TOKYO, Japan, September 28, 2023 – FedEx Express (FedEx), a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, was awarded 3-star Eruboshi certification, the highest accolade, by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.
FedEx was recognized for its outstanding contribution to the empowerment of female employees in line with the national Act on Promoting Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace, which was introduced in Japan in April 2016. The 3-star designation implies that FedEx has satisfied the criteria in all five categories that evaluates how well companies enable female employees to fully manifest their potential at the workplace. The categories are recruitment, continued employment, working hours and work styles, ratio of women in managerial positions, and diversity of career paths.
“We are very proud to be acknowledged by the Japanese government for our initiatives in advocating gender balance in the workplace. With our People-first philosophy at the heart of the company, FedEx is a strong supporter of gender equality both inside and outside of the organization,” said Kei Alan Kubota, managing director of FedEx Japan. “We will continue to advance gender parity as part of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace, and local communities. It is an integral part of our corporate culture and a vital business consideration to create a better future for our team members, customers, and communities.”
FedEx is committed to its philosophy of People-Service-Profit (PSP), the belief that by creating a positive working environment for its employees, they will provide better service to our customers, which would then lead to more business. FedEx local initiatives are based on this philosophy to meet the needs of its team members, as well as pro-actively respond to market trends in Japan.
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APPENDIX
FedEx received the accreditation in recognition of its performance in all five evaluation criteria, as below:
1. Recruitment
The global Equal Employment Opportunity policy at FedEx played a vital role in creating diverse teams in Japan. In 2022, 45.9%[1] of newly hired, full-time employees at FedEx in Japan were women. Currently, women make up 26.6% of the company’s full-time workforce[2], which is higher than the industry average of 12.2%[3] .
2. Continued employment
FedEx is committed to offering equal opportunities to all team members, while supporting employees who may enter into new stages in life stages, along the way. The company proactively encourages new fathers to take advantage of paternity leave, for which new legislation was introduce in Japan in 2022, and asks the support of corporations. The company also offers leave for family nursing care to employees who need to look after family members, including children, seniors, and those with special needs, while they continue their career at FedEx. As a result, the average duration of continuous employment for full-time female employees was 11.4 years[4], which exceeds the industry average of 9.3 years[5].
3. Work hours and workstyles
With overtime work caps set to be applied in 2024 in Japan, the logistics industry has been exploring new ways of working. For many years, FedEx has provided employees a flexible work arrangement. The company has applied a work-interval rule with a principle of 12-hour intervals between shifts, to enhance the working environment, and protect the health and wellbeing of its airport-based employees. In addition, FedEx began offering the option to work from home, prior to the pandemic. This included for employees in many departments, such as those in customs clearance and call centers, who often were requested to be onsite due to the nature of their work in general. The company also allows full-time employees more flexible schedules, or to work shorter hours if they choose, with no questions asked.
4. Ratio of female managers
FedEx is a diverse organization globally with women in senior leadership positions. [6] FedEx in Japan aims to increase the number of women in management positions, and encourages all managers to include one or more female employees in their teams’ succession plan. Currently in Japan, 13.7%[7] of all managers in the organization are women, exceeding the industry average of 5.2%[8].
5. Diverse career paths
FedEx provides opportunities for women employees to connect by encouraging employees to interact, network, and work with one another. It allows members to share experiences, excel in their career, or seek new prospects. Within three years, between June 2019 and May 2022, there were seven female, fixed-term contract employees who became regular full-time staff. There were 54 women, over the age of 30, who were hired as full-time employees.
[1] Source: https://positive-ryouritsu.mhlw.go.jp/positivedb/detail?id=2024
[2] Source: https://positive-ryouritsu.mhlw.go.jp/positivedb/detail?id=2024
[3] Source: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11900000/001103039.pdf
[4] Source: https://positive-ryouritsu.mhlw.go.jp/positivedb/detail?id=2024
[5] Source: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11900000/001103039.pdf
6 Source https://www.fedex.com/en-us/about/leadership.html
7 Source https://positive-ryouritsu.mhlw.go.jp/positivedb/detail?id=2024
8 Source [8]https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11900000/001103039.pdf