Engagement with Employees - Supporting employee health
- Promoting diversity
- Building a superior working environment
- Supporting employee health
Pocari/efresh
As part of its efforts to help employees maintain and improve their health, Otsuka Pharmaceutical has implemented its Pocari/efresh in-office energizing campaign.
Launched in November 2007 at the Tokyo Headquarters, the campaign was subsequently introduced at the Osaka and Tokushima Headquarters. Every Thursday a Pocari/efresh instructor makes the rounds to lead employees in eight minutes of energizing exercises. This popular campaign leaves employees refreshed, energetic, and ready to tackle the afternoon’s work.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical is committed to finding more opportunities to get employees in the habit of exercising to promote wellness through different physical activities.
Supporting employee health
Chiharu Okubo
Public Health Nurse, Human Resources Department
The Human Resources Department tracks the healthcare of some 3,000 employees at the head office and at branches.
The results of physical exams and check ups are sent directly to the employee, but we also give support to persons who are at particularly high risk to go over their medical results. This is an opportunity to explain the need for a second exam and to provide information on diet, exercise and other ways to lead a healthier life.
We also follow up with mental health care, giving advice as appropriate and coordinating with employees so that they are able to consult with an industrial physician. With our No-Smoking Challenge 100 support program, which we’ve implemented twice so far, we offered a “stop smoking email service” for employees who wish to quit smoking to receive regular emails. We gave out prizes to those who were able to stop smoking for 100 days, and we provide continued support to help them refrain from taking up smoking again. To date, 15 of the 20 people who have tried to stop smoking under the program have succeeded.
As a company that operates in health-related sectors, our employees are naturally quite knowledgeable on the subject. Some of them, however, do not pay close attention to their own health. We are committed to providing the support each individual needs to exam his or her health and change unhealthy behavior.
Safety and Health Management Systems at Production Divisions and Research & Development Divisions
In 2005, the Otsuka Pharmaceutical production divisions introduced an in-house certification safety and health management system covering all seven factories in Japan. The system was expanded in 2009 to include the nine research institutes in the research division in Japan, as well.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical has achieved steady improvement in workplace environments and safety levels with initiatives designed to create healthy, comfortable work environments and prevent disasters and accidents.
Walking-for-Health Program
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Tokushima Headquarters held a walking race for employees on May 15 at a walking course in the Imagire region.
Complete with beautiful weather and a brisk breeze off the green-banked Imagire River, the day was ideal for employees and their families to enjoy the race.
This walking race is also held on an ongoing basis by the office’s Safety and Health Section, and this year a race over a 5km course from the Tokushima Itano Factory to Asutamuland Tokushima was held on October 23. Otsuka Pharmaceutical will continue to hold these ongoing events to help employees not only maintain and improve their health, but also interact with colleagues outside of the office, as well.
