Respect for Human Rights

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.

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.

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.

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 for Stakeholders (Suppliers (JAL Supplier Hotline））, customers, and employees) to Express Their Direct Concerns Concerning Human Rights functionality (Employee consultation desks (group hotline) separated by Procurement Division and various service desks) is positioned as a "Grievance handling mechanism" and is operated in an integrated manner with Human Rights DD 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 JAL Group identified issues at each stage of the value chain by business. Further, while referring to issues raised by NGOs and civil society, and reflecting the opinions of specialists, we assessed 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 clarified 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.

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 fiscal 2023, in line with the flow of human rights due diligence, we set 10 priority issues to respect human rights. Based on reviews of these efforts and dialogues with experts, in 2024 we added 1 priority issue and work on total of 11 priority issues to respect human rights through our business activities.

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.

[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.
In fiscal 2023, we identified 60 important tier 1 suppliers that are closely connected to our company and are highly important from an ESG perspective. We have sent out self-assessment questionnaire surveys to the companies concerned, and have also begun on-site communications to some companies.

*The Supplier Ethical Data Exchange is a non-profit organization founded in the United Kingdom in 2004 that provides a platform for managing and sharing corporate ethical information in order to achieve responsible business practices in the supply chain.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2024, we will proceed confirmation through self-assessment questionnaire surveys, and based on the evaluation of the survey results, we will conduct on-site communication and confirmation by the end of FY2025.

[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 in 2019, and in FY2023, we replaced 94.4% of paper products and used 11 types of marine 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 increase the rate of use of international certified paper products with consideration of forest resources to 98% 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

[Initiatives up to now]
We recognize that respecting the human rights of local people leads to protecting local nature, including biodiversity that they maintain, and that protecting local nature will also lead to respecting the human rights of local people, including rights of residence.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2024, we will hold dialogues with local people in our value chain and strive to understand the human rights issues which they face.

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.

[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 2023, we made the following efforts.

[Future action plans]
By fiscal 2025, we aim to increase the number of passengers who feel barriers to travel to 2.5 times the number of passengers in fiscal 2019.
In fiscal 2024, we will continually promote 4 initiatives: employee education, enviromental improvement, information dissemination, and accessible tourism.

Low counter installed at domestic airports.

[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 2023, as part of our efforts with external stakeholders, we invited representatives from Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd. and the Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau, to conduct a panel discussion on “Prevention of Human Trafficking”. During this discussion, we introduced each other's initiatives, and explored ideas that could contribute to the future prevention of human trafficking cases. This discussion was then shared with all employees online.
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 2024, 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.

[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 2023, we strengthened our checking system so that supervising departments can conduct checks more effectively, 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 2024, we will strive to prevent human rights violations by external dissemination.

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.

[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 2023, 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 also expanded the content of harassment in 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.

*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 2024, 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.
In addition, we issued JAL Group Basic Policy on Customer Harassment and address customer harassment with the entire industry.

[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 2023, 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 2024, 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.

[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 fiscal 2023, the ratio of female managers in the JAL Group is 29.8% *.

*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 people with disabilities, and promoted the employment of people with disabilities throughout the Group.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2024, we will continue to increase the ratio of female managers and implement measures to achieve the ratio of female managers of 30%. In addition, In order to achieve the target number of persons with disabilities employed in the JAL Group Medium-Term Management Plan Rolling Plan 2024, we will promote efforts to create and secure job opportunities for people with disabilities.

[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. To promote understanding of LGBTQ, we operated "LGBT ALLY charter" flights in fiscal 2019, and changed announcement of "Ladies and gentlemen" to gender-neutral expressions in 2020. We are implementing initiatives to promote understanding not only within the company but also in the society. In fiscal 2023, we formulated regulations regarding employment support for foreign employees, which are expected to increase further in the future. Also conducted on-site audits, including interviews with foreign employees, based on the regulations. Additionally, we have established guidelines regarding the use of nicknames within the company based on one's self-identified gender.

[Future action plans]
In fiscal 2024, we will continue to work to prevent incidents involving human rights violations of foreign employees, and strive to promote understanding of LGBTQ by actively participating in LGBTQ-related events in various places.

[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 2024, 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.

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