CSR Working Together with Our Staff Members

We respect the basic human rights of those working for the "K" Line Group and provide a variety of training programs to maximize each person's capabilities.

We have been establishing a range of systems and improving the working environment to allow our employees to work comfortably every day.

Basic Personnel Policy


	Basic Personnel Policy for Onshore Workers
	We design and implement a personnel system that is suited to specific business environments and workplace situations. Our aim is to improve work productivity, making our company more competitive and contributing to our sustainable growth. At the same time, we carefully consider the fairness of our systems and programs along with the circumstances of individual employees so that a sense of security for each member can be created and morale can be improved.

	Basic Personnel Policy for Seafarers
	We respond flexibly to demands for marine technical personnel by developing the requisite measures for securing and developing human resources. We also provide our employees with motivating work environments in which they can derive pleasure from performing their jobs. We ensure stable and sustainable employment to help improve the company's performance, contribute to society and ensure the welfare of individual employees.

Respect for Human Rights

Respect for Human Rights and Compliance with
Laws and Regulations Structure of Business Operation

Raising awareness of respect for human rights within the entire Group

Awareness is increasing of respect for human rights as a global social issue. In response, we strive to create safe, comfortable workplaces by respecting the human rights, personality, and values of people working for the "K" Line Group, and eliminating discrimination based on race, gender, disabilities, and other attributes.


	Preventing Harassment

Dedicated consulting services for Group workers

We do not tolerate sexual or power harassment - conduct that violates our employees' human rights. To counter these problems, we have introduced dedicated consultation services for our employees. These services are designed to promptly eliminate harassment with maximum consideration for employees' privacy.

Respect for Diversity

Helping staff members to work successfully with respect for diversity

We have stepped up recruitment of female staff members and allocate our personnel in ways that allow all of them to work globally, irrespective of their gender. We have also enhanced our employment systems, including a system for reemploying retired employees, in accordance with a related law.

Promoting human resource exchanges on a global level

We strive to strengthen our human resources and organizational power by providing staff members with opportunities to work globally. For example, we accept trainees from our overseas Group companies and transfer human resources between Group companies.

Labor-management communications

To maintain and improve our working environment, we apply ideas given in constructive labor-management dialog to our systems (including support for maintaining work-life balance).

Human Resource Development


	Development of Onshore Workers

OJT and OFF-JT as key means of development

We evaluate our staff members fairly based on the extent to which they have achieved their personal goals. Evaluation results are fed back to each staff member to improve the transparency of evaluation process and to encourage his/her development.

We assist this development, primarily with two programs: on-the job training (OJT) for mastering knowledge, skills, and procedures on-site, and job-class-specific group training (OFF-JT). Other training programs we offer include in-house and overseas language training, training at our overseas subsidiaries, and assistance for employees taking correspondence courses for personal development. We also provide onboard training for our onshore workers; a program specifically tailored for shipping companies. This helps individual participants improve their skills by providing them with a variety of opportunities, including experiencing work performed by seafarers on ships at sea.

"K" Line University

Staff members of the "K" Line Group from all over the world are invited to our training sessions called "K" Line University, which are held at one of our three bases - Tokyo, London, or Richmond (Virginia, USA). This training, held several times a year, deals with themes such as the "K" Line Group's visions and its future business development. "K" Line University provides participants with a valuable opportunity to speak face to face with people they would normally only communicate with by phone or e-mail, and to deepen their shared understanding. In 2010, a total of 54 staff members around the world participated in "K" Line University.

"K" Line University being held in Tokyo


	Development of Seafarers

Developing specific career path plans

Our seafarers are global workers, both on land and at sea. Because of this, they are required to have a high level of expertise. To help them master the required knowledge and skills, we provide training programs and correspondence courses designed to improve their abilities at a level suited to their stage of employment. We develop specific career path plans for individual seafarers, enabling them to understand what the company expects of them. Career plans for seafarers in their initial days at the company - the fostering period - provide them with work experience on as many types of ships as possible and enable them to develop a broader outlook. Plans for subsequent career improvement period aim to encourage the acquisition of overall knowledge about the shipping business, in addition to specific skills required for marine technical personnel. This is done by having them work alternately on shore and at sea as much as possible.

Work-Life Balance

Systems for Comfortable and Fulfilling Working Experiences

Support systems for maintaining work-life balance

We help our employees maintain work-life balance by establishing systems that enable them to work in various ways. As the table at right shows, we provide programs that far exceed the legally required levels. In FY2011 we also introduced a leave plan for employees who receive advanced infertility treatment, part of our effort to encourage the development of the next generation.

*This section applies to Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. and its employees.

Safety and Health Considerations


	Health Care

For sound mental and physical health

Our Health Management Committee takes the initiative for improving the health status of employees by cooperating with industrial physicians, certified social insurance labor consultants, and the labor union. The Committee is also strengthening action to prevent overwork, for instance by providing managerial workers with explanations on the connection between overwork and health. In particular, the Committee is striving to establish a structure for continuous education of managers on their duty to care for their workers' health and safety.

Maintaining physical and mental health as the first step for ensuring safety at sea

For seafarers, the ship is both a place to work and to live. In consideration of this special work environment, we provide our seafarers with training in mental health care to help them provide sufficient care for their subordinates and themselves to ensure healthy onboard lives and sound operations. We also conduct appropriate labor management. We introduced the labor management and reporting system, aimed at preventing overwork by considering the appropriate amounts of work to be assigned to each worker.