Promoting Employment of People with Disabilities
Legally Mandated Employment Rate Achieved Across the Group
The ANA Group established the Diversity Development Office within ANA's Human Resources Department in 2012, thereafter fully embarking on hiring initiatives for people with disabilities across the Group. We systematically increased our recruitment by implementing measures to improve our hiring competitiveness, including establishing an ANA Group website that listed employment opportunities for people with disabilities and holding simultaneous interviews across various ANA Group companies while sharing the know-how of each company within the Group.
In April 2015, all 37 Group companies that are subject to the quota system stipulated in the Act on Employment Promotion, etc., of Persons with Disabilities achieved the legally mandated employment rate of 2%. This reflects the robust hiring activities conducted by individual Group companies in conjunction with group-wide initiatives.
Employees with disabilities in the ANA Group
No. of ANA Group companies meeting the legal hiring quota (total 37 Group companies)
Active Roles Played by Employees with Disabilities
At present, more than 550 employees with disabilities carry out various duties, including working to ensure flight safety, providing customer service, and providing support to frontline employees. Each of these employees is committed to their work and is a valuable and skilled member of the ANA Group team.
In Osaka, the Osaka Document Center was established in May 2013 as a joint venture of ANA Wing Fellows Vie Oji Co., Ltd. and ANA Aero Supply Systems Co., Ltd. Currently, 20 employees with disabilities work at the Osaka Document Center, handling the paper-to-electronic processing of data, including aircraft maintenance records. These operations allow us to respond to inquiries on aircraft maintenance from around the world in a timely fashion, and contribute to safe flight operations. Furthermore, the Center has been generating considerable interest in the community, with many representatives of vocational support facilities and special-needs schools paying it a visit. In June 2014, the Center received a Certificate of Appreciation jointly signed by the Governor of Osaka Prefecture and the Mayor of Osaka City.
In Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, a convenience store was opened in July 2014 in the Tonomachi Business Center. All of the convenience store staff have disabilities, including hearing disabilities. Despite their challenges, the hearing-impaired staff have striven to come up with non-verbal means of communication in order to serve customers. This has resulted in unique methods of communication between store staff and customers not seen at other convenience stores, such as some customers greeting staff using sign language.
ANA Group Code of Conduct for the Employment of People with Disabilities
At the ANA Group, we promote understanding related to the hiring of people with disabilities, mainly through our HR managers. At the group-wide level, however, there is not always sufficient understanding of the hiring of people with disabilities, as these individuals are not positioned in all workplaces. In light of this, we created the 36K-Employee Kickoff, a code of conduct for the employment of people with disabilities in the ANA Group. The code was developed after holding several meetings and overnight sessions at the ANA Training & Education Center. A total of more than 50 employees, including HR managers from Group companies and people with disabilities, took part in the meetings and sessions.
The Group companies that have already met the legally mandated employment quota will use the 36K-Employee Kickoff as a basis to promote appropriate and mutual understanding concerning the hiring of people with disabilities among all employees. The ANA Group aims to become a strong organization where all employees, regardless of their challenges, can play an active role in their company.
ANA Group companies hire people with disabilities believing it to be the innate responsibility of a social, public enterprise, and not because it is mandated by the law. Furthermore, we believe it is a source of valuable, skilled talent that supports the Group.
To this end, it is important that all Group employees possess a correct understanding of disabilities and the diversity of people with disabilities. We aim to implement the following with the goal of creating an energetic and dynamic corporate group where colleagues can exert their strengths, everyone has confidence and pride in their work, and each employee shines.
- All employees will make maximum efforts to alleviate inconveniences met on the job owing to disabilities.
- We will have a mutual regard for one another and respect each individual.
- We will pursue infinite possibilities by focusing on what our employees are capable of, rather than what they are not capable of.
- The ANA Group will provied opportunities to all employees, regardless of the challenges they face, as we believe all employees are skilled talent necessary for the development of our business operations.
Inter-group "Smart Challenge" Job Transfer System
Like other employees, employees with disabilities experience changes in the course of performing their jobs. Some people seek to tackle new challenges to advance their careers. Others may find it difficult to continue working in their current capacity due to a change in the work environment or the worsening of their disability.
In light of such situations, the ANA Group has newly established the "smart challenge" system to enable employees with disabilities to take on new challenges by eliminating the borders between Group companies. The new system was put into action from June 1, 2015 to ensure that people with disabilities can continue to work at the ANA Group and exert their strengths.
Range of Activities to Promote the Employment of People with Disabilities
<Activity 1> Meetings for Managers Responsible for Employment of Persons with Disabilities
At the meeting for managers responsible for the employment of people with disabilities in fiscal 2014, we had an intensive discussion on the formulation of the ANA Group code of conduct for the employment of people with disabilities, engaging in an in-depth exchange of views across the Group on the hiring of people with disabilities, what actions we plan to take, and our vision for the future. This discussion formed the basis of the 36K-Employee Kickoff.
- October 7-8 (overnight sessions): 1st Meetings for Managers Responsible for Employment of Persons with Disabilities
- October 15-16 (overnight sessions): 2nd Meetings for Managers Responsible for Employment of Persons with Disabilities
- October 30: 1st Meeting for the formulation of "Basic Mind"
- November 12: 2nd Meeting for the formulation of "Basic Mind"
<Activity 2> ANA Group Joint Interview Event for Persons with Disabilities
The ANA Group joint interview event for people with disabilities was held at the ANA Auditorium in Haneda on July 22. One hundred and fifty-nine people applied to attend the interview, which was being held for the eighth time since the first event in fiscal 2013, including those held in the Osaka region.
In the questionnaire after the interview, we received positive feedback from the participants, with the largest amount of feedback ever concerning communication with event staff, including interviewers, Hello Work staff, and sign language interpreters. Among the comments received, we got plenty of feedback that gave us confidence that even though the time was limited there had been meaningful exchanges between applicants and interviewers, such as the following: "As my interviewer was very warm and kind, I didn't feel nervous but could relax during the interview;" "Although it was a short interview, my interviewer answered my questions sincerely and listened to what I had to say;" and "I applied to three companies, but I was impressed by the personalities of all interviewers. I am really hoping that I will be able to join the ANA Group."
<Activity 3> Training for New Group Managers
Starting from the 2014 fiscal year, the topic of "Promoting the Employment of Persons with Disabilities" was added to the training curriculum for newly appointed ANA Group managers. This curriculum provides new managers with essential information regarding the general circumstances and legal issues related to the employment of persons with disabilities. At the same time, the curriculum also deepens their understanding of the skills that persons with disabilities have and why the ANA Group must be involved with initiatives to employ persons with disabilities.
