Diversity, equality and inclusion

Committee:
Human Resources
status:
Some progress
Published:
Japan, known to have the world’s highest rate of seniority, also has one of the fastest population declining paces in the world. Its economy is bound to drastically change in the following decades due to a decrease in population of 30 million by 2050. To offset its shrinking labour force, Japan needs to bring more women into the workforce by supporting working mothers, reducing its gender pay gap (second largest among OECD countries) and giving them access to more stable jobs, as well as to integrate foreign workers. Japan, unfortunately, still ranks low on various indexes related to this issue. Gender, age, race, disability and sexual orientation are only a few examples in which discrimination can be found. It is important to raise awareness at company level and implement improvement in those fields. Particularly against the backdrop of an impending ageing society and the associated increased threat of poverty in old age, special measures should be taken to counteract age discrimination.

Recommendations

  • Facilitating access to the Japanese labour market for foreign workers. The government should continue to take a proactive approach to immigration policies and deregulation, given the shrinking labor market in Japan.
  • Improving awareness for companies to accept a diverse range of candidates
  • To ensure that foreign workers can become effective and leverage their skills, companies need to create an inclusive and supportive environment. This involves providing comprehensive onboarding programs that help foreign professionals understand the local work culture and expectations. Additionally, the EBC encourages the provision of cross-cultural communication trainings to enhance the collaboration between Japanese and foreign workers. By preparing and creating a conducive environment, companies can enable foreign workers to thrive and contribute their unique perspectives and expertise to the organization.