko Corporation, a special printing business subsidiary, is taking measures such as making completely barrier-free environments that allow persons with severe disabilities to work with confidence. The company also engages in active interaction with local communities by visiting local facilities for disabled persons to gather information and sharing the facility information by posting it online and on other channels.
New Diversity Management Selection 100
YKK was chosen for the FY2017 New Diversity Management Selection 100 project sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Support for Fostering Female Engineers and Researchers through Collaboration with Academia
In collaboration with Kanazawa University and Toyama Prefectural University, YKK supports the fostering of female engineers, who we believe will be at the forefront of next-generation manufacturing.
Personnel Principle and Human Resource Development
The YKK Group strives to create work environments where everyone finds it easy to work. The YKK Group pursues arrangements and creates environments to give each and every employee a role commensurate with his or her abilities and motivation in which he or she can fully display his or her talents, irrespective of age, gender, educational background or nationality. This is done in accordance with our Personnel Principle of independence and coexistence.
The YKK Group establishes and operates personnel systems tailored to each overseas company. We also work to enhance measures that support improvement of employee abilities and career development.
Independence and coexistence: Each individual establishes their own independence through actions undertaken with responsibility while sharing the MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE toward achieving corporate objectives and leading to positive company results.
Relaying Skills and Technologies (Equipment Development/Machine Manufacturing function)
The YKK Group has an integrated production system for in-house development and production, encompassing everything from materials to manufacturing equipment and products. Automation is being pursued in the manufacturing of machine components and in mold machining, and we are also looking to boost our technical prowess in robotics. It is important, however, to nurture engineers and technicians who can understand and put into practice the underlying principles of processing and assembly. The Machinery & Engineering Group established its Gino Dojo, a processing and assembly skills training center, in FY2009 to nurture fundamental knowledge and skills for processing and assembly, and is tackling monozukuri training. This center provides individual training by highly experienced and skilled instructors, mainly for new employees as well as young engineers and technicians. We continue to pass on the rich reservoir of skills that we have accumulated since our foundation.
Teaching at Gino Dojo
Health & Safety
Learn more about the YKK Group’s health and safety initiatives.
