Each of our business sites will proactively address solutions to global health issues such as cholera, tuberculosis, pneumonic plague, and malaria. Employees (excluding part-time workers) are given annual physical examinations, including chest X-ray examinations that enable early detection of tuberculosis. Other preventive activities are also carried out. In addition, measures have been put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other globally prevalent infectious diseases. We are actively supporting counter-infection activities. We also conduct regular stress checks on our employees in Japan.

Ryohin Keikaku has established a Labor, Safety and Health Committee under the leadership of company executives to investigate and deliberate on matters related to health and safety and employee health management at our business sites. Although we have not received OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety) certification, our health and safety managers, occupational physicians, and employee and union representatives hold monthly Labor, Safety and Health Committee meetings to discuss and resolve specific issues such as store and office safety management and employee health management and mental healthcare. Additionally, all store managers are certified as health and safety officers. In FY2021, FY2022, and FY2023 respectively, 123, 211, and 126 employees participated in courses on health & safety and employee healthcare.

In order to support the mental and physical health of our employees, we have set up a mental health consultation service provided by ADVANTAGE Risk Management's Mental Healthcare Service. This program is made available to all employees, including part-time workers (including family members and relatives of the second degree in the case of mental healthcare), if they want to consult on their mental health or health issues, such as "I'm not in the best condition somehow," "I can't focus on my work because I'm worried about my problems," or "I don't know where to go for help with my personal problems." We promote initiatives that maintain and improve the physical and mental health of our employees and their families through a variety of measures.

In new projects, like opening of new stores, we examine the risks associated with occupational health and safety and work to prevent them from becoming tangible. In addition, an Audit Office has been established as an internal audit division to audit the appropriateness and effectiveness of the status of occupational health and safety at the stores and headquarters, compliance with internal regulations and manuals, overall business activities, and procedures, etc., and this Office also reports periodically to the representative director and the Board of Directors.

In FY2023, same as in the previous fiscal year, no fatalities or serious occupational injuries that resulted in permanent disability were recorded. As a company that meets the global standards for health and safety, we will continue to implement thorough measures to prevent industrial accidents and strive to prevent serious industrial accidents. Our goals are to achieve "zero" serious work-related injuries resulting in death or permanent disability and "zero" personal injuries with 100% negligence for work-related traffic accidents.

Ryohin Keikaku complies with international standards and local laws and regulations regarding working hours, rest periods, and vacation time, and further promotes a working style that does not require overtime. Managers in each department keep track of their employees' working hours on a monthly basis to ensure that employees are pre-planning and taking their holidays in accordance with the plan. We will continue eradicating long working hours by strengthening management and supervision of working hours.

We offer a system that allows employees to choose from a variety of work styles in order to find balance between work and life events such as childbirth, childcare and nursing care. We have established systems to support work-life balance that can be used by all employees, regardless of gender. These systems include childcare and nursing care leave system, shorter working hour system, childcare system, family care system, flextime system, among others. We have also maintained a balanced four-day workweek system since May 2021. In 2016, we extended the applicability of our childcare system, which allows for shorter working hours for employees who have to take care of their children, from the first year of elementary school to the end of the fourth year of elementary school. This is part of our efforts to create an environment in which employees can work with peace of mind.

We have also officially launched a telecommuting program for headquarter employees in Japan from October 2019 after the testing period. In addition, from September 2020, we further strengthened our support for those employees who are working from home by providing allowance for utilities and communication expenses (paid on a daily basis) and by lending monitors.

In 2016, we introduced a back-pass system to allow employees who left for unavoidable reasons, such as nursing care or a spouse's job transfer, to re-join the company. A comeback hiring system has also been put in place to recruit and rehire former employees of Ryohin Keikaku back to their respective positions.

Starting in 2022, we drastically revised the organizational vitality survey we had conducted in Japan and launched an engagement survey of approximately 30,000 employees (including regular and non-regular employees), working in Japan and overseas. This survey quantitatively verifies whether the necessary actions are being taken to realize our corporate purpose and vision, and whether the requisite conditions for that are in place. Our goal is to be a company with high engagement where all employees share our philosophy and take action. We will conduct the survey annually and make improvements based on the results.

Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd., and the Ryohin Keikaku Labor Union respect each other's position, wherein they coordinate to establish fair labor-management practices, democratically develop the company's management, and promote the maintenance and improvement of employees' working conditions and their status. In order to facilitate democratization of management and negotiations, the Central Labor-Management Council was established, and Council meetings are held on a monthly basis in principle.

Everyday after the morning meeting, we carry out a 5-minute cleanup to prepare our workstation. This initiative is not only about cleaning up our surroundings, but also about creating awareness and improvements from our daily cleaning activities.

In addition, before the end of a workday, we make sure to clean up our own rubbish to raise awareness on recycling and reducing waste.