S :Society
Development of human capital capabilities for sustainable corporate value enhancement

Diversity and Equal Opportunities

KPI

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Item FY 2024 results FY 2025 results
Female employee ratio (Consolidated) 16.1%
(Domestic) 7.7%
(Consolidated) 16.5%
(Domestic) 8.0%

Responsible Departments

HR Department

Our position and Targets

Why is "Human Resources Diversity" a critical issue to be addressed?
Explanation of the reason and background

The new medium-term management plan, "YX2026," aims to achieve a complete transformation through deepening and exploration. In order to achieve this goal, we believe it is important to further promote diversity in human resources through encouraging our employees from various backgrounds to embrace various work styles each other, promote work styles that are not bound by conventional rules and ways of thinking, and create workplaces that enable employees to work together cheerfully with vigor and enthusiasm.

Vision and targets

We will continue to conduct hiring regardless of attributes such as nationality, sexual or gender identity (LGBTQ+), educational background and experience, and strive for the most optimal human resources placement aimed at achieving the business and technical strategies of YX2026.
Moreover, we strive to create a workplace that fosters the continued growth of all employees and enables career development by respecting their work-life balance and embracing diverse human resources and various work styles.

Measures to pursue our vision

We are implementing the following measures to achieve our vision.

<Selection of suitable persons from various fields>

We hire new graduates in a stable manner with a long-term perspective. We also hire people with experience (mid-career hires) according to the needs of our business.
In addition, we appoint and assign the most suitable person for each job from various fields such as senior personnel, or by early promotion within the company.

<Employment of people with disabilities>

Regarding the employment of persons with disabilities, up until now, we have periodically accepted new graduates at each business site and offered jobs that can be carried out within our existing operations despite their handicaps. Going forward, we will continue to develop new business operations as we broaden the scope of employing persons with disabilities.

<Support for diverse work styles through various systems>

Yokohama Rubber is working to establish work-life balance support systems as part of its efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. We conduct awareness activities to foster a culture that embraces diversity, including unconscious bias training and LGBTQ+ education for all employees, thereby creating a more comfortable working environment.
Additionally, we hold various seminars aimed at supporting the active participation of diverse talent, such as psychological safety seminars, networking events for employees balancing childcare, caregiving seminars, and health seminars (including mental health measures).

<Partnership and Family Support Program>

In order to support the activities of a diverse range of human resources, we introduced the Partner & Family Support System in October 2023, which recognizes same-sex partners and de facto partners as spouses, and recognizes the families of partners as the families of spouses.
Employees with partners recognized by the company can now use all family-related systems under the company's internal rules.
In addition, we have established consultation services for LGBTQ+ both inside and outside the company, and have put in place a system that can respond to consultations about systems and concerns.

Review of FY 2024 Activities

During FY2024, we conducted the following activities to ensure the diversity of human resources and provide equal opportunities, and produced good results.

Employing diverse employees in comprehensive work positions

Over ten years ago, we introduced a regionally limited general position system, which has led to the hiring of regionally limited general positions.

<Stable new graduate hiring and mid-career hiring according to business strategy>

Yokohama Rubber welcomed 46 new graduate hires in 2024 for its General Management track.
Including mid-career hires, a total of 99 people were hired for comprehensive positions, with the ratio of female employees at 13.1%.

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Number of female employees (managerial positions: new graduates + mid-career) (unit: persons)
  FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024
Women 10 16 13
Men 52 66 86
Total 62 82 99
(Ratio of women) 16% 19.5% 13.1%
*Mid-career hires include those who have been promoted to full-time employees.

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Number of employees by age and gender (non-consolidated) (unit: persons)
  Employee categoryGender Japan Asia North
America
Europe Other Total
Less than 30 years old Regular employees Women 63 0 0 0 0 63
Men 815 0 0 0 0 815
Contract employee Men 2 0 0 0 0 2
Women 2 0 0 0 0 2
Age 30 to 50 Regular employees Women 235 1 0 0 0 236
Men 3,072 42 14 5 0 3,133
Junior employees Women 3 0 0 0 0 3
Contract workers Women 1 0 0 0 0 1
Men 10 0 0 0 0 10
Above age 50 Regular employees Women 144 0 0 0 0 144
Men 1,295 38 10 5 2 1,350
Junior employees Women 3 0 0 0 0 3
Contract workers Women 7 0 0 0 0 7
Men 26 2 1 0 1 30
Above age 70 Contract workers Men 5 0 0 0 0 5
Grand total 5,683 83 25 10 3 5,804

<Equal Pay for Equal Work Initiatives>

In adherence to the principle of equal pay for equal work, we are engaging in discussions with the labor-management committee to review the appropriateness of differences in treatment between regular and non-regular employees.
(Treatment of Non-Regular Employees)

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System Handling
Various allowances The same as a full-time employee
Bonus Provided (Calculation differs from full-time employees)
Disaster Relief Program (Compensation for Damage to Residence and Property Due to Natural Disasters or Fire) The same as a full-time employee
Uniform allowance The same as a full-time employee
Employee cafeteria usage The same as a full-time employee
Mandatory Training for Job-Related Skills (Paid Leave Guaranteed) The same as a full-time employee

<Ratio of Average Executive Compensation to Average Employee Compensation>

The average compensation for directors is 1 to 11.7 times the average annual salary of employees, based on the Securities Report.

<Employment of people with disabilities at Yokohama Peer Support Co., Ltd. (special subsidiary company)>

Yokohama Peer Support Co., Ltd. (YPS) was established in 2012 as a special subsidiary company of Yokohama Rubber for the purpose of creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Since then, we have continuously worked to broaden employment opportunities alongside our business growth, including accepting trainees and hiring them.
As of April 2025, our company employs 41 individuals with disabilities, including 31 individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Their wide range of duties include cleaning more than 150 restrooms, various meeting rooms, and break rooms as well as sorting and delivering mail and internal mail, and making business cards at the Hiratsuka Factory.
At YPS, we fundamentally believe that “safety and health are activities for all employees.” Under a guidance system that prioritizes safety above all else, we place great importance on daily communication.
Dedicated instructors, most of whom are former employees, provide personalized support for members' concerns.
Through regular one-on-one meetings, we understand each employee's career aspirations and worries, working to create a workplace environment where everyone can work with peace of mind.
Furthermore, we assign tasks based on each employee's unique strengths and support their steady growth, thereby fostering a workforce that takes pride in their work and excels as professionals.
In particular, the company actively accepts interns, regardless of whether they are new graduates or mid-career hires, and dedicates ample time to training new employees after they join, offering a comprehensive development program.
We will continue to prioritize safety and fundamentals, approach our work with professionalism, and promote the creation of a workplace where everyone can thrive authentically and for the long term.
Yokohama Rubber, Yokohama Pier Support, Yokohama Tire Japan, and Yokohama Rubber MB Japan, as a consolidated group, have received special recognition as related companies under the Disability Employment Rate System and Disability Employment Contribution System.
As of June 1, 2024, the combined employment rate of persons with disabilities across the four companies stood at 2.59%, successfully meeting the statutory employment rate.
We will continue our efforts to achieve it again in 2025.

<Childcare Leave System>

To make it easier for male employees to participate in child-rearing, we have introduced several options in addition to statutory childcare leave (Childcare Leave A).
These include Childcare Leave B, a paid leave system allowing employees to take up to 10 days off in one-day increments to meet diverse needs, and Childcare Leave C, a post-partum paternity leave system that allows employees to work while on leave.
As a result, the ratio of male employees taking childcare leave reached 83.7%* in 2024.
We will continue to encourage the use of this system with the goal of achieving a 100% take-up rate.
For female employees, a 100% childcare leave take-up rate has already been firmly established.
  • The paternity leave utilization rate is calculated by dividing the number of male employees who took at least one day of paternity leave (A, B, or C) in 2024 by the number of male employees who had a child born in 2024.

<Nursing care leave and short-term leave system>

Employees can take paid nursing-care leave, which is used by many employees every year (non-paid under the law).
It is also possible to utilize pension reserve for nursing care up to five days.
The nursing care leave is for employees who need to provide constant care to a family member, which can be taken up to a year in length and divided into ten separate portions. (Under the law, it can be taken up to three month and divided into three separate portions.)
The person receiving care must be a relative within the second degree of kinship, either direct or collateral, and the scope of application extends beyond the legal requirements.
Changes in the Number of Employees who have taken Nursing Leave for Children (unit: persons) Number of persons

<Shorter working hours system>

Employees with children up to the sixth grade (below the age of three under the law) or relatives requiring care can apply for shortened working hours at their requests. The flex time system for short-hour worker was established in 2023, which allows employees to flexibly balance work and family.
Changes in the Number of Employees who have made use of the Shorter Work Hours Scheme (unit: persons) Number of persons

<Provision of consultation service related to childcare and nursing care>

Since 2019, we have provided consultation service related to childcare and nursing care, being prepared to respond to worries and trouble related to childcare and nursing care employees are facing. In 2024, we received 70 consultations in the whole company.

<Work-from-home system and flex time system>

A work-from-home system and a flex time system have been introduced since 2018 with the aim of the promotion of a balance between work and family including childcare and nursing care, and the improvement of operational efficiency, and the prevention of prolonged restraint (in consideration of the health of workers) as well as the reduction of burdens on workers resulting from commuting.
In 2020, we introduced a flex time system that eliminates a core working hours, and in 2023, following the integration of the Head Office and Hiratsuka Factory, we expanded the work-from-home system by abolishing the weekly usage limit so as for long-distance commuters to benefit from the system.

<Home office system>

Following the integration of the Head Office and Hiratsuka Factory, we introduced a home office system for employees who became long-distance commuters as a result of the integration. This system allows such employees to have an office developed at their home at the company’s expense and basically work from home without maintaining a fixed desk at their office. In addition, we opened the Satellite Office, a free-address office with a cafe space for the purpose of promoting improved communication between the workers using the home office system. The home office system has been made available to our employees who have moved to accompany a spouse on a job transfer for them to keep working without taking a career break.

<Area-limited employee system>

An area-limited employee system has been introduced for people with children younger than elementary school age or those with family members who need nursing care to suspend their job relocation for two years responding to their wishes.

<Spouse accompaniment leave system>

We have introduced another leave system for employees accompanying their spouse on a domestic or overseas transfer, which has been used by eleven employees up until now.

<Career return system>

Another system we have introduced is a career return system that enables employees who have retired to accompany their spouse on a job transfer, or those who have retired due to childcare or nursing care, to return to work.
Thus far, one employee has rejoined the company using this system.

<System for employees to take paid leave by the hour>

In 2018, we introduced a system that allows employees to take paid leave by the hour to promote a balance between work and family life.
This system was used by 1,528 employees in 2024.

Introduction of Initiatives

Initiatives at Yokohama India Private Limited (YIN)

In India, opportunities for newly graduated women in manufacturing remain limited. Recognizing the critical role of women's empowerment in India's progress, Yokohama India Private Limited (YIN) commenced hiring female employees for production roles in 2022 to provide them with employment opportunities.
Yokohama India Private Limited (YIN) currently employs over 100 women, with an ultimate goal of achieving a 50% gender balance. To support this vision, the company has implemented a range of measures to ensure a safe and secure working environment for women, including the installation of comprehensive monitoring cameras throughout the factory, dedicated female security personnel and a female nurse, a dedicated shuttle bus service, as well as women-only facilities and childcare facilities.

Activities of the diversity and inclusive promotion taskforce

In 2016, Yokohama Rubber launched the “Women’s Participation and Advancement Taskforce” in order to respond to the Act on Promotion of Women's Active Engagement, and since then the company has been implementing various measures and expanding various systems under the policy of “embracing diverse styles of work and striving to become a company of long-term careers.”
Subsequently, we have implemented support measures for women returning to work, Encourage Seminars for women, health seminars, and other initiatives.
Furthermore, we have promoted activities to create a workplace where diverse members—including young people, seniors, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities—can work comfortably, not limited to women alone.
In 2022, we implemented diversity management seminars and leadership seminars for women. We also conducted a workplace LGBTQ+ awareness survey.
In 2023, the task force was renamed "Diversity & Inclusion Promotion Task Force," and a diversity and inclusion keynote lecture was held for all employees to raise awareness.
In 2024, we conducted a caregiving survey for all employees to understand their actual circumstances and expanded systems and measures tailored to the current situation.
As a result, our efforts were recognized, leading to the award of the PRIDE Index Gold and the D&I AWARD BEST WORKPLACE.
In 2025, we will continue to promote a workplace environment that embraces a more diverse workforce and fosters greater mutual respect.
Diversity-related Education Case Studies

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  Fiscal Year 2021 2022 2023 2024
  Number of programs 17 16 7 6
Total number of participants※ 327 1,127 675 743
Main Programs Diversity ・Strengthening Management of Diverse Human Resources
・Participation in WWP※
・Diversity Training
・Strengthening Management for Diversity
・Participation in WWP※
・Diversity & Inclusion Keynote Lecture
・Unconscious Bias Training & LGBTQ+ Sensitivity Training
・Participation in WWP※
・Unconscious Bias Training
・LGBTQ+ Sensitivity, Psychological Safety Seminar
・Participation in WWP※
Women's Career Development ・Encouraging
・Business Skill Development
・Leadership Seminar for Women ・Women in Management Roundtable ・External Mentor Trial
Work-Life Balance ・Reinstatement Carrier
・Individual Consultation for Working Parents
・Reinstatement Carrier
・Working Mothers and Fathers Networking
・Reinstatement Carrier
・Working Mother/Father Consultation
・Seminar for Returning from Parental Leave
Health and Nursing ・Preventing Caregiving-Related Job Loss: A Discussion on Caregiving and Finances ・Postpartum Care Class Support ・Prevention of Nursing Care Leave Caregiving and Money ・Caregiving Seminar, Prevention of Nursing Care Leave Caregiving and Money
  • work with Pride(wwP): Organizations that support the establishment and promotion of LGBTQ+ diversity management within companies
As part of our D&I initiatives, we have earned the highest rating, PRIDE Index Gold, for our LGBTQ+ initiatives.
We will continue to advance our LGBTQ+ Ally initiatives.
We were certified as a “Best Workplace,” the highest recognition, in the “D&I AWARD 2025,” Japan's largest certification program evaluating companies committed to D&I promotion.

Accessibility Improvements

Fostering a supportive and secure workplace for everyone

At Yokohama Rubber, we strive to enhance workplace accessibility to ensure that all employees—regardless of whether they have a disability—can reach their full potential. Our commitment goes beyond physical infrastructure; we focus on both "hard" and "soft" aspects, including information accessibility and safety, to create a work environment where everyone can perform with peace of mind.

<Key Initiatives>

Ensuring Safe and Seamless Mobility

To support wheelchair users and employees with limited mobility, we are installing ramps throughout our premises and introducing wheelchair-accessible elevators in cafeterias and office buildings. Additionally, we have implemented color-coded pavement on factory roads and walkways to clearly distinguish transit zones. We also prioritize safety by installing protective padding on pillars to prevent injuries from collisions or falls.
Installing ramps throughout the premises
Wheelchair-accessible elevators in cafeterias and all buildings
Visual Safety Measures for Factory Navigation
Enhanced Safety via Protective Padding on Pillars

Information Accessibility & Universal Design

To enhance convenience for visually impaired employees and visitors, we have installed tactile paving throughout the premises and added JIS-compliant Braille signage to all staircase handrails. Furthermore, we adopt Universal Design for all our signage, prioritizing intuitive understanding to ensure that essential information is communicated accurately to everyone.
Installing tactile paving across the premises and implementing high-visibility Universal Design safety signs
Braille signage on staircase handrails

Tools and Facilities to Enhance Productivity

Regarding business operations, we support the smooth performance of duties for employees with visual impairments by introducing software equipped with accessibility features, such as screen readers.
For employees with hearing impairments, we facilitate seamless communication by utilizing chat tools and whiteboards, as well as real-time captioning and voice-to-text functions during meetings and when receiving visitors.
Additionally, we have established a system to identify and address concerns at an early stage by arranging seating in locations with clear lines of sight and increasing the frequency of meetings.
In terms of facilities, we are promoting the installation of barrier-free restrooms to ensure a comfortable environment for everyone.
Furthermore, to enhance safety during emergencies, we strive to ensure the safety of each individual according to their specific needs.
These measures include the introduction of LED alarm lights with buzzers, emergency information displays, and the provision of wristwatches that notify users of earthquakes through vibrations.
Enhancing Work Efficiency for Visually Impaired Employees via Accessibility Software
Installing accessible restrooms

Future challenges

Currently, a key challenge for our organization is not only promoting diversity but also implementing various measures to foster an inclusive culture.
We are committed to creating an environment where not only diversity is embraced, but each individual's identity is respected, enabling everyone to work authentically and perform at their best.
To foster this culture of inclusion, we will focus on promoting work-style reform and creating a comfortable workplace environment. We will also concentrate on proactive mindset shifts aligned with our management policies, anticipating the next era.
Specific development initiatives include implementing unconscious bias training and psychological safety enhancement programs across the entire organization to advance D&I.
Meanwhile, we will roll out measures enabling diverse employees to thrive, such as career support for women, assistance balancing childcare, caregiving, and health, and promoting understanding of employees with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Going forward, we will focus on developing psychologically resilient talent who can adapt to change, providing opportunities to deepen stress tolerance and self-awareness.
Through these initiatives, we will foster a workplace culture where diverse individuals recognize and respect each other's varied work styles. We aim to remain a company where all employees find fulfillment in their work and can continue working long-term.