SocialHuman Rights
Consideration for Human Rights
Everyone inherently has human rights, or the rights to live a full life as a human being, and every business is responsible for respecting human rights.
We recognize that, as a corporate group that procures the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other raw materials it uses for business activities from both Japan and abroad, the Sawai Group must make efforts to protect, respect, and remedy human rights of all people not only within the Group but also throughout its supply chain. Therefore, the Group’s Code of Conduct requires us not only to comply with all laws and regulations related to human rights but also to support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights, to oppose to any form of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, ideology, political opinion, sexual orientation, disease, or disability, and not to be complicit in human rights abuses. We also request our business partners to formulate their own human rights-related codes of conduct and guidelines and cooperate with us in protecting human rights with the aim of promoting sustainable business based on the harmonious coexistence and co-prosperity of the Sawai Group and its business partners.
Sawai Group Code of Conduct
Chapter 6: Alongside Society
3. Respecting human rights
We support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights. We oppose any form of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, ideology, political opinion, sexual orientation, disease, or disability and will make sure that we are not complicit in human rights abuses.
As a healthcare corporate group involved deeply in life, the Sawai Group is committed to ensuring that the human rights of not only patients but also various other stakeholders, including employees and business partners both in Japan and abroad, are fully respected. We therefore support the United Nations Bill of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and promote initiatives in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
We apply this policy to all Sawai Group officers and employees. We also have dialogue with our business partners, in the expectation that it will inspire them to respect human rights as we do, while seeking their cooperation with us.
Initiatives for human rights issues
Respect for children’s rights
We support the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Children’s Rights and Business Principles. We work not only to help end child labor but also to conduct business activities with full respect for children’s rights.
Prohibition against using child labor or forced labor
We do not tolerate child labor or forced labor, and no child or forced labor has been used to date. In the Group’s supply chains as well, the procurement guidelines of each Sawai Group company prohibit the use of child labor or forced labor and request that all business partners pay due consideration to human rights.
Respect for freedom of association
We respect freedom of association and the right of employees to collective bargaining in our labor–management relations.
Respect for the rights of indigenous peoples
We strive to respect the rights of indigenous peoples as established in the laws of the countries and regions in which we operate, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ILO Convention 169, and other international agreements. We provide reasonable accommodation for indigenous peoples in the recognition that they have their own unique culture and history.
Response to modern slavery and human trafficking
The Sawai Group is committed to initiatives to ensure that no cases of modern slavery or human trafficking occur in its supply chains or its own business activities. Referring to the United Nations Global Compact, we put into practice the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in our business activities.
Reasonable accommodation for foreigners
Workers, interns, trainees, and other people who are accepted from outside countries into the Sawai Group’s business activities or its supply chains are exposed to the danger of being involved in illegal activities mainly due to their low social and economic status. From the perspective of respecting human rights or relieving them, we comply with the labor-related laws of the relevant countries and pay full attention to ensuring that no violations against the purposes of such international human resources acceptance systems will occur.
Fair treatment and payment
The Sawai Group has adopted the basic policy of treating all employees fairly and appropriately based on their individual evaluation, complying with minimum wage regulations in determining the specific amounts of payment for them, and paying more than the minimum wage. We are also working to ensure that the principle of equal pay for equal work is fully implemented, and there is no gender or age gap in pay for equal work.
Consideration for human rights in clinical trials
When the Sawai Group’s operating company plans clinical trials, its in-house Clinical Trial Review Committees carefully discuss the ethical and scientific validity of those plans in advance. Once it is determined that clinical trials will be conducted, they obtain the voluntary consent of trial subjects and monitor and supervise that the trials are conducted in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including the Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, as well as internationally recognized standards for clinical trials, such as the Declaration of Helsinki and the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Guidelines. We are committed to protecting the human rights of clinical trial subjects.
Human rights due diligence
The Sawai Group works to establish a system for constant implementation of human rights due diligence to identify and prevent or mitigate adverse impacts on human rights and to take appropriate and effective remedial measures. From now on, we will assess the negative impact of human rights violations and identify human rights issues on which the Group should place higher priority. We will then expand and apply our human rights due diligence not only within the Group but also in our supply chains.
Fair recruitment
The Sawai Group recruits employees impartially and fairly based only on each applicant’s ability and aptitude, without practicing any form of discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, etc. We believe that employing human resources with diverse values and skills will lead to the sustainable growth of society and the Sawai Group.
Countermeasures against harassment
To create a comfortable harassment-free work environment, the Sawai Group prohibits any statements or actions that constitute harassment. In addition, we provide regular training to all officers and employees to make them aware of the prohibition against any form of harassment or abuse of authority and to prevent them from committing any form of harassment.
In 2023, to prevent our employees from being harassed by customers and to ensure a safe work environment for them, we have developed a policy on specific responses to customer harassment.
Grievance mechanism
The Sawai Group has established a Corporate Ethics Helpline to handle all requests for consultation and reports, including those related to harassment and other human rights issues. Through this system, we investigate and respond appropriately to any cases of harassment, taking great care to protect the confidentiality of whistleblowers, respect their privacy, and prohibit retaliation against them. We also work to respond to whistleblowing reports from our business partners or other external parties, taking into consideration the same issues that apply to internal whistleblowing.
Corrective action
If the Sawai Group’s business activities have a negative impact on human rights, we will work to identify the status and causes of the relevant human rights violations, whether inside or outside the Group, and promptly take prompt corrective action to prevent the harmful effects from becoming worse. We will also take the necessary step to rescue the victims and implement measures to prevent the recurrence of similar cases. We will disclose necessary information about our corrective actions and other related matters while taking into consideration the privacy and personal information of the victims, provide employee education to prevent similar cases, and work to ensure the predictability of such cases and the transparency of information.
Involvement of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Sawai Group Holdings is responsible for overseeing the Group’s response to significant human rights issues and its basic policy on respect for human rights. This includes receiving reports and discussing human rights issues and proposing appropriate improvements. Given that human rights must be protected, respected, and remedied through efforts in a wide range of areas, the Sawai Group has assigned human rights-related responsibilities to the Group Compliance Committee and various departments, including the Human Resources Department and the Legal and Compliance Office, so that they work together to address human rights issues. Top management takes the lead in working to ensure that respect for human rights is an integral part of the Group’s corporate culture by regularly communicating messages on respect for human rights while monitoring, directing and managing the efforts of the relevant departments.