Our Working Environment

Diversity at HighChem

● 80% Chinese, 20% Japanese! An environment where diverse employees can utilize their expertise and play an active role

The staff at HighChem Tokyo Headquarters has a unique composition of 80% Chinese and 20% Japanese. In addition, among all Japanese and Chinese staff, around 60% are highly specialized staff who have a master's degree or higher in a specialized field such as chemistry.
Since its foundation, HighChem has provided an environment where staff can make full use of their expertise regardless of nationality or race, and its range of activities extends not only to Japan and China but also to Western countries, Asia, and Middle Eastern countries.

● We actively hire senior employees! An environment where staff can utilize the knowledge and know-how they have cultivated so far

HighChem actively rehires senior employees. Currently, there are 20 senior employees aged 60 and over who have retired from other companies due to retirement age, etc., and some of them have been working at HighChem for 10 years or more. By making full use of the free culture at HighChem, staff can fully utilize the knowledge and know-how they have cultivated so far and work with a sense of satisfaction.

HighChem work-life balance

● Achieve work-life balance with an average overtime of 1 hour!

At HighChem, we believe that achieving work-life balance for employees is essential for further business development.
The leave system includes year-end and New Year holidays, summer vacation, condolence leave, annual paid leave (hereinafter referred to as annual leave), and special leave, and there are over 120 days of annual holidays. We have also introduced a planned annual leave system and an expired annual leave accumulation system to create an environment in which employees can easily take annual leave.
In addition, the average monthly overtime hours is about 1 hour, indicating a working environment in which it is easy to balance work and life.

System for taking annual leave

◆ Planned annual leave system

As part of work style reform, HighChem introduced a system for systematically granting annual paid leave in fiscal 2019.
Of the annual paid leave, five days are set as planned annual leave.
•Company designation ... January 4, 2019
•Individual designation ... Summer vacation (2 days) + 2 days, 2 other days

◆ Expired annual leave accumulation system

In fiscal 2019, HighChem introduced an expired annual leave accumulation system. Annual leave usually expires if it is not used for two years after the right is issued, but with this system, expired annual leave accumulates every year and up to 60 days can be accumulated. This accumulated annual leave can be used for long-term illness, nursing, and long-term care, taking into consideration diversifying values and the circumstances of each family.

● 100% return from childcare leave! An environment that makes it easy for staff to continue their career even after returning from maternity or childcare leave

HighChem provides a support system for childbirth, childcare, and long-term care.

Up to now, 20 staff members (cumulative as of October 2020) have taken maternity leave or childcare leave at HighChem, and the rate of returning to work for those who have taken childcare leave is 100% (national average 53%). In addition, many staff members utilize the company's reduced working hours system to balance childcare and work, and even after returning to work, we provide an environment where it is easy for staff to play an active role without giving up on their career even during the childcare period.

Childcare system

[Childcare leave] 　
Childcare leave can be taken until the day when the child reaches the age of one (the day before the birthday), or up to the day when the child reaches the age of one and a half under special circumstances.

[Selection of working hours] 　
Working hours can be shortened by up to 2 hours a day.

[Child nursing leave]
Up to 5 days a year are offered, or 10 days if the employee has two or more children.

● Introduction of company dress code

HighChem has introduced a company dress code that allows all employees to work in "office casual" clothes throughout the year.
Office casual clothes means a smart outfit suitable for business, and staff can work with no tie, no jacket, and an open-collared shirt in the summer, and a light knitted sweater, vest, or cardigan in the winter.

● Award system

At HighChem, we provide an award system once a year for employees who have made achievements in the previous year.
The awards range from the most prestigious Annual Sales MVP to the Proposal Award and Pioneer Award.
The award recipients receive a certificate of commendation and a gold seal from the president at a company-wide meeting, which helps to motivate employees.

Mechanism to connect the circle of employees

●Employee trips

Since the company was founded in 1998, HighChem has been conducting employee trips every year.
Employee trips are planned and operated by the "HighChem Friendly Society," which is made up of young employees in the company, and visits are made to domestic and overseas tourist destinations every year.
Employees' families can also participate together with employees in the trips, and spouse and children (up to one child) are exempt from travel expenses for the first year of travel or in the year of marriage.
Enjoying spending time together at tourist destinations away from daily life, together with employees' families, is a good opportunity to deepen the bonds between employees.

● Recent employee travel results

≪2019≫ Spa Resort Hawaiians
≪2018≫ Cebu Island
≪2017≫ Yamagata Prefecture　
≪2016≫ Hokkaido Niseko

●Circle activities

At HighChem, we have set up a "HighChem Friendly Society" for the purpose of improving the sense of solidarity and relationships within the company.
We are also working to enhance our company club activities so that employees can experience many sports.

HighChem Friendly Society

The HighChem Friendly Society is a company organization that works to improve the sense of solidarity within the company.
Young employees play a central role, and members are elected every year beyond the boundaries of the organization.Friendly society members work to foster a sense of solidarity within the company by planning company events and social gatherings, and organizing employee trips, welcome parties, and farewell parties.

●Examples of friendly events

• Ski & snowboard trip
• Gyoza party
• Ikebana experience event
• Beer garden
• Day trip to autumn leaves
• Year-end party, etc.

Circle activities

Currently, the circles established in-house are "basketball," "golf," and "mountain club."
A subsidy is provided for each activity, creating an environment where employees can not only work together with their colleagues but also enjoy sports together.

● Regular holding of company parties

At HighChem, we value opportunities for company parties such as year-end parties and various social gatherings.
We hold company-paid drinking parties three to four times a year, and we value opportunities for spending time together that go beyond the boundaries of employees' work.

●Employee referral system

Under this system, employees can introduce an employee candidate to the company, and if the company hires the introduced person, a reward of 50,000 yen is paid to the employee who made the introduction.
This employee referral system enables the company to hire staff without mismatches, which leads to an improvement in the employee retention rate.

● System for various types of congratulatory money

HighChem offers a system for various types of congratulatory money for changes in life stage.

• Wedding gifts When employees get married
• Childbirth congratulations When an employee or his/her spouse gives birth to a child
• Congratulations for entering school When an employee's child enters elementary school