Human Rights

Human Rights Policy

We have established the Wacoal Group Human Rights Policy (hereinafter referred to as the "Policy") as a guideline for promoting group-wide efforts to respect human rights and fulfill corresponding responsibilities. This Policy conforms to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The Policy shall apply to all Wacoal executives and employees. Wacoal likewise looks forward to the understanding and support of the Policy on the part of all business partners concerned with our products and services. The Policy has been approved by the Wacoal Board of Directors.

Translations of the Wacoal Group Human Rights Policy

To promote more sustainable procurement activities throughout the whole supply chain, the Wacoal Group established the "Wacoal Group CSR Procurement Guidelines" in October 2017 as a common procurement policy for the entire group. The CSR Procurement Guidelines require business partners to respect and comply with international standards regarding human rights and labor, including the prohibition of child labor and forced labor.
Please see here for information on the "Wacoal Group CSR Procurement Guidelines" and specific initiatives related to responsible procurement.

• CSR procurement

Human Rights Structure

The Representative Director, President and CEO (Group CEO) is responsible for the Board of Directors and the Group Management Committee, which is the highest decision-making body at the business operations level, and chaiers the Sustainability Committee, which is responsible for developing an overall plan for sustainability activities and monitoring their progress. The Human Rights and Diversity & Inclusion Subcommittee, a subordinate body of the Sustainability Committee, conducts education and awareness activities related to the protection of human rights and provides advice and recommendations for the implementation of human rights due diligence to ensure the Group fulfills its responsibilities to respect human rights according to its Human Rights Policy and that its operations are executed appropriately.

• System for promoting Sustainability

Human Rights Due Diligence

In accordance with the CSR Procurement Guidelines, since 2017 the Group has been working on a process to identify negativeimpacts and risks to human rights in product procurement and to formulate and implement appropriate countermeasures. However,we have not been able to identify human rights issues in the supply chain other than the procurement process. Therefore, in 2023, we began working to establish and operate a human rights due diligence system in our Group's supply chain.

Human Rights Due Diligence Process

Human Rights Risk Assessment

We conducted a "human rights risk assessment" in October 2023 utilizing the knowledge of outside experts to understand potential human rights risks in our group's supply chain in preparation for the launch of human rights due diligence. During the "human rights risk assessment" we held cross-divisional workshops participated in by Directors, Corporate Officers and the management to discuss human rights risks in the process from procurement to sales and consumption, in addition to desktop surveys. We then discussed with third party organizations and identified human rights themes that need to be addressed by our group on a priority basis.

Human Rights Impact Assessment

Theme 1, "Continuing understanding of human rights issues in our procurement supply chain," was identified as a key human rights theme as a result of a human rights risk assessment, and we are already addressing it, with the Subcommittee for CSR Procurement leading an ongoing cycle since 2018 that is aimed at manufacturing contractors (including ones that accept foreign technical intern trainees), and consists of identifying issues and making improvements using self-assessments and other methods.
Our monitoring activities include getting a more accurate understanding of the situation and advice for improvements from our own employees by, for example, having them also conduct on-site surveys themselves. However, to ensure greater objectivity and neutrality, we had a third-party organization conduct a human rights impact assessment in 2024.

• STEP1: Verification of Employment Status of Foreign Technical Intern Trainees
  We checked the employment situation regarding foreign technical intern trainees, focusing mainly on our Group companies in Japan.
• STEP2: Direct Questionnaire Survey of Foreign Technical Intern Trainees
  Based on the results of the employment situation survey, we conducted a questionnaire survey (online, anonymous, and available in four languages) aimed at foreign technical intern trainees (who are generally considered to be at high risk) to hear the real opinions of rights holders. This survey was conducted in collaboration with a third-party organization, and was based on the "Dhaka Principles for Migration with Dignity."
• STEP3: Conducting Interviews
  Interviews were conducted at selected factories based on the findings from STEP2. To ensure objectivity and neutrality, the interviews were conducted by the third-party organization, and neither our Company nor factory personnel were present.In addition, we checked the working environments through interviews with factory heads and other management personnel and inspections of the factory sites.

Evaluation Results Summary

• Regarding the working and living conditions of foreign technical intern trainees, no human rights violations were observed, and it was confirmed that the relationship between them and the Company is very good.
• Smooth daily communication has been established. Regarding work duties, Japanese staff make efforts to provide explanations in concise Japanese. For daily life, a system is in place where daily concerns and difficulties are promptly shared with the factory management and addressed, primarily through the efforts of life guidance counselors and personnel from the supervising organization.
• Since signage within the factory is primarily in Japanese, enhancing multilingual signage is desirable, aiming not only to ensure safety and security but also to improve quality and reduce defect rates.
• It is important to regularly confirm the impact on living conditions and the standard of living wages caused by Japan's rapid price increases and yen depreciation, in cooperation with the supervising organization and life guidance counselors.

Human rights education

【Human rights education for employees】

Our Group is promoting human rights education to deepen employees' understanding of respect for human rights. Our thinking on respecting basic human rights is set out in "Corporate Ethics: Wacoal's Code of Conduct," and to raise awareness of the code, we hold "e-learning" focusing on its themes once a year.

【Conducting human rights training for management personnel in Japan】

In 2023, we held a cross-departmental workshop for Group companies in Japan that was attended by directors, executive officers, and management personnel, through which we identified important human rights themes. Beforehand, each participant identified key human rights issues that might arise in our supply chain, referring to the "Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights" and "Key Human Rights Issues in the Apparel Industry" to do so. After learning about the changing global trends and social demands regarding "business and human rights" from an external lecturer, they then deepened their understanding of human rights issues by discussing the human rights risks present in the processes from procurement to sale and consumption.

【Urging business partners】

To ensure that our initiatives on respecting human rights are put into practice throughout the whole supply chain, we share the "Wacoal Group CSR Procurement Guidelines" with our manufacturing contractors and suppliers, and also conduct follow-ups, etc. as necessary to urge them to comply.

Other Initiatives

Respect for the Individual

Wacoal's Action Agenda explicitly prohibits workplace discrimination. Every individual must be treated fairly at work. We will not engage in or support unlawful discrimination on the grounds of nationality, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, national origin, intellectual or physical disability, health problem, or position within the company. Violators will be severely penalized.

Prohibition of Workplace Discrimination

Everyone must be treated fairly in the workplace. We respect the diverse values, individuality, and privacy of individuals, and have a policy of zero tolerance and severe punishment regarding the following: discriminatory conduct based on factors such as race, religion, sex, nationality, physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity; violent conduct; sexual harassment; workplace bullying through abuse of authority; child labor and forced labor; and any other form of unfair discrimination or harassment pertaining to human rights.

Efforts to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Power Harassment

• The Wacoal Group strongly expects and encourages every employee to be a person who is trusted by society, as well as by other members of the Company, in the Philosophy of mutual trust. We inform our employees of our basic policy and efforts regarding individual human rights and have established a system to prevent and eliminate sexual and power harassment in the workplace.
• We understand that sexual harassment and power harassment are socially prohibited behaviors that seriously stain the honor and dignity of each individual. We also recognize them as serious problems that prevent our employees from effectively displaying their abilities, hinder our company from maintaining order in the workplace and conducting business operations, and lead to loss of confidence in the Company.
• In addition to the stipulation of prohibited activities and the setting of goals to be achieved, we pay due consideration to the privacy of those who blow the whistle and those who seek consultation so that they will not be treated unfavorably.
• Every business site provides a consultation service, including a hotline, allowing employees to feel free to file a complaint or seek advice. The privacy of such employees is strictly maintained, and rapid and appropriate action is taken to solve individual problems. For sexual harassment, a separate hotline is set up.
• Persons in charge of the consultation/complaints desk in the Personnel Department participate in training seminars held by external organizations to help improve measures against sexual and power harassment.
• Education has been provided to those in managerial posts to enhance their awareness of and prevent sexual and power harassment.
• A notice regarding our system to prevent sexual and power harassment is made twice a year on the Intranet, to promote employees' awareness of such harassment in the workplace.

Safe Products (consumer rights)

As a matter of course, Wacoal has a responsibility to provide products with high levels of safety from the customer's point of view. Therefore, we respect the human rights of consumers, emphasize safety and reliability, and take care to treat customers in a manner that builds trust.

Protect Personal Information

We believe that the appropriate use and protection of personal information is our social responsibility, and stipulate the following personal information policy and work for thorough compliance therewith.

• In light of the importance of protecting personal information, we have built an information security organization, established privacy policy and related regulations, and provided our employees with education and training to ensure appropriate handling and management of personal information.
• We have consolidated systems for checking the management of personal information and responding to inquiries from customers about their private information.
• We ask our business partners, suppliers and subcontractors that need to handle the personal information we have obtained to achieve the same level of information security.