Concern for Human Rights Problems
Prohibiting Discrimination
The Canon Group Code of Conduct prohibits all Group executives and employees, irrespective of their position or duties, from engaging in discrimination based on race, religion, nationality, gender, age or other unfair grounds. To disseminate and ensure understanding of the Code of Conduct, the code has been translated into 11 languages and is also practiced in Group companies in the world.
Canon Inc. and its Group companies in Japan carry out collective readings of the Canon Group Code of Conduct as well as discussions concerning work-related risks twice a year at all workplaces.
Through such activities, we strive to deepen employee understanding of the Code and thus maintain a fair, comfortable and safe work environment.
Preventing Harassment
Canon advocates a policy of "zero tolerance of harassment," which it communicates to management executives and all employees.
Canon Inc.'s employment rules clearly stipulate our prohibition of sexual and power harassment. This led to the formulation of Sexual Harassment Prevention Provisions in 2008. These provisions have been made known throughout the Canon Group, and other Group companies have established similar rules based upon them.
In a further effort to maintain a comfortable workplace environment, Canon Inc. established Harassment Hotlines at each operational site in 2008 to provide counseling. Confidentiality is strictly maintained and a firm guarantee against disadvantageous treatment is provided to victims and informants. We have seen a decrease in the number of harassment-related consultations made over the years since then, from 24 in 2009 and 12 in 2010 to 8 in 2011. This indicates that our employee education and other awareness programs are having an effect.
Group companies are also establishing consultation hotlines in their efforts to maintain comfortable working environments.
Anti-Harassment Education for Employees
Canon conducts a variety of training programs to raise awareness of harassment issues among employees. For example, anti-harassment measures are discussed when considering case studies during biannual Compliance Meetings held at each Canon Group company workplace in Japan. For staff at the executive and managerial level, Canon Inc. also holds Harassment Prevention Training for Managers, which had 246 attendees in 2011, for a cumulative total of 3,707 participants since the course began. Canon Inc. also conducts training for those returning from overseas assignments, and holds "open seminars" to encourage as many managers as possible to participate in anti-harassment training.
Harassment Prevention Training for Managers is also held at Group companies in Japan, with nine companies having conducted this training by 2011.
Considering that by the end of the first half of 2011 nearly all management-level staff have received this training, we plan to incorporate it into open seminars for groups that have not yet received it as well as training for new managerial staff. We will continue this training with the goal of achieving 100% participation by management-level employees.
Harassment Prevention Training for Managers
Eliminating Child and Forced/Compulsory Labor
All Canon Group companies manage human resources in compliance with the laws and social norms of each country and region in which they operate, as well as Canon's own company regulations.
No Canon Group company has ever been in violation of laws relating to child labor or forced/compulsory labor.
