Aspirations

The MS&AD Insurance Group Basic Policy on Human Rights applies not only to our Group but also to other stakeholders in the Group’s value chain, including suppliers related to the procurement of services and business partners such as agents. We are engaging with these stakeholders in order to prevent and mitigate any adverse impacts on human rights arising out of businesses activities.
Based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we aim to enhance our corporate value by establishing and implementing a human rights due diligence system, and through developing a value chain and in-house environment that are free of human rights violations.

Basic Policy on Human Rights

In February 2017, our Group established MS&AD Insurance Group Basic Policy on Human Rights to fulfill our corporate responsibility to respect human rights.

MS&AD Insurance Group Basic Policy on Human Rights

 

The MS&AD Insurance Group is committed to enhancing the enterprise value and contributing to the creation of a sustainable and resilient society through behavior that takes into account interaction with the environment and society in all business activities, with the aim of realizing Our Mission.
We recognize our responsibility for the actual and potential adverse impact our business activities have on human rights, including the impact of value chain, and we have pursued activities and dialogues that respect human rights. This Basic Policy has been adopted to prepare for this.

1. Basic Approach

 

(1) Compliance with laws, regulations and norms related to respect for human rights

(i)The Group respects international norms on human rights such as the United Nations International Bill of Human Rights(*1), the corporate code of conduct in the United Nations Global Compact(*2), and the principles concerning fundamental rights set out in the International Labor Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work(*3).
(ii) In addition to complying with laws and regulations in countries and regions where we conduct business activities, we seek ways to respect the principles of internationally recognized human rights when these laws and regulations conflict with the principles, while considering the circumstances in such countries and regions.
 

(2) Non-discrimination

We respect basic human rights in all business activities, and not discriminate based on race, nationality, gender, age, ethnic origin, descent (family origin), social status, creed, religion, physical characteristics, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or pregnancy.
 

(3) Corporate culture that respects human rights

(i) With “achieving mutual growth by respecting one another's individuality and opinions, and by sharing knowledge and ideas” as one of Our Values, we will foster a corporate culture that respects human rights.
(ii) We respect diverse values and engage in the creation of a friendly working environment with consideration for the mental and physical health and safety of every single employee.

2. Human Rights Due Diligence

We will create a system for human rights due diligence in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and engage in dialogue, consultation and reporting.

 

(1) Assessment and prevention

We will identify and assess any actual and potential human rights risks, and take prioritized steps to prevent and mitigate them.

 

(2) Remedy, remediation and dialogue

If the Group causes adverse human rights impacts, we will perform appropriate remedy and remediation through appropriate procedures, and engage in the prevention of recurrence. Moreover, if it is found that we are involved in such impacts through the value chain, we will sincerely engage in dialogue.

 

(3) Education and Training

We will engage in a broad range of activities to raise awareness of human rights through every opportunity to ensure our officers and employees have a deeper understanding of global, country-specific or regional issues related to human rights and their involvement with our business activities and have respect for human rights.

3. Responsibilities as a Global Insurance and Financial Services Provider

 

(1) Protection of privacy

In light of the importance of personal information and in accordance with our Basic Policy for Management of Customer Information we will protect personal information to ensure that there is no adverse impact on human rights including privacy.

 

(2) Reflection in business processes

As a founding signatory to the UN Principles of Sustainable Insurance (PSI) and a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), we will consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects in order to meet our responsibility to respect human rights in our insurance underwriting and investment decision-making processes.

(*1) International Bill of Human Rights consists of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the main instruments through which it has been codified: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

(*2)Ten Principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. The principles of Human Rights and Labour include: (1) support and respect for the protection of human rights; (2) non-complicity in human rights abuses,(3) recognition of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining; (4) elimination of forced labour; (5) effective abolition of child labour; and (6) elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation.

(*3) Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in five categories:(1) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining,(2) elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, (3)the effective abolition of child labour, (4) elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, and (5) safe and healthy working environment.

President & CEO

Human Rights Due Diligence and Remedial Measures

Based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we have established and continuously implement a human rights due diligence system, which is a management system that respects human rights.
In accordance with the Basic Human Rights Policy established in February 2017, we conduct the following human rights due diligence.

As part of its human rights due diligence, our Group followed the procedures up to STEP 3 to identify and assess actual and potential human rights risks. As a result of the analysis, we selected the following as priority issues: (i) Fair and impartial customer service (ii) Consideration of human rights measures by underwriters, investors and outsourcers (iii) Consideration for employee health and a workplace environment free of discrimination
We review human rights risk identification and assessment every three years to determine priority issues in response to changes in the society and environment surrounding our Group and its value chain.

We use the Fragile States Index to identify, through regular reviews, countries and regions where risks to human rights are high. When we expanded our business to Myanmar, we conducted due diligence and surveys on the investee and confirmed that there were no human rights issues.

Evaluation procedure

STEP1: Identify and organize any contact points between the Group’s value chain and stakeholders whence human rights risks may arise
[Target value chain]
(1) Provision of products/services development and sales (including collection of insurance premiums), risk consulting services, insurance payment (including accident investigation personnel)
(2)Management Process: Asset management (investments and loans), information management, procurement (materials and real estate), human resources/recruitment

[Stakeholders]
Customers, shareholders, business partners, agents, employees, local and international communities, and environment

[Human rights issues]
(1) Discrimination (recruitment, employment and working conditions) (2) Occupational health and safety (3) Excessive and unreasonable working hours (4) Harassment (5) Freedom of association (6) Discrimination (freedom of thought, religion and expression) (7) Defamation and invasion of privacy (8) Consumer safety and the right to know (9) Rights of foreign workers (10) Forced labor (11) Child labor (12) Rights of indigenous peoples and local residents (13) Participation in conflict and inhumane acts (14) Others
STEP2: Assess and analyze such risks identified in terms of [1] severity*1 and [2] probability of occurrence (creation of a risk map*2)

(*1) Severity is assessed based on the scale, scope, and difficulty of remediation of the estimated damage
STEP3: Remarkable risks found as a result of the risk map are organized by stakeholder and determined as a priority issue

[Priority Issues]
(1) Fair and impartial customer service
(2) Consideration of human rights measures for underwriters, investors, and outsourcers
(3) Consideration for employee health and a workplace environment free of discrimination
STEP4: Study and implement necessary preventive and remedial measures as well as review their effects

Human Rights Assessment and Remedial Measures

In the human rights due diligence process, we conduct human rights risk assessment, periodically monitor the 3 priority issues, and implement mitigation measures.

Fair and impartial customer service

■Promotion of understanding and awareness of human rights
・Human rights awareness training for employees
■Comprehensive implementation of customer-first operations
・Implementing initiatives in accordance with A Customer-first Policy in the Business Operations
■Consideration for the elderly and persons with disabilities
・Adoption of universal design principles
・Establishment of a dedicated dial-up call service for the elderly and preparation of a response manual
・Introduction of sign language interpretation services
■Comprehensive Customer Information Management
・Implementation of information management training to improve information literacy and training on e-mail targeted attacks
・Conducting regular inspections and audits of insurance agents, outsources, and employees
Information Management
Group Basic Policy for Management of Outside Vendors

Consideration of human rights measures for underwriters, investors, and outsourcers

■Underwriters and investors
Establishing Group Policy on Business Activities with Sustainability in Mind and Implementing Business Activities, and carrying out business activities with ESG factors in mind
■Outsourcing Contractor/Agent
・Establishment of Human Rights Consultation Desk
・Implementation of human rights awareness training for agents
・Implementation of surveys on the status of efforts to address human rights issues and the degree of awareness
・Implementation of information management, inspection, and corrective measures

Consideration for employee health and a workplace environment free of discrimination

■Promotion of health management
・Interviews with industrial physicians regarding long working hours, reinforcement of measures to prevent mental illness (use of educational activities and rehabilitation programs that contribute to prevention), utilization of flexible work management, and promotion of health checkups
■Measures against harassment
・In addition to systematic management of working hours, our Group is promoting workstyle reforms for employee health and safety.
・A speak-up system (internal reporting system) and consultation desks have been established. Dissemination of the reporting system and creation of an environment that makes it easy to consult with contact points

Speak-Up system

■Promotion of understanding and awareness concerning LGBTQ

・Implementation of internal seminar to promote understanding of LGBTQ

Main Initiatives

Our Sustainability ApproachBusiness Activities with Consideration for Sustainability

In September 2020, we formulated the Group Policy "Business Activities with Consideration for Sustainability" and have been conducting business activities that take ESG factors into consideration. For insurance underwriting, and loans and investments, we have been taking human rights into consideration. In July 2022, we developed guidelines stipulating that, in addition to cluster munitions manufacturing companies, which can lead to the indiscriminate killing and wounding of a wide range of people, no insurance underwriting shall be carried out, and no investments or loans shall be made for companies that manufacture inhumane weapons, such as biological and chemical weapons and anti-personnel mines, which can lead to the indiscriminate killing and wounding of people, and we have been carrying out insurance underwriting and making loans and investments in accordance with those guidelines. In addition, with regard to businesses that could infringe on the human rights of indigenous peoples and local residents, we will make a careful decision on whether or not to trade them, based on consideration of the local community of the business partner. We check the underwriting status once a year, confirm that the content is in line with our policy, and take corrective measures such as suspending underwriting as necessary.

Structure of Education about Human Rights

In the MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, the Sustainability Section of the Corporate Planning Department plays a central role in promoting efforts to respect human rights inside and outside of Japan in collaboration with departments in charge of overseas compliance and departments in charge of human rights awareness in the operating companies. In the operating companies, the organizations directed by the executive officers responsible for human rights awareness or officers in higher positions play a central role to raise human rights awareness of employees. They promote a better understanding of human rights and corporate social responsibility as well as develop and embed a corporate culture of respecting human rights.
<Major initiatives>

  • Planning and formulating as well as implementing and managing workplace training programs for all employees
  • Raising role awareness of employees involved in human rights education.

ESG Data / Reference Material(Human Rights)

Personal information protection

Each Group company establishes internal regulations on information management, introduces security measures, and provides education to employees and agents, according to the MS&AD Insurance Group Basic Policy for Management of Customer Information.
To verify the management systems, we regularly conduct inspections and audits of agents, outside vendors, and employees, and promptly implement remedial measures against any found problems.

<Fiscal 2021 inspections and audits>
Internal inspections were carried out at the Company and the Group’s domestic insurance companies. We inspected and audited around 33,000 agents and outside vendors, and provided instructions including to strengthen security to approximately 418 companies.

Information Management
Group Basic Policy for Management of Outside Vendors

Supply chain response (Foreign Technical Interns)

Since various problems such as low wages and a poor working environment for foreign technical interns and students have recently been arising in Japan, we conducted interviews with the relevant business divisions in the our Group. Although we did not find any problematic cases in the interviews, we will continue to follow up on this matter. In addition, a third party periodically audits the working environment and conditions in order to maintain an appropriate working environment.

Consultation Service Desk

The MS&AD Insurance Group has established a system to receive reports on human rights violations and take appropriate remedial measures

Schemes for Receiving Feedback from Customers

We widely accept various voices such as "consultations," "requests," and "complaints" from customers, and stipulate that they will be used to improve quality.

Quality that Earns the Trust of Society

Reporting System from Employees (Speak-up System)

In order to prevent violations of laws and regulations, violations of internal regulations, and inappropriate conduct from being neglected, the MS&AD Insurance Group has in place a reporting and Internal and external consultation services, the Speak-up System, through which employees can report any concerns so the company can promptly identify the facts and take necessary measures. With this system, our Group pushes ahead with compliance with ethics, laws, and regulations.

<Main subjects of reports and consultation>

  • Any matters related to non-compliance
  • Issues related to employees’ mental and physical health and other issues caused by sexual harassment, power harassment, or any other types of harassment
  • Any matters related to working environment, such as work hours and overtime work

We have made efforts to enable informers and consulters to easily use the system by setting up an external contact point at an outside law firm. In addition, we protect the informers and consulters by ensuring the informers and consulters’ privacy and protect their information. We also make sure the informers are not treated disadvantageously.

 

ESG Data / Reference Material (Speak-up System)

Harassment Consulting Desk

We have set up a dedicated harassment consulting desk to make sure that employees who feel victimized can consult staff with peace of mind about sexual harassment, power harassment, and maternity harassment cases. Based on verification of facts through prompt investigation, if deemed necessary, corrective measures and actions will be taken in accordance with internal regulations. The company is also making efforts toward prevention of harassment by providing education such as workplace training programs for all employees, level-specific training programs, and e-learning.

Promotion of a Sound Relationship with the Labor Union

In the MS&AD Group, the Company and the labor union respect each other's position by complying with agreements in good faith and by engaging in efforts to maintain and improve the company's democratic and healthy development, the employee's working conditions, and their position.
Based on the agreement, negotiations and consultations are carried out in the context of wages, personnel systems and operations, work environment, and management plan.

ESG Data/Reference Material (Labor union membership rate)