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Respect for Human Rights

Basic Concept

Based on the view that respect for human rights is a universal value and is consistent with the realization of the Corporate Policy, the JAL Group has stipulated “JAL Group Human Rights Policy”PDF in order to fulfill its responsibility to respect human rights of all stakeholders.
We have also stipulated "JAL Group Supplier Code of Conduct"PDF as a content specific to the supply chain.

Our Human Rights Policy and Supplier Code of Conduct is company wide and covers all of our company's operations. It includes commitment to prevent/respect the following elements: discrimination, forced labor, child labor, work environment, fair work conditions, human trafficking, freedom of association (including collective bargaining), long work hours, wages (including equal remuneration), inhumane treatment, involvement (participation) of human rights violations, lives of indigenous people and local communities, foreign and immigrant workers.

Modern Slavery Act

The JAL Group is taking steps to prevent forced labor and human trafficking in the Group and its supply chains, in accordance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the United Kingdom), Part 2-16 of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Australia), and Section 11 of the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (Canada). Click here to learn more.

Overview of Human Rights Due Diligence

In order to promote respect for human rights, the JAL Group has established an internal regulations for human rights due diligence and management and complaint handling mechanisms as follows.
Based on this regulations, we conduct a human rights risk survey for all Group companies every year, identify issues that are particularly important for each fiscal year through risk assessments related to human rights, extraction of issues, and dialogue with outside experts. We are working specifically to eliminate the negative impact on human rights.

Details established in internal regulations

  • Structure and operation of the "Human Rights Due Diligence (hereinafter HRDD)" as a means of respecting human rights in accordance with the JAL Group Human Rights Policy
  • Establishment of "Grievance Handling Mechanism" for stakeholders who are negatively or likely to be negatively affected by the JAL Group's business to directly express their concerns

Process of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD)

The JAL Group is working on initiatives of respecting human rights as per the flow of 1~10 below every fiscal year.

Grievance Handling Mechanism

Important communication function for stakeholders (suppliers, customers, and employees) to express their concerns regarding human rights directly (JAL Supplier Hotline, customer support, and employee consultation desks such as JAL Group Hotline)* is positioned as "Grievance Handling Mechanism" and is operated in an integrated manner with HRDD in order to enable necessary corrections to be made promptly and directly.
We have established a system that facilitates reporting by ensuring confidentiality and prohibiting disadvantageous treatment of whistleblowers, and by allowing anonymous reporting.

*The employee consultation desks have been established to handle inquiries regarding harassment and general compliance. Collectively, these contact points are defined as our "Grievance Handling Mechanism."

Identifying and Assessing Human Rights Impact

The JAL Group identifies issues at each stage of the value chain by business, including risk identification in certain new business relationships. Further, while referring to issues raised by NGOs and civil society, and reflecting the opinions of specialists, we assess the impact of issues identified using a plot graph with (1) severity of potential human rights impact on one axis; and (2) likelihood of human rights impact on the other axis. We then clarify high-priority human rights issues and countermeasures.

This risk assessment covers all stakeholders, including customers, business partners, own employees, women, children, indigenous people, migrant workers, third-party employees and local communities.
As a result of the risk assessment, we found that our company did not violate any human rights, so we have not taken any mitigation and remediation actions. However, we take initiatives written below to create a society in which all human rights are respected and which we can operate with peace of mind.

Initiatives on Priority Issues of Human Rights

Through our business activities, the JAL Group aims to create a society in which all human rights are respected and which we can operate with peace of mind. To this end, we will strive to respect the human rights of all stakeholders, including suppliers, customers, and employees, in accordance with our human rights policy.
In FY2024, we newly added “respect for human rights related to nature, including biodiversity” to the list of 11 priority issues and worked on them. Based on the review of our efforts and dialogues with experts, we will continue to make these 11 priority issues in FY2025, and will continue to work on respecting human rights through our business.

FY2025 Human Rights Priority Issues

Suppliers

We will work together with our business partners to build a sustainable supply chain that includes respect for human rights and appropriate labor practices. We also conduct risk assessment and monitoring to confirm the soundness of our supply chain. In addition, we will respect human rights through dialogue with stakeholders, and also we will continue to procure products and meals that take human rights into consideration, such as service supplies and meals provided on flights and in lounges.

Confirmation of respect for human rights in the supply chain

[Initiatives up to now]
In preparation for the replacement of uniforms in April 2020, we visited overseas suppliers in China and Vietnam to conduct SMETA audits*. We held briefings with suppliers to raise their awareness of the SDGs.
Since fiscal 2023, we have identified significant suppliers once a year that have strong ties with our company and are highly important from an ESG perspective, conducting self-assessment questionnaires to verify the integrity of our supply chain. Furthermore, from fiscal 2024, we have launched onsite assessments for certain suppliers based on their questionnaire results and day-to-day transaction status.

*SMETA audit (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is a social audit designed to improve corporate ethics in the global supply chain and is the most widely used in the world.

[Future action plans]
Moving forward into fiscal 2025 and beyond, we will continue to utilize self-assessment questionnaires and onsite assessment to ensure the development of a sound and sustainable supply chain.

Sewing Factory

Procurement of products with consideration for human rights

[Initiatives up to now]
For service supplies and meals served to guests in cabin and in lounges, we began adopting certified products that take into consideration the human rights of workers in forestry, farms, and fishing grounds in September 2018*. We have begun offering coffee certified with RAINFOREST ALLIANCE certification, paper products (paper cups, paper straws, menu cards, etc.) with international certified paper with consideration for forest resources, marine products with MSC/ASC certification, and vegetables and other agricultural products with ASIAGAP certification, respectively. We completed replacing all coffee with RAINFOREST ALLIANCE certification and in FY2024, we replaced 96.5% of paper products and 26 menu items used certified seafood and agricultural products. In addition, our subsidiary JAL Agriport has obtained ASIAGAP certification for its own farms and uses produce from these farms in in-flight meals and other products.

*Child labour, forced labour, poor working conditions, low wages, gender inequality and violations of indigenous land rights.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2024, we aim to achieve rate of use of international certified paper products with consideration of forest resources to 100% for inflight service items. We will continue to actively adopt certified products that take into account the human rights of workers in the supply chain, and replace service supplies and meals provided to customers with certified products.

Inflight meals made with MSC-certified ingredients

Respect for human rights related to nature, including biodiversity

[Initiatives up to now]
We recognize that protecting the local nature leads to respecting the human rights of the people living there, including their right to live there. In FY2024, we conducted interviews with local employees involved in business activities in the Amami Islands, an area targeted by our biodiversity conservation, to confirm the status of their initiatives. In the course of these interviews, we confirmed that they are working on biodiversity conservation and respect for human rights while reflecting the voices of the local community in their policies. In addition, we have incorporated this issue into our training program on respect for human rights to promote employee understanding of the issue.

[Future action plans]
In FY2025, we will continue to confirm the status of our initiatives through dialogue with stakeholders and raise awareness within the company.

Customers

We will focus on three areas: improving accessibility with the aim to create a society where everyone can enjoy an enriched life through travel; preventing human trafficking through air transport; and preventing human rights violations by external dissemination.

Improvement of accessibility

[Initiatives up to now]
Based on the JAL Group Accessibility Service PolicyThis page will open in a new window, we are working to create fun and affluence through travel by providing all customers with stress-free travel options. In fiscal 2024, we made the following efforts.

  • Employee education
    Continued education for all employees on accessibility
  • Environmental improvement
    Renewal of the auxiliary belt for fastening the upper body
    Installed low counters at domestic airports (Komatsu Airport, Nagasaki Airport, Izumo Airport, Amami Airport, Miyazaki Airport)
  • Information dissemination
    JAL SKY MUSEUM special event for wheelchair users
  • Accessible tourism
    Held “Flight Experience Sessions”

[Future action plans]
From fiscal year 2025 onward, we will continually promote 4 initiatives: employee education, enviromental improvement, information dissemination, and accessible tourism.

The renewed auxiliary belt for fastening the upper body

Prevention of human trafficking

[Initiatives up to now]
For the purpose of preventing complicity in human trafficking by air transportation, in fiscal 2019 we provided education on the prevention of human trafficking for employees of Cabin Attendants Division Airport division who are in charge of airplanes and airports that can be frontline of human trafficking. In addition, in fiscal 2020 we established guidelines for reporting suspected cases of human trafficking, referring to measures being considered by international organizations.
In fiscal 2024, as part of initiatives with external stakeholders, we jointly hosted a public-private collaboration forum on preventing human trafficking via air travel with other companies to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders and disseminate information.
In addition, we implemented training programs for all employees on respect for human rights, including the prevention of human trafficking, and promoted initiatives to prevent human trafficking as the JAL Group.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2025, we will continue to educate all employees on the prevention of human trafficking, and work with external stakeholders to promote efforts to prevent human trafficking.

Prevention of human rights violation by external dissemination

[Initiatives up to now]
As the environment surrounding the company becomes more complicated, we developed a check system to ensure that we do not unintentionally violate on human rights through external dissemination.
In Fiscal 2024, we appropriately operated our checking system which we strengthened in the previous year, and we also worked to raise employee awareness by using training programs related to respect for human rights.

[Future action plans]
By continuing similar initiatives in fiscal 2025, we will strive to prevent human rights violations by external dissemination.

Employees

In addition to improving the working environment by preventing harassment, curbing long working hours, and preventing leaks of personal information, we also promote respect for diversity by promoting DEI, such as promoting women and supporting the active participation of people with disabilities. Also, we will continue to take steps to prevent cases of human rights violations from occurring regarding our foreign employees, which are expected to increase in the future.

Prevention of harassment

[Initiatives up to now]
We established workplace Harassment Prevention regulations *, which provides detailed explanations of the definitions of various forms of harassment (harassment related to pregnancy, childbirth, childcare leave, nursing care leave etc, sexual harassment, non-sexual harassment and power harassment), clearly prohibits them, and clearly states that violations will be subject to disciplinary action.
In addition to the consultation desk for harassment, we have set up a 24-hour consultation desk (group hotline) for general compliance and a sexual harassment consultation desk exclusively for cabin attendants. We strive to maintain a healthy work environment without harassment.
In fiscal 2024, we provided various types of education and awareness on the prevention of harassment through training for managers in each region (area), including overseas bases, and for District Manager, regional headquarters, airports, and other areas, as well as training for employees who will become leaders in manager in Japan and overseas.
We provided compliance education (e-Learning) for all JAL Group employees and educated employees to prevent harassment. Furthermore, we carry out roving for group companies to ensure compliance.
Regarding customer harassment, we formulated and disclosed "JAL Group Basic Policy on Customer Harassment" to clarify the policy, definitions, and relevant items concerning customer harassment.

*The guidelines are in accordance with the Harassment Prevention Law (Labor Policy Promotion Law), which came into effect in 2020.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2025, we will continuously prevent harassment by educating managers and leaders, and all JAL Group employees and also, by visiting workplaces for the purpose of ensuring compliance. In addition, we will develop internal rules in a timely manner in response to changes in the times (harassment related to sexual orientation and gender identity, etc.), and thoroughly work to create an environment in which harassment does not occur at all times even when the environment changes, and to create a mechanism that does not cause harassment.
We will also continue to address customer harassment on two fronts: strengthening our response capabilities through expanded internal training and preventing incidents through collaborative efforts within the industry.

Prevention of long working hours

[Initiatives up to now]
We created a system that supports workstyle's flexible work schedule by introducing a system that allows employees to change working hours, the Super Flex system, and a system that allows employees to take paid leave on an hourly basis. In this way, we are working to reduce overtime and holiday work. In addition, we created an environment that makes it easier for employees to take time off by establishing a workation system that allows employees to work by telework during vacations, and a system that allows employees to take time off while on business trips.
In fiscal 2024, we continued a follow-up to solve problems in departments with problems regarding working hours management, and set training for new employees about working time management.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2025, we will continue to conduct follow-ups to solve problems in departments with problems regarding working hours management, and provide employee education and strive to foster awareness regarding working time management.
In addition, we will continue to support employees in creating an environment that makes it easier for them to take time off, such as by promoting the use of workation and bleisures.

Employee teleworking during workcation

Fair and impartial hiring and promotion

[Initiatives up to now]
In 2014, we issued our "Declaration of Diversity" as our top commitment, aiming to be a company where anyone can actively participate in activities regardless of attributes such as gender, age, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, social status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or company of origin. Within our Medium Term Management Plan, we committed to achieve a 30% female manager ratio by fiscal 2025 as one of our important management goals of DEI promotion, and we will continue to promote initiatives to respect diversity.
As of the end of March 2025, the ratio of female managers reached 31.5% *.

*From fiscal 2023, changed to the ratio of women in organizational management positions

Also, in order to promote diversity initiatives, we held events for employees to promote understanding of disabilities, and promoted the employment of people with disabilities throughout the Group.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal year 2025, we will implement initiatives aimed at reducing the gender gap, such as increasing the ratio of female managers in higher-level positions and promoting paternity leave for men. In addition, In order to achieve the target number of persons with disabilities employed in the JAL Group Medium-Term Management Plan Rolling Plan 2025, we will promote efforts to create and secure job opportunities for employees with disabilities.

Promoting achievements that transcend traditional gender roles

Prevention of discrimination

[Initiatives up to now]
As the number of foreign employees increases in the global environment, we are working to develop human resources who can create new value while respecting diverse cultures. In fiscal 2024, we conducted on-site audits including interviews with the individuals concerned, in accordance with regulations regarding the employment support status of specified skilled workers at group companies. Additionally, we held dialogue on human rights with employees at overseas branches to promote the policy on respect for human rights and to understand the situation on the ground. To promote awareness of LGBTQ+, we expanded internal training and held internal events, while also participating in local LGBTQ+ events in collaboration with other companies.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2025, we will continue to strive to respect the human rights of all employees with diverse attributes and advance initiatives to promote understanding of LGBTQ+.

LGBTQ+-related events

Prevention of personal information leakage

[Initiatives up to now]
For the purpose of raising employee awareness of information security, we are conducting information security education for all employees and conducting targeted email attack training.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2025, we will continue to make similar efforts to raise employees' awareness of information security, strengthen information security through inventory of unnecessary IDs. Furthermore, we will promote the acquisition of international standards regarding information security within the group, and prevent leakage of personal information of customers and employees.

Past actions

Please see our integrated report "JAL REPORT" for past actions of human rights due diligence.

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