Bewith’s Human Rights Policy
Bewith has been conducting its corporate activities under the philosophy of “Contributing to Society through Insights,” with the aim of creating joy and value in society by constantly providing insights into optimal services and the state of society.
As respect for human rights is indispensable for realizing the happiness of each and every person involved in the business of the Bewith Group consisting of our company and our consolidated subsidiaries (hereinafter simply referred to as “our Group”), we have established the “Bewith Human Rights Policy” as a guiding principle. We are committed to putting this policy into practice ourselves and promoting respect for human rights together with our stakeholders.
1. Basic concept
We recognize the universal value and importance of basic human rights and conduct our business activities with respect for international norms on human rights such as the International Bill of Human Rights, the “ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work” by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” and the “OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct.”
We not only comply with the laws and regulations of each country, but also strive to pursue ways to respect internationally recognized human rights to the fullest extent possible.
These are clearly stated to all officers and employees in the “Bewith, Inc. Code of Conduct.”
2. Scope of application
This policy applies to all business activities, officers and employees of our Group.
We expect all of our business partners, including clients of our Group, to understand and support the contents of this policy, and we will continue our initiative to promote respect towards this policy.
3. Important human rights issues related to business activities
In formulating this policy, we have positioned the following human rights issues as key items and will promote the study and implementation of measures for each of them. These issues will be reviewed from time to time in light of changes in social conditions as well as the continuation and expansion of our Group’s business.
- 1. Prohibition of discrimination and harassment
- We respect basic human rights in the hiring and treatment of employees, and do not engage in unreasonable discrimination based on birth, nationality, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender, age, physical characteristics, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
We will not tolerate sexual harassment, power harassment, maternity harassment, customer harassment, or any other form of harassment, and will strive to prevent such acts from occurring. - 2. Proper payment of wages and management of working hours
- We shall comply with applicable laws and regulations, properly manage working hours and holidays, and realize a work-life balance for our employees. We shall also ensure that there are no unreasonable differences in treatment among employees with the same qualifications engaging in the same duties, and shall implement payment of appropriate wages.
- 3. Forced labor and child labor
- We do not use labor obtained through forced labor, human trafficking, or other inhumane methods in our businesses. We do not allow children who have not yet reached the minimum working age to engage in work. In addition, we do not allow young workers under the age of 18 to work night shifts, work overtime, or engage in any other hazardous work that may jeopardize their health or safety.
- 4. Occupational safety and health
- We will strive to realize a safe, healthy, and better working environment not only in the workplaces we manage ourselves but also in those managed by our business partners, by collaborating with such partners, so that all employees can stay motivated and fully demonstrate their abilities.
- 5. Protection of personal information
- In addition to not unreasonably interfering with the privacy of individuals, we shall comply with the Personal Information Protection Act and its related laws, regulations, and guidelines, respect internal rules regarding the protection of personal information, and strictly manage and properly handle personal information received from business partners and employees to ensure that such information is not used for any unintended and non-legitimate purpose and is not disclosed or leaked.
- 6. Respect for freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
- We respect the right of individuals to form and join organizations at their own will and to engage in collective bargaining.
- 7. Prevention of corruption
- We deeply understand that acts of corruption can lead to the violation of human rights, and we shall comply with all applicable anti-corruption laws and regulations of each country and region where we conduct business activities. In addition, we will uphold “fair and impartial behavior” as stated in our Code of Conduct, and will not offer, promise, or give bribes, directly or indirectly, in the performance of our duties, nor will we accept any bribes, including the improper receipt of kickbacks or rebates.
- 8. Impact on local communities and the environment
- As a good corporate citizen in the local communities in which we conduct business activities, we aim to fulfill our responsibility regarding human rights and contribute to the development of local economies and the creation of a sustainable society. We will also strive to avoid negative impacts on human rights due to the progression of climate change and will work to reduce our environmental footprint throughout our entire value chain.
- 9. Providing services that take human rights into consideration
- In order to realize a safe, secure, and prosperous society, we will work to ensure accessibility of the services we provide so that all people, regardless of age or disability, can use them safely and comfortably. In addition, we will take the utmost care to ensure that the services, products, and advertisements we provide do not contain expressions that may possibly lead to discrimination or harassment.
4. Promotion system
To realize this policy, our company will engage in discussions within the “SDGs Promotion Committee,” headed by the president and representative director, and advance our efforts to respect human rights. The impact of our Group’s business activities on human rights and evaluations thereof shall be regularly reported to the Board of Directors and appropriate advice shall be obtained.
5. Relief
Our Group has established a consultation service to provide consultation on human rights issues from stakeholders who may be subject to human rights violations. If it becomes clear that there is a human rights violation involving our Group, we will work towards relief through appropriate measures.
6. Efforts to raise awareness of human rights
We will focus on education and awareness activities to promote the understanding of this policy and its effective implementation.
To ensure that this policy is incorporated into all business activities of our Group, we will continue to appropriately educate our officers and employees and will also educate our business partners about this policy.
7. Communication with stakeholders
in implementing this policy, it is extremely important to consider the perspectives of stakeholders who may be at risk of human rights violations. Therefore, we will continue to engage in close communication with our stakeholders.
8. Disclosure of information
Our Group will disclose the status of our efforts to respect human rights through our company’s website as appropriate.
9. Due diligence regarding human rights
We will perform due diligence on a regular basis to identify the negative impacts of our business activities on human rights, and will work to prevent and mitigate such impacts. If it becomes clear that our business activities are directly or indirectly causing a human rights violation, we will work to correct and remedy such violation.
June 1, 2024
Bewith, Inc.
President and CEO Kenji Iijima
Organization Chart for Promoting Our Efforts to Respect Human Rights
