The JT Group human resources management philosophy
We believe that highly motivated employees with diverse skills and talent form the foundation of the JT Group’s success and contribute to our sustainable growth. In light of this, the JT Group proactively takes steps to secure long-term engagement and employee satisfaction.
Our employees are assets to the Company, and their skills and spirit are the driving force behind everything we achieve. We are pleased to be an employer of choice, and our positive workplace culture and environment help us to attract, retain, and develop talented individuals. We are also taking further steps to create a diverse and inclusive culture.
For our human resource management initiatives, please refer to the following.
Training and Keeping Our People
Gender Equality - Unleashing the talent of our Women
Freedom of Association and Labor Unions
The JT Group supports the rights of our employees to free association and collective bargaining, even in countries where those rights are not legally protected. Our management team strives to maintain open, constructive relationships with unions and labor-management councils, and works closely with unions to ensure that we treat employees fairly and better than legally required, especially when they are affected by any closure of a business site due to adverse business conditions.
The JT Group has been enjoying positive labor-management relations for many years, adhering closely to the labor laws of every nation in which we operate. Our management team works to build open, constructive relationships with unions and labor-management councils, regularly discussing business plans, strategies, challenges, and other subjects with union representatives in each country.
In the European Union, following its laws and regulations, we have voluntarily forged agreements with European Works Councils. EWCs provide workers with information and opportunities for discussion about international labor issues related to business in Europe. They consist of representatives of corporate employees and management, and conduct regular annual talks.
Human Resource Management in Japan
At JT, we believe that our human resources are the driving force for our sustainable growth as a company. We are promoting various initiatives with a view to creating work environments where diverse employees can fully leverage their unique talents and work with motivation, moreover, encouraging each individual to grow and utilize their strengths and abilities.
Promoting DE&I
Diversity forms the foundation of a company’s success and contributes to real sustainable growth. We consider diversity in terms of race, faith, ethnicity, birthplace, gender, age, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and marital status to be as valuable as individual experiences and specialties. We work to create environments that are open to diversity, where all employees are treated equally regardless of different backgrounds and values and continue to perform at their best.
Respecting Work-Life Balance
JT believes that with desirable work-life balance our employees get both a sense of fulfillment on the job and opportunities to broaden their perspective and experience and put their talents to greater use. Based on that conviction, we have built and are promoting systems and programs to support the range of workstyles as well as opportunities for employees to think differently about ways to work, by which we intend to foster an organizational culture that encourages every employee to embrace the diverse workstyles of their coworkers. We make programs available that employees can employ flexibly as they wish to make work easier and more satisfactory, especially when they want more time for family, raising children, caring for the sick and elderly, and other responsibilities.
Recognizing our initiatives to assist employees in raising children in particular, in 2008 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare certified the JT Group for the first time as a corporation promoting measures to “support raising the next generation,” and again in October 2018 for a higher level of achievement with those measures.
“Platinum Kurumin” certification based on the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising Next-Generation Children
Programs for supporting work-family balance
Encouraging Male Employees to Take Parental Leave
JT believes that creating a workplace culture that enables everyone to engage in active parenting regardless of their gender helps to eliminate ideas of dividing work based on gender roles and to foster a corporate culture that respects diverse values. To this end, we encourage male employees to take parental leave. By 2030, we aim to have the rate of use of leave for parenting purposes such as parental leave for men reach 100%, the same level as for women.
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Numbers are as of December 31 of the corresponding year for JT on a non-consolidated basis.
In 2024, JT received Innovation Award at Japan HR Challenge Awards, which recognizes companies actively implementing new outstanding initiatives in the field of HR. This award was given in recognition of JT's excellent efforts in fostering an inclusive culture that respects diversity and supports employees from various backgrounds.
Gender Equality - Unleashing the talent of our Women
At JT, we consider gender equality to be a priority issue for our business. To promote women’s career development, we provide support for professional growth from corporate officers and messaging from senior management, as well as a range of initiatives including training to understand the challenges that women face in advancing their careers.
The following table outlines employment in general and the promotion of women managers in total JT employment in recent years.
Employment at JT (full-time employees)
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Numbers are as of December 31 of the corresponding year for JT on a non-consolidated basis.
(Reference) Employee age groups (as of December 31, 2024)
Women in management at JT
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The definition of leadership position has changed from FY2024
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Numbers of Managers and Leadership Position are as of December 31 of the corresponding year for JT on a non-consolidated basis.
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Number of newly appointed managers includes the number of people recruited as managers.
Action Plan in Compliance with the Act on the Promotion of Women's Active Engagement in Professional Life
We created an action plan in compliance with the Act on the Promotion of Women's Active Engagement in Professional Life.
Link to Japan Tobacco Inc. Action Plan (Act on the Promotion of Women's Active Engagement in Professional Life) (Japanese)
Inclusion of People with Disabilities
We have set out our approach to hiring people with disabilities, and we will take action to promote it.
We have consistently exceeded the statutory employment rate for individuals with disabilities, as demonstrated by the data below.
Approach to Employing People with Disabilities
We aim to create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, regardless of disabilities.
- The recruitment process and evaluations will be based fairly on adequate capacity and competence.
- Opportunities and policies will be offered to encourage employees to actively engage with and plan their careers.
- Employees will be given opportunities to deepen their understanding of disabilities and engage in discussions fostering mutual respect.
Employment rate of people with disabilities at JT and statutory employment rate
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Employment rate of people with disabilities at JT” is the non-consolidated figure for JT as of June 1 each year.
Initiatives for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
JT is working to create an organization that treats differences in gender identity and sexual orientation fairly. To this end, we operate awareness-raising events, and we are taking steps to give same-sex partners and all types of families equal access to the benefits and programs the Group offers to its employees. In external recognition for these efforts, we have achieved Gold status, the highest ranking, on the PRIDE Index for nine consecutive years since 2016.
