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Diversity & Inclusion

Achieving a Workplace Environment Active with Diverse Human Resources

Over 35,000 people are employed by the NYK Group. For employees of diverse backgrounds to feel free to utilize their abilities and leadership skills to easily work together in the global field, we are continually aiming to maintain a satisfying working environment.

Employee Satisfaction

In 2022, we conducted an engagement survey globally, and we are utilizing the results to improve the organization.
Further, we highly prioritize communication for better organizational management by providing our employees with an opportunity once a year to voice their opinions, thoughts, and requests.

Working on Land

Creating an environment where everyone can play an active role

NYK's Human Resources Group has established HR Design / Diversity & Inclusion Team that is taking a range of measures to contribute to the workforce to promote the establishment of environments and the cultivation of workplace atmospheres in which diverse personnel can play important roles.
In October 2020, we partially revised our human resource system so that employees who take career breaks due to childbirth, childcare, family care, or poor health receive fair evaluations upon returning to work and, as a consequence, do not suffer any disadvantage from employment gaps.
To enable employees to balance work and family commitments, we also have a range of other systems that surpass legal requirements, such as flextime, short-time work, remote work, and child-rearing and nursing-care leave. We have also developed many other programs that help employees balance work and various other non-work commitments, and we have been raising in-house awareness of progressive approaches to work through the holding of Iku-boss seminars every year since 2016, aimed at changing the attitudes of managers who have subordinates whose availability is limited due to childcare or family care responsibilities. Additionally, we are working to ensure that all employees can balance their life events and careers.

Company system and Career-building support

Details of company system

Childcare leave
The employee may take leave for a maximum of two years and eight weeks immediately after childbirth.
Short-term paternity leave
Employees may take up to four weeks (28 days) within eight weeks of the birth of a child. For each child, the total leave may be taken in up to two portions, with 14 days paid, and shall include Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
Flexible work hours for childcare purposes
The system applies to pregnant employees and employees who have children that have not completed six years of elementary school.
Shorter work hours for childcare purposes
The employee may work up to two hours less a day between predetermined core hours. This system applies to employees who have children that have not completed the first year of elementary school.
Shorter and flexible work hours for childcare purposes
The employee may work up to two hours less a day. This system applies to employees who have children that have not completed the first year of elementary school.
Telework
Employees may use the service up to four times per week.
Other support systems
Child-nursing leave, nursing purposes (employees may take leave on a daily, half-day, or hourly basis), maternity leave.
Nursing-care leave
The employee may take up to one year off for nursing purposes.
Flexible work hours for nursing purposes
The employee may use flextime.
Other support services
The employee may use baby-sitting provided by an outside company.
Spouse-transfer leave
The employee may take leave of up to three years to accompany a spouse being transferred within Japan or overseas.
More Information:

Efforts for women's advancement

When employees take leave such as childbirth or childcare, anxiety is removed by explaining the system, conducting interviews before taking leave, and conducting interviews before returning to work. We aim to help employees to return to work with high motivation.
Further, we proactively engage employees who, as a result of having been on leave, are concerned about lacking sufficient work experience. More specifically, we will consider offering such employees training and other opportunities that motivated individuals can use to achieve self-growth. In addition, through the introduction of a short-term paternity leave system, which provides the employee with an additional 14 days of paid leave, and the holding of Iku-papa seminars, we are continuing to foster awareness and a workplace culture emphasizing that both men and women are responsible for childcare and housework. We believe that the proactive and active involvement of male employees in childcare and housework will give their spouses more time and peace of mind, and will lead to the further success of women and employees who have limited time.

Ratio of women managers

We have advocated and cultivated human resources who can lead business development in Japan and overseas regardless of gender. As a result, the ratio of women managers at the NYK headquarters has exceeded 10% annually since fiscal 2013. We have established a goal to increase the percentage of women in management positions to 30% by 2030, and we will steadily advance our efforts to achieve a strong, diverse organization and a healthy gender balance.

Ratio of women managers (NYK Headquarters)

Changes in the number of women taking childcare leave,
percentage of women who returned to work,
and retention rate of women who returned to work after using childcare leave program

  FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
Number of employees who used parental leave program 20 12 7 16 12
Ratio of employees who returned to work after taking parental leave (%) 93.8
(1)		 100.0 100.0 91.0
(1)		 100.0
Retention rate of employees who used parental leave program (%) 100.0 93.8
(1)		 100.0 100.0 100.0
  • ()Number of women who left the company

We are formulating and implementing action plans in response to the Act on Promotion of Women's Active Participation and Advancement in the Workplace. In our second action plan, which went into effect in April 2021, we are seeking to further promote the development of an environment in which diverse human resources can play an active role in the fostering of a workplace culture toward the realization of diversity and inclusion. At the same time, we will continue to implement the measures formulated in the First Action Plan to increase the number of women working abroad. Work experience abroad is an important element of employee career advancement, and when implemented in conjunction with the measures of the Second Action Plan, stimulates self-growth. We expect overseas work experience to be a valuable attribute when serving as a manager in the future.

NYK Action Plan

First Action Plan

  1. 1Duration
    Five years (April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2021)
  2. 2Goals and Activity Contents
    An aggregate of 80 female employees having significant work experience at NYK offices overseas.
    1. (1)Support active career development of employees who have children
    2. (2)Enrich support system for employees who take their children when assigned to work abroad
    3. (3)Provide the opportunity for employees to draw up their own career plans by holding forums featuring employees who have work experience at NYK offices overseas

The total number of female employees working overseas was 78, an achievement rate of 97.5% of this action plan's goal of 80.

Second Action Plan

In 2001, we unified the company's personnel system and have since advocated and cultivated human resources who can actively work in global fields regardless of gender. In addition, as a result of the efforts of the first action plan, the number of female employees having significant work experience at NYK offices overseas, including employees who have children, has steadily increased.

The purpose of the second action plan is to establish policy that will help "combine careers with life events that anyone can expect to experience." In October 2020, we partially revised our human resource system so that employees who take career breaks because of childbirth, childcare, family care, or poor health can receive fair evaluations upon returning to work and, as a consequence, do not suffer any disadvantage from the hiatus. In accordance with NYK Group ESG Story, we are also taking positive action for employees who, as a result of having been on leave, are concerned about lacking work experience.

While promoting measures for female employees who are prone to career breaks, we are also encouraging male employees to take childcare leave. We believe that male employees who are actively involved in childcare and housework dedicate more time to their spouse and home life, which leads to the further success of women and employees suffering from time constraints. We will raise awareness of the benefits of childcare and housework being carried out by both men and women, and further promote the development of a workplace culture that makes it easy for anyone to take childcare leave.

To achieve diversity and inclusion, we will work to raise the level of awareness within the company to improve behavior, and create a comfortable working environment for men and women so that all employees can play active roles.

  1. 1Duration
    Five years (April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2026)
  2. 2Goals and Activity Contents

    Goal (1)

    • Increase female participation rate in external training to 30% for the purpose of cross-industry exchange and skill improvement
    • Increase the dispatch of women so that female participants will reach 50%; include training for women only to achieve this goal

    Background of Planning

    • Even if a career break occurs because of childbirth, childcare, or family care, ensure that improvement and growth are possible through supplemental opportunities and experience through training
    • Make use of training to equalize outside dispatch

    Activity Content (From April 2021)

    • Based on life events, we will increase not only existing training but also training suitable for each employee.
    • Consider positive actions such as providing opportunities and places where self-growth can be achieved, depending on motivation
    • We will increase the number of female employees seconded as a measure to supplement experience and opportunities to improve and broaden the range of careers.

    Goal (2)

    • Increase the rate of childcare leave for male employees (including land-based seafarers) to 100%

    Background of Planning

    • The number of male employees taking childcare leave is increasing, but a higher rate is desired.
    • It is thought that if male employees take the initiative and actively engage in childcare, not only will they be expected to grow and develop their abilities, but their spouses will also have more time, which will lead to the further success of women.

    Activity Content (From April 2021)

    • Disseminate a system related to childcare and encourage use of the system
    • Promote the development of workplace culture that makes it easy for anyone to take childcare leave, raising awareness among male employees to actively and proactively engage in childcare and housework, and enlightenment to deepen understanding of supervisors and others

Mid-Career Hires

We have been actively recruiting not only new graduates but also mid-career hires with diverse backgrounds for personnel assignments in strategic areas and to strengthen corporate functions.

Number of Hires (NYK Headquarters)

  FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
New hires* 53 61 54 66 87
Mid-carrer hires 0 4 1 12 31
Ratio of mid-carrer hires (%) 0.0 7.0 2.0 18.0 36.0
  • *New-graduates and mid-carrer hires

Reemployment Program

NYK launched the NYK Career Club (NCC) and NYK Friend Club (NFC) in April 2006. The NCC is a program created in response to the amended Law Concerning Stabilization of Employment of Older Persons and provides for reemployment through age 65 of employees who retire at age 60. On the other hand, the NFC is a program that provides for fixed term reemployment of staff members who have left NYK for personal reasons. The purpose of both programs is to provide ambitious, skilled employees with opportunities to work after they have left the company.

Working at Sea

Diversification of Seafarers

In order for the Group to implement a broad range of business globally, the Group must secure and develop talented seafarer resources. In the Group, the seafaring workforce is a multinational mix. Less than 10 percent of the seafarers working on the Group's approximately 650 operating vessels are Japanese. In 2007, aiming to create a foundation for training seafarers for senior positions from the basic level up, NYK opened the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy (NTMA) in the Philippines. Graduates of NTMA and students from various partner merchant marine academies in India, Eastern Europe, and Asian nations receive onboard training within our fleet. After a seafarer license is obtained, the new seafarers then begin their careers on board our operating vessels, and in recent years have expanded their range as navigation officers and engineers at office locations as well.

More Information:

Percentage of Seafarers by Nationality*1

  1. *1Percentage of seafarers at NYK Ship management (officers and crew members)
  2. *2China, Vietnam, Russia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Angola, Panama, Singapore

Female Seafarers

In 2004, NYK became the first of the major Japanese companies that offer overseas shipping services to accept female officers. Since then, their numbers have continued to rise, and the company had 22 female officers as of April 1, 2022. Their participation in the workplace — on board vessels and in the office — is advancing.

NYK Promotes Woman to Captain for First Time in Company History

On April 2017, a deck officer named Tomoko Konishi became the first woman in NYK's 132-year history to be promoted to the rank of captain.

More Information:

History of Japanese Officers at NYK

  • 1885 NYK Line founded
  • 1896 Assigned Gosaburo Shimazu, NYK's first Japanese captain, to Hiroshima Maru operating to Bombay (present-day Mumbai, India)
  • 1920 Japanese officers total about 1,400 in all positions, i.e., captains, chief engineers, telecommunications chiefs, pursers, etc.
  • 2004 NYK becomes first major Japanese oceangoing company to accept female officers
  • 2006 NYK begins program to allow graduates from non-maritime colleges/universities to begin officer training after joining the company
  • 2017 Woman promoted to rank of captain for the first time in NYK's 132-year history