ESG

Efforts to Employ Differently-Abled People

Fuji Electric Frontier was established in 1994. Toyoko Kaneta of the Kawasaki Office, who has been a consistent supporter of the independence of differently-abled individuals since the establishment of Fuji Electric Frontier, spoke about the social environment of the time.

“Back then, it was quite difficult for wheelchair users to take public transportation in Japan. It was also very normal to be refused entry at restaurants. These things made it hard for them to go out into society, and they had to live very limited lives.”

In the 1990s, Fuji Electric’s labor union played a central role in carrying out activities such as taking differently-abled people on trips. During such activities, the parents of a child with an intellectual disability made a request to the labor union that moved their hearts.

“We can look after our child as long as we’re alive. But what will happen to him after we’re gone? We want him to be able to be independent and lead his own life.”

Back then, there were fewer employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities than those with physical disabilities, so the parents’ appeal was a heartfelt one. It was what made us realize the need for the company to create an employment environment that would support the independence of people with intellectual disabilities. “There are many people who mistakenly believe that it is not feasible for differently-abled people to keep a job, but their participation in society through employment might change society as a whole.” It was this idea that led to the establishment of Fuji Electric Frontier.

We want our employees’ lives to shine brightly through work. This is the underlying idea of how differently-abled employees are looked after at Fuji Electric Frontier's Fukiage Office. Koji Hasegawa, Manager of the Administration Section, is among those who look after employees.

“The Fukiage Office has 34 employees who fulfill their respective roles in assembly assistance, cleaning, mail collection and delivery, greening, coffee server maintenance, and cleaning of welfare equipment. When giving them guidance, I try to ensure that each employee is encouraged to think, express their intentions and give explanations to others. Each employee will have goals, feel the joy of achieving them, and gain confidence. These are the kind of opportunities I want to provide.”

Purpose gives strength to life. The sense of achievement gained through work seems to drive employees to further improve.

“Our employees are developing briskly. In fact, in assembly assistance work, we have three employees who have become active on ordinary production lines. They work with amazing concentration and carry out delicate manual labor. They exhibit performance that even we instructors cannot match.”

Such development and performance of employees are communicated to their families through communication notebooks with their instructors.

“Guardians are contacted almost every week. We don't just tell them about extraordinary occurrences. We tell them what happened that day. We tell them what they did well. We want to properly communicate how they are doing in their day-to-day working life. That’s the idea.”

If a chain is formed of phrases such as “well done” and “I'm happy for you” from instructors, employees and guardians, even small occurrences can turn into joys. This three-way network of bonds should give each person more strength to their lives.

Tomoaki Sekine is in charge of assembly work at Fukiage Factory. Using tweezers, he inserts tiny springs into resin parts. His honed concentration, delicate handling and speed are that of a master craftsman.

“When working with small parts, just dropping them on the floor makes them go to waste. What I make a point of is to avoid unnecessary movements to increase efficiency and make as many parts as possible. When the day’s work is over and I find few parts to be disposed of, I feel happy and want to shout, ‘All right!’ Defective products will cause inconvenience to customers.”

Being aware of the customers as the end-users of the products he works to create, he focuses on the accuracy of his work and refines each of his movements. Sekine has continued to develop himself through straightforward efforts. His aspirations have never faded. He wants to improve the quality of his work. He wants to take on the challenge of doing harder work. His eyes seem to sparkle.

“I like detailed work. I hope to learn from watching the work of people who make complex models so I can make a bigger variety of products.”

He pursues what he loves and is appreciated for it. That leads to unshakable confidence. The work at Fuji Electric Frontier seems to offer Sekine irreplaceable joy. Plus, his fellow workers are another treasure for him. “It's fun to be able to collaborate with everyone at work,” Sekine replies, somewhat shyly.