Why it matters

We believe that creating a safe and secure workplace, developing employment conditions, and respecting a variety of work styles that suit life events means a workplace where employees can work energetically in good health, both physically and mentally, can be created, and so we are implementing initiatives to achieve this. We also believe that giving due consideration for the health of our employees as well as their families and partners will motivate and invigorate each of them and lead to the growth of the NTT Group as a whole.

What can be accomplished

We will be promoting diverse work styles with the use of remote work and "Super flex-time system". In addition to increasing productivity and efficiency, these initiatives allow employees to make more effective use of their time than before, and will result in a better balance between work and life. We will also strive to provide even better employment conditions, such as fair evaluation, equal opportunity, opportunities for growth, and benefit programs.

Future vision

We will create a workplace environment and culture where employees are able to work with peace of mind in a lively manner. We view maximizing well-being as a way of providing each and every employee with options for working style and career formation.

Business Activity　27
Promote remote work

Our commitment

The NTT Group is shifting toward new work styles centered on remote work, by upgrading IT environments and reviewing systems, in addition to advancing DX projects and work reforms with an eye on the postpandemic world

Our objective

Implementation of Remote Work System, Super Flextime System, and Remote Standard

The global environment underwent unprecedented change as COVID-19 infections continued to spread, and our work styles also changed accordingly. Until that point there was a limit to the number of times employees could use the work from home system, but the NTT Group introduced a remote work system and lifted restrictions on how many times it can be used. The introduction of a super flex-time system also allowed for flexible work styles that are no longer constrained by location or time. Implementing various changes like these not only increases productivity and efficiency, but also allowed employees to make more effective use of their time than before, and resulting in a better balance between work and life. We introduced the "Remote Standard" system from July 2022 to implement a work style that is not restricted by one's place of residence. Through this initiative, we aim to eliminate work styles that require relocation or solo transfer assignments.

Remote Standard

From employee satisfaction to employee engagement

In fiscal 2021, NTT Group revamped its existing Employee Satisfaction Survey, which focused on questions related to ease of working, and added questions related to job satisfaction. It also conducted a Group-wide Engagement Survey to quantify employees' attachment to and trust in the company to which they belong as an "engagement score." Approximately 132,000 Group employees in Japan responded.

By understanding current levels of engagement among NTT Group employees and the issues that need to be improved, and by taking action to make improvements, we hope to increase the number of highly engaged employees who identify with the company's and organization's policies and strategies, as well as feel pride and take initiative in their work.

Business Activity　28
Achieving zero fatal accidents as well as maintaining and promoting employee health

Our commitment

Health management is pursued as a key corporate strategy with the understanding that initiatives for maintaining and improving employee health also enhance motivation and productivity and ultimately lead to higher corporate earnings We also believe that giving due consideration for the health of our employees as well as their families will motivate and invigorate each of them and lead to the growth and development of the Group as a whole

Our objective

Policies and Concepts

Health management is pursued as a key corporate strategy with the understanding that initiatives for maintaining and improving employee health also enhance motivation and productivity and ultimately lead to higher corporate earnings. The NTT Group has developed a personnel system that responds to diverse work styles and provides generous benefit programs for employees and their families.
We also believe that giving due consideration for the health of our employees as well as their families will motivate and invigorate each of them and lead to the growth and development of the Group as a whole.
We believe that ensuring employee safety should be the top priority of business management. To ensure occupational safety and health, the NTT Group has established its own Safety Management Rules and Health Management Rules to facilitate safety and health management in addition to observing relevant laws and regulations such as Japan's Labor Standards Act and Industrial Safety and Health Act. The NTT Group's businesses include telecommunications-related construction and maintenance involving high risk operations such as aerial work. Therefore, we continually implement measures to prevent accidents and enhance safety awareness across the NTT Group, including subcontractors and other corporate partners.

Organization for Implementation

In addition to establishing and maintaining safety measures and safety management systems based on relevant laws and internal rules, we have set up a health and safety committee for preventing industrial accidents across the NTT Group. Also, we are working to prevent accidents during telecommunications-related construction and maintenance that serve as the foundation of the NTT Group's businesses and create a safe working environment.
The NTT Group also established the Health Management Promotion Committee to promote health management through a collaborative effort between Group companies and the NTT Health Insurance Union. General managers of human resources department who are responsible for personnel at each Group company and directors of the NTT Health Insurance Union are appointed as officers in charge of promoting health management. The effectiveness of the initiatives is ensured by implementing PDCA cycles (formulate health management plans + set health targets → formulate and implement health focused actions → identify and confirm health results → verify the effectiveness of health-focused actions).
We have also designated KPIs for wellbeing using health data, and we endeavor to achieve them by planning and implementing initiatives for raising awareness and promoting health-focused activities.

Promoting Work-Life Management Work and Leave Style Reforms

The NTT Group seeks to create new value through innovation. In order to accomplish this goal, there is a strong need for all NTT Group employees to break away from traditional work styles to adopt more efficient practices not bound by time and place, and thereby exercise greater levels of independence and creativity. We are also aware of the great importance of supporting this shift by cultivating a deeper understanding of work-life management throughout workplaces and fostering a corporate culture that accepts the diverse work styles of each individual employee.
NTT has set a goal of shortening total hours worked by achieving under 1,800 total hours actually worked by the end of fiscal 2022.

Life Plan Design Support

In light of increasing diversity in employee life plans, the NTT Group provides website-based life plan design support for employees reaching a certain age or career milestones to help them consider how they wish to spend the rest of their lives, including their working lives. We have also established in-house system contact points to promote greater understanding of matters including support and in-house systems for maintaining and improving physical and mental health, personal wealth building, specialist advice for tackling lifestyle-related concerns and issues, life plan creation, and support for balancing work with child or nursing care.

Physical Healthcare

The NTT Group also takes steps to help employees fortify their physical health by using ICT. Specifically, we focus on the two measures below.

(1) Encourage healthy activities with smartphone app (d health care)

Information about how to refresh oneself and eat and sleep better, as well as information about NTT Group's sports teams (Exercise Videos), are pushed to the smartphone app to get employees more engaged in healthy activities
[Reference figure] *1. d Healthcare registration ratio: 24.2%

(2) Guidance for specific health guidance via smartphones

Introduce ICT-based specific health guidance so that employees can conveniently receive specific guidance anytime and anywhere on their smartphone apps

In addition, Group companies, including the holding company, plan and implement their own walking events, seminars, and other measures in line with the health issues faced by their company.
[Reference figure] Participation in holding company walking event: 36.5%

Mental Healthcare

The NTT Group has established contact points for handling mental health inside and outside the Company and has been implementing mental health initiatives such as stress testing, counseling on work-related issues, and training for line managers. As part of our initiative to promote remote work styles, we address mental health issues by periodically conducting simplified interviews to monitor changes in an employee's condition and their self-care efforts. Employees are also encouraged to communicate with superiors (line managers) by conducting pulse surveys that provides fixed point observations of employee awareness on a real-time basis.
[Reference figure] *1. Ratio of stress checks: 95.3%

^※1Scope of Disclosure:[B]

Activities to Eliminate Accidents

In fiscal 2022, regarding the construction and maintenance of telecommunications and building facilities, there were two cases2 of serious injury1 involving work ordered by NTT Group companies and the repair of malfunctions (either directly managed or performed by contractors). The incidents involved one case of a utility pole falling during utility pole removal work in which an employee was trapped underneath, and one case of an accident involving a traffic guidance worker.
The incidents involved two cases of trees falling down from the crane bucket while on an elevated work platform, and two cases of traffic guides being caught up in accidents.
To prevent accidents involving human casualties, NTT Group companies will continue to work in concert to reaffirm standard procedures, reinforce adherence, and improve the safety awareness of all workers.
Given the traffic guides being involved in one accident after another, and the large number of cases involving experienced employees including team leaders in particular, efforts continue to be made for all workers involved in NTT construction work--and not just NTT Group employees--for verifying details in a meeting before starting work, ensuring comprehensive KYT activities, and re-training experienced employees including team leaders.
Furthermore, we continue to engage in activities for achieving a safe labor environment and ensuring zero industrial accidents across the Group, such as exploring means to prevent passing vehicles from entering restricted areas as well as the use of advanced technologies including sensing, AI, and vital data.

^※1Breakdown of accidents: 0 by NTT Group companies and 4 by subcontractors (in Japan)

^※2Serious accidents resulting in casualties: Accidents that led to fatalities or disabling injuries that would prevent the employee from working again.

Maintaining and Improving the Health of Employees

The NTT Group helps employees maintain and improve their health by providing a full range of regular health checks and offering health guidance based on the results of these checks. Furthermore, as a measure for preventing lifestyle related diseases, we provide more extensive physical checkups for employees who request them and we require all employees to receive a comprehensive physical checkup every five years from ages 30 to 60. We also provide support to help employees use sports gyms. Together with the NTT Health Insurance Union, we are supporting employees' health-related activities by providing a portal site through which they can use a wearable device to record and check vital data such as the number of steps taken each day, as well as an app that uses health check data to predict and simulate potential future health risks related to metabolism and high blood pressure. Additionally, business sites with a cafeteria prepare lunch menus with the help of a nutritionist, and certain business sites offer massage services that employees can freely free of charge.

Promoting Work-Life Management Work and Leave Style Reforms

The NTT Group seeks to create new value through innovation. In order to accomplish this goal, there is a strong need for all NTT Group employees to break away from traditional work styles to adopt more efficient practices not bound by time and place, and thereby exercise greater levels of independence and creativity. We are also aware of the great importance of supporting this shift by cultivating a deeper understanding of work-life management throughout workplaces and fostering a corporate culture that accepts the diverse work styles of each individual employee.

NTT has set a goal of shortening total hours worked by achieving under 1,800 total hours actually worked by the end of fiscal 2022.

Prevention of Overwork

The NTT Group is striving to prevent overwork through actions that include recording and managing the times employees log in and off their computers to appropriately oversee the work hours of each individual employee, regardless of whether they work in the office or from a remote location. Health management staff also conduct interviews with employees working extended hours and offer appropriate advice and guidance on personal health care.
We are establishing a sound workplace environment for employees by introducing flex-time system, a discretionary work system, and a remote work system to offer a variety of flexible work styles.

Labor-Management Relationship

With the exception of managers, most NTT employees in Japan belong to the NTT Labor Union, a member of the Japan Labor Union Confederation, and labormanagement relations have remained stable (77.2% membership rate as of March 2023).There have been no labor union strikes for more than 10 years.
The Company adheres to the minimum notice period of 10 days before an official announcement, as designated by the Agreement on Employee Relocation under the collective agreement with the NTT Labor Union.

Layoffs

Organizational changes are implemented after discussion and negotiation with all labor unions. As in the previous year, no layoffs occurred in fiscal 2019.

Business Activity　29
Supporting autonomous capacity development

Our commitment

We actively support employee career development. Increasing the specialization of each employee helps develop them into professionals capable of deciding their own careers
We also strive to understand the issues at hand in order to improve the working environment and corporate mechanisms toward creating companies that are acceptable for workers

Our objective

Improvement in employee satisfaction compared to previous year (engagement rate)

Policies and Concepts

Retaining a diverse array of human resources serves as a powerful management foundation for any organization. This requires the development of employment conditions, such as fair evaluation, equal opportunity, opportunities for growth and benefit programs. We are also currently constructing a personnel database for registering past career experience and expert knowledge of employees engaged in our international businesses to accelerate the pace of visualizing and nurturing global human resources toward ensuring an optimal allocation of personnel.

Helping Employees Develop their Abilities

In addition to Group training and on-the-job training to enable employees to gain necessary skills in various fields of business, we provide many other opportunities for employees who are eager to get ahead, including e-learning, distance learning, in-house certification of skill levels, and support for external qualifications. We have also introduced a Group-wide talent management system to create an environment that enables employees to play a more active role in developing their careers, and we recommend training courses that would be effective in achieving their career goals.
We actively support employee career development in various ways, including having superiors hold personal talks with their subordinates at the start, the middle and the end of the fiscal year to review performance and career plans, and holding management training for employees tapped for promotion. In particular, we have created a curriculum for nurturing experts in the security field given the heightening security risks of recent years, and we offer leadership development and a personal network building training curriculums to around 400 carefully selected general managers and section managers. With an eye on the further globalization of our operations, and to nurture personnel capable of performing in global markets, we also send employees to study at overseas graduate schools or participate in our overseas work experience programs.

Improving Human Resource Management and Payment Systems

The NTT Group implements policies aimed at enabling each and every employee to make the most of their abilities as members of Team NTT and to grow steadily as competent professionals and take the initiative in developing their careers. We consider it vital to have each and every employee further increase their area of specialization, acquire skills and create added value in a broad range of fields in order to better reform business, expand into new business areas, and supply and generate new value in various areas. A new compensation system will be introduced from 2023 that determines compensation based on the level of acquired "specialization" instead of the number of years employed, age, or years in the position, to help employees achieve their career vision while maintaining the motivation to acquire a higher level of specialization.

Employee Engagement Survey

At NTT Group, we commenced employee engagementsurveys in fiscal 2021. Four indicators for measuringengagement have been established as NTT Group KeyPerformance Indicators (KPIs).

We have rolled out a Group-wide experience platform,Qualtrics, to approximately 100 Group companies in Japan.This has enabled us to measure engagement scores andpinpoint areas that require improvement. By performinganalyses for the purpose of improving engagement, we hopeto increase the number of highly engaged employees whoidentify with the company's and organization's policies andstrategies, as well as feel pride and take initiative in theirwork.

Additionally, with the aim of improving employeeengagement as a company, we have incorporated it as anindicator for executive compensation and also set it as acriterion for the performance bonuses of all managementstaff. As a company and as an organization, we arecommitted to elevating employee engagement.

FY2022 Survey Results

Specific Initiatives

We have conducted correlation analyses with engagement (four KPIs) and have identified the elements that have an impact, and we prioritize our strategies accordingly.

Maintenance Area Initiatives

The items showing a strong correlation and receivingpositive evaluations with engagement were "Comfortable workenvironment and culture" and "Acceptance of diversity (properrecognition and respect as an individual)."
At NTT, we have been advocating for various work styles such as remote work, flexible hours, and the Remote Standard system that do not impose restrictions based on time, location, or place of residence. We believe that these efforts are reflected in the enrichment of the work-life balance. (For specific measures, please refer to "Developing Diverse Work Styles and Work Environments: Remote Standard, Hybrid Work (P. 37)")

Areas Needing Improvement Initiatives

The items with a strong correlation to engagement but lower positive evaluations were "Opportunities for growth (ability to achieve career goals)" and "Strategy penetration (having confidence in the future of the company)/change management (receiving support for organizational changes)."
To support growth, in April 2023, we revised the system to allow for salary hikes and promotions depending on the acquisition and demonstration of expertise. We have also enriched the career consulting function, which allows employees across the Group to discuss their career plans. Additionally, we have established the NTT Group Job Board as a framework for supporting those who want to try to transfer jobs through public recruitment. This has made it possible for each employee to take ownership of their careers and act accordingly. Furthermore, we have prepared around 650 training courses both for specialized fields and as common training. Through NTT Group's internal newsletters, we are also actively introducing a variety of role models. (For specific measures, please refer to "Support Growth (P. 32-34)")
For strategic penetration/change management, we are broadening the scope of management outreach. We are also holding discussions regarding survey results within each company and organization, consistently deliberating over organizationalspecific issues. We also implement initiatives that get leaders at each level to commit to their respective actions.

Fair Evaluation and Compensation

In our employee qualification system, the NTT Group puts priority on performance and sets behavior and performance targets tailored to each qualification rank. By steadily and accurately carrying out a series of evaluation processes that feedback evaluations based on these targets, our personnel system promotes autonomous and independent work by employees

NTT University

Personnel Evaluation System that Employees Find Very Fair

Rather than having each company operate its own mechanisms for human resources management and development, we operate an all-inclusive system for managing employees' placement, building skills, evaluation, rating and payment, centered on an employee qualification system that indicates our expectations in terms of behavior and performance according to the employee level.
Proper evaluation requires appropriate execution of a series of processes that span target setting, everyday communication, evaluation implementation, and interviews to provide feedback. Toward this end, we adhere to the following cycle (evaluation system applies to 60% of the NTT Group).

Regular Personal Interviews with Superiors and Human Resources Managers

NTT Group employees meet regularly with their superiors and human resource managers for personal interviews to ensure that they share the same perception as their superiors regarding performance targets and the processes required to achieve them, to share thoughts on areas that can be improved, and to discuss career paths and personal growth.

Individual meetings with supervisors consist of one-on-one meetings held as part of daily process management as well as "goal-setting meetings," "mid-year meetings," and "review interviews." All serve as opportunities to check daily work progress and share and discuss work-related issues. The goal-setting meetings are held to discuss goals for the current fiscal year and provide necessary advice. The mid-year meetings are for examining the results of the fiscal year's first half and the degree of goal achievement and for discussing issues to be addressed in the second half. And the review interviews are an opportunity for supervisors and their subordinates to review results, performance, and the processes for achieving targets, and for supervisors to provide advice and motivation for further improvements and growth.

The implementation of these interviews is managed so they are held without fail, except when vacations or leave prevent them from being held in the allotted time.

In-house recruitment

To enable each employee to take ownership of their careers and develop them autonomously, we have introduced a mechanism that supports personnel transfers for those who wish to take on challenges called the "NTT Group Job Board," which facilitates constant and timely application opportunities.
Since the initiation of this program on July 1, 2023, 602 job postings were listed by August.
We aim to continue transforming our company into one where employees are more active and each individual can experience growth, job satisfaction, and excitement.

Skill Mapping and Encouraging and Supporting Acquisition of Qualifications

Each Group company sets up a unique program of skill mapping based on the characteristics of their respective business operations and conducts human resources training according to those categories. Companies measure the level of each employee according to the mapping, identify the number of employees who are qualified for each level, and measure the status of implementation. Specifically, the process is operated as follows:
(1) Designate areas of expertise according to the expert skills required by each operation;
(2) Define and certify levels according to the skill set for each area of expertise; and
(3) Develop a PDCA cycle based on the employee's own career plan, supported by supervisors and the organization.
The NTT Group also encourages employees to acquire qualifications related to their respective duties, including major qualifications that are in broad demand in the ICT industry such as Professional Engineer, Information Technology Engineer and Certified Information Systems Security Technology Professional qualifications, and we intend to boost the number of qualified employees.

Placing the Right People in the Right Jobs

The NTT Group engages in businesses across a broad range of fields. The development of each business requires placing the right people in the right jobs so that each employee can fully demonstrate their potential.
Therefore, we periodically rotate personnel on the basis of each employee's overall skill development and career plan decisions.

Appropriate Evaluations

Evaluations are determined in three stages: the primary evaluation, in which the superior (e.g., the section manager in charge) serves as the primary evaluator to determine the degree to which the employee achieved their work and demonstrated behaviors; the secondary evaluation, in which the general manager or other manager in charge serves as the secondary evaluator to confirm that the evaluation is appropriate in terms of actual performance and behaviors; and the evaluation finalization, in which the head of the organization confirms and provides approval regarding whether the results for all employees in the organization are consistent with the degree of achievement of the organization as a whole. In this way, we work to prevent evaluation errors resulting from the subjectivity or arbitrariness of evaluators.

Evaluator Training

We provide employees in evaluator positions with evaluator training (e-learning) and new manager training as well as our Human Resources Evaluation Manual as part of our efforts to further improve the fairness of evaluations and employee satisfaction. We also provide employees with training for the evaluations, setting targets, and, a handbook explaining the process using evaluation, target setting, online educational tools for promoting the understanding of our human resources management and pay systems, and a collection of high performance model examples.

Business Activity　30
Promoting paperless operations

Our commitment

Proactively promoting business transformation and DX to increase work efficiency

Our objective

Promotion of business transformation and DX

Promoting DX for business operations aims to increase work efficiency as well as implement initiatives for addressing environmental issues. The NTT Group is ramping up measures aimed at reducing the use of paper, such as charging for printed documents and changing invoices from envelopes to postal cards. In 2022, we achieved a reduction of approx. 79% compared to fiscal 2008. In fiscal 2023, we aim to reach a reduction of approx. 90% compared to fiscal 2008 levels by further advancing digitalization, coupled with the release of a shared Group IT system (billing). By fiscal 2025, we will achieve essentially zero use of paper including bills and order forms.

Paper Management and Recycling

We established a closed loop recycling system in 1999 to collect old telephone directories and recycle them to produce new ones.
We undertake numerical management for our use of virgin pulp. We are also working to reduce paper consumption of society through the use of ICT, which includes measures such as our Web billing service*1.

Social Contribution

Policies and Concepts

The NTT Group has operating bases located not only in Japan but also around the world, from which it provides telecommunications networks, an important lifeline, and develops business that works to realize a smart world and Society 5.0 by leveraging ICT and data to solve social issues.
Thus, it is essential that we not only aid the various organizations aiming to develop ICT but also pursue harmonious relationships and strive to resolve local issues in collaboration with local residents, central and local governments, NGOs, NPOs, and educational institutions.
The NTT Group looks to address the various issues faced by local communities in which we operate, including those related to environmental issues, aging populations, declining birthrates, and the education of children. NTT believes it is important to contribute to the development of flourishing and vibrant local communities through the actions of each member of Team NTT comprising NTT Group employees, their families, and retired employees.
We seek to have each employee of the 30,000 NTT Group interact with members of their local community, identify local needs, and contribute in even small ways to addressing issues through our business activities. We believe that these efforts will eventually come back to us in the form of business opportunities and avoidance of risk, and thus we view activities that invest in local communities as our most important area of activity. Herein lies the strength of the NTT Group, a global enterprise that engages in businesses deeply rooted in local communities.

Organization for Implementation

The NTT Group Sustainability Charter calls on the NTT Group to work together to help achieve a sustainable society. In accordance with this policy, six key social contribution activities of "Environmental conservation," "Social welfare," "Education and cultural promotion," "Local community development and dialogue," "International exchange activities," and "Sports promotion" have been defined, and each NTT Group company engages in citizenship activities following the policies and detailed action plan set by NTT's Sustainability Promotion Office.

Main Initiatives Citizenship Activity Categories

Community Investments
Corporate citizenship activities carried out over the medium- to long-term to address social issues that concern both the NTT Group and local communities
Charitable Donations
Corporate citizenship activities that are carried out on a one-time basis or are expected to be completed within a short period
Commercial initiatives
Corporate citizenship activities that generate profit for the NTT Group

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  NTT DATA

Group Companies