Getting started with the operation of a nursery on company premises

The structure of the working population in Japanese society is gradually changing due to factors such as the decrease in population and ageing occasioned by the falling birth rate. Under these conditions companies are being called on to provide environments in which people who have previously had inadequate scope to exercise their talents are able to exert themselves to the full, the idea being to increase dynamism within the company by maximizing diversity among employees. Diversity is dependent upon creating the conditions under which employees can choose exactly how they wish to work. It’s essential that we support employees by enabling them to achieve just the right balance between their activities at work and their responsibilities, such as looking after young children, in the home.

AISIN has always provided support for employees with childcare responsibilities, for instance by instituting a reduced-hours working system and lengthening the period of leave available to employees in the early stages of parenting. One of the measures we have adopted with the aim of enabling employees to achieve a proper balance between work and private life is the establishment of an in-house system. This involves the setting up of nurseries inside the company with a view to tackling the issue faced by Japanese society of cultivating the next generation.

The nursery is located right next to the head office premises of Aisin Seiki, meaning that parents are able to drop their children off before starting work and pick them up at the end of work with ease. They can also drop in to see how their children are getting on during the lunch break. The nursery is also able to cope with the needs of parents who have to work on holidays in accordance with the Company's business calendar and early in the morning or late at night.

Description of the in-house facility

Creating the conditions for children to grow safely and securely

To ensure that employees who make use of the nursery are able to entrust their children with full peace of mind and concentrate on their work, the first priority is to create an environment in which children can spend their time in complete safety.

The in-house system has incorporated a whole range of methods to ensure that security is maintained and that accidents do not occur.

Measures to ensuring children's safety

Great care is taken with children's meals. Lunch and snacks are prepared inside the nursery and special meals are provided for children with allergies.

Efforts are also made to develop in children sensitivity to the changing of the seasons and to tradition. Occasions such as Christmas are thus emphasized.

As of March 2008 fifteen infants and children up to the age of entry into primary school are playing and learning together in the nursery.

Creating an open nursery

The in-house nursery is available for use not only by full employees but also by fixed-term employees, part-timers and agency workers. We are also considering accepting children from the local community with the idea of creating a nursery open to the community at large. We hope thereby to contribute to diversity within the region as a whole and to achievement of a balance between work and private life.

AISIN intends to continue working toward realization of diversity in the workplace throughout Japan and all over the world.