Advanced medical care employee assistance fund launched

Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer: Masayuki Hyodo) has established an advanced medical care employee assistance fund to provide financial support for receiving treatment not covered by insurance. The relevant benefit program went into operation in October.

The above program is related to the Sumitomo Corporation Group’s “Declaration of Iki-iki Waku-waku Health and Productivity Management,” announced in September 2018. The declaration embodies the company’s belief that each employee should have a healthy mind and body to perform at their full potential and continue to create new value, and is implemented in line with a set of three key concepts*1, including “reassurance in emergencies,” which provides reassurance that employees will be taken care of adequately when they fall ill. The new fund has been introduced according to this concept.

The fund is applicable to a broad scope of medical treatment options not covered by insurance, which are not limited to those for cancer and other specified diseases, but also include advanced medical care technologies*2 approved by the government and even some that are yet to be approved (but provided based on the patient’s request). This aims to reduce employees’ worries about undergoing desired treatment in case it is necessary, thereby helping them return to work early and achieve an appropriate balance between work and medical treatment.    

In addition to the above, Sumitomo Corporation promotes various initiatives for health and productivity management. Major examples include: teleworking and super-flextime systems launched in November 2018, which help employees continue working while receiving adequate treatment; professional healthcare guidance for young employees and quit-smoking programs; healthy menus served at company cafeterias; and a counseling center opened as part of mental healthcare measures for employees, which encourages potential users’ access to the service by eliminating their hesitation and anxiety.   

Our corporate mission is to support our shareholders, clients, local communities, employees, and everyone else around the world in their endeavors to achieve economic and spiritual prosperity and realize their dreams through our sound business activities. In order to fulfill this mission, it is essential to promote and maintain the health of employees. Believing this, we will promote activities to effectively practice health and productivity management.   

*1. Three key concepts for Sumitomo Corporation’s health and productivity management are as follows: “Improvement of health literacy,” which enables employees to continue to work energetically; “Reassurance in emergencies,” which provides reassurance that employees will be taken care of when they fall ill; and “global medical support,” which is unique to trading companies.
 
*2. “Advanced medical care technologies” refers to the most advanced medical treatment technologies currently under research and development at medical institutes, and are selected by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to consider their inclusion in insurance coverage after confirming efficacy and safety.

■Sumitomo Corporation’s Material Issues
 Sumitomo Corporation Group positions “Six Material Issues to Achieve Sustainable Growth with Society” as an important factor in developing business strategies and in the decision-making process for individual businesses. Going forward, we will pursue sustainable growth by resolving these issues through our business activities. This Project especially contributes to “Providing Diverse “Accessibility”,” “Developing Human Resources and Promoting Diversity”.