Human Rights
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Basic Concept
Human rights are universally valued rights that all people are born with. In today’s world, there is a growing awareness that businesses can have a great impact on human rights.
The Konica Minolta Group Charter of Corporate Behavior establishes the principles of corporate behavior for Konica Minolta’s business activities, and in April 2022, with the approval of the Board of Directors, added respect for human rights as one of its principles.
Furthermore, based on the Konica Minolta Group’s corporate philosophy and management vision, the Konica Minolta Group Human Rights Policy establishes the Group’s responsibilities and commitment to human rights. This policy was approved by the Management Council in September 2021.
In addition, the Konica Minolta Supply Chain Code of Conduct outlines specific actions that each Group company should take, and the Group also requests that its suppliers and partners act in accordance with the same standards. This Code is based on the latest version of the Code of Conduct of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), which Konica Minolta joined in 2013 to enhance the quality and transparency of CSR procurement.
In its initiatives, Konica Minolta particularly supports and respects the latest versions of the following global principles and international norms:
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- International Covenants on Human Rights
- The International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
- United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
- OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
- United Nations Global Compact
- ISO 26000
- RBA Code of Conduct
System
Konica Minolta’s human rights initiatives are promoted under the Risk Management Committee, overseen by the executive responsible for risk management. The Corporate Planning Division, which handles sustainability, plays a central role in driving these efforts in collaboration with the Legal Department and the designated persons responsible in each business division.
The status of human rights activities and significant risks are reported to and evaluated by the Risk Management Committee once every six months.
Management Process for Respect for Human Rights
Human Rights Due Diligence Process
In accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, Konica Minolta is committed to respecting human rights by formulating a human rights policy, implementing human rights due diligence, and establishing a remediation and grievance mechanisms.
Human Rights Due Diligence
Konica Minolta has established a human rights due diligence mechanism and continuously works to identify potential and actual human rights risks that its business activities may pose to stakeholders, to consider and implement measures to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts, and to disclose progress on these efforts.
Konica Minolta’s business activities, including new investments, follow-on investments, business expansion through M&A, and participation in new projects, incorporate human rights assessment criteria into investment decision-making processes.
1. Identifying and Assessing Adverse Human Rights Impacts (Impact Assessment)
Based on the list of “Key Types of Human Rights Risks Companies Should Consider,” compiled by Japan’s Ministry of Justice from major international rules, frameworks, and guidelines on human rights, Konica Minolta has identified stakeholders who are potentially or actually affected by its business activities and transactions, along with the human rights issues.
Identification of Human Rights Risk Items and Related Stakeholder
| Human rights risks | Stakeholders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examples of potential risks | Workers | Stakeholders other than workers |
|||
| Group employees | Employees of suppliers & contractors | Customers | Local communities/Indigenous peoples | ||
| Wages and benefits | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Insufficient or unpaid wages, inability to secure a living wage, unequal pay for equal work and qualifications, etc. | |||||
| Excessive/Unfair labor | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Overtime work not legally mandated, continuous work, restriction on vacation taking, etc. | |||||
| Occupational health and safety | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Inadequate protection of damage to health due to workload, occurrence of occupational accidents, etc. | |||||
| Freedom of association | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Forced or non-participation in labor unions and collective bargaining | |||||
| Discrimination | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Discrimination based on gender, age, nationality, or employee status (regular/irregular) | |||||
| Bribery/Corruption | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Bribery of public officials, provision of money or goods during customs clearance procedures | |||||
| Consumer safety and right to know | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Provision of products and services harmful to the mind, body, or health of consumers, product mislabeling, and violation of consumers’ right to know | |||||
| Gender-related human rights issues | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Unequal treatment of men and women such as wage disparity, disadvantages to sexual minorities, discriminatory language in advertising, etc. | |||||
| Harassment | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Abuse of power, sexual harassment, maternity/paternity harassment, nursing care harassment, etc. | |||||
| Freedom of speech | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Suppression of opinions about corporate activities, suppression of employees’ opinions about the company and working conditions | |||||
| Intellectual property right | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Nonpayment of compensation for inventions, infringement of personal intellectual property rights, etc. | |||||
| Forced labor | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Labor without worker consent, involvement in human trafficking, retention of identification documents | |||||
| Child/Youth labor | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Loss of children’s opportunity to learn, lack of consideration for impact on growth and health and for young workers under 18, etc. | |||||
| Freedom to relocate residence | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Relocation of residence against one’s will, eviction of residents due to business activities, forced job relocation, etc. | |||||
| Human rights issues related to ecosystem degradation, water stress, and climate change | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Environmental damage caused by business activities, ecosystem degradation and water stress, funding of projects that accelerate global warming, etc. | |||||
| Rights of foreign and migrant workers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Discrimination against foreign and migrant workers, working conditions described in a specific language only, exploitation of recruitment commissions, etc. | |||||
| Right of access to redress | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Insufficient recognition of the complaint process, limited access, etc. | |||||
| Human rights issues related to technology and AI | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Discriminatory human rights issues arising from AI use, discriminatory use of own products | |||||
| Right to privacy | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Inappropriate acquisition, storage, disclosure, or provision of personal or sensitive information to third parties | |||||
Assessment of Negative Impacts on Human Rights
We evaluated the potential and actual human rights violations across all stages of the product supply chain (development, procurement, production, sales, collection, recycling, and disposal), assessed their business impact and likelihood of occurrence, and, following consultation with senior management including the CEO, identified the human rights issues deemed to be of highest priority.
• Our evaluation of business impacts considers the societal and customer impact of violations, as well as the ease of remediation, drawing on human rights response guidelines and historical corporate violations.
• The likelihood of occurrence is determined using our RBA SAQ and audit results.
The assessment results are reviewed regularly, and the departments responsible for human resources, legal affairs, procurement, quality, and sustainability will work to prevent and mitigate negative impacts through setting goals and implementing measures.
High-Priority Human Rights Risks Identified as High Priority for Each Stakeholder Group
| Stakeholder | Human rights risk items identified as high priority |
|---|---|
| Group employees | Excessive/Unfair labor, occupational health and safety, discrimination (women’s advancement), gender-related human rights issues, forced labor, child/youth labor, right to privacy |
| Employees of our suppliers and contractors | Excessive/Unfair labor, occupational health and safety, discrimination, rights of foreign and migrant workers |
| Local Communities/Indigenous Peoples | Forced labor, child/youth labor |
| Customers | Right to privacy |
2. Implementing Appropriate Measures (Prevention and Mitigation of Negative Impacts)Integrating and Acting upon the Findings
3. Tracking and Evaluation of Effectiveness
Konica Minolta implements appropriate measures and tracks their effectiveness for human rights risks identified as high priority.
Examples of the implementation of appropriate measures and tracking of effectiveness for human rights risk items identified as high priority
| Stakeholder | Human Rights Risk Items Identified as High Priority | 2. Implementing Appropriate Measures (Prevention/Mitigation of Negative Impacts) | 3. Tracking and Evaluation of Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group employees | Excessive/unfair labor (Details: Measures to Address Overwork) | • Overtime working hours are tracked through the attendance system | • Overtime working hours have been on a downward trend for the past three years |
| Occupational Health and Safety (Details: Preventing Accidents During Working Hours) | • Risk assessments are conducted to respond to business changes • Safety patrols and safety education are implemented |
• The number of serious accidents remains at zero | |
| Discrimination (women’s advancement) (Details: Promoting Women’s Workplace Participation) | • Development of individual training plans for female leader candidates and training thereof • Promotion of male employees' participation in childcare and enhancement of support for balancing work and caregiving |
• The ratio of female managers is on an upward trend (decreased in FY2024 due to the impact of structural reforms) | |
| Gender-related human rights issues (Details: Basic Concept and Promotion System of Compliance) | • Sexual harassment prevention guidelines are established, and harassment prevention education is implemented • If an employee commits discrimination or harassment, corrective measures or disciplinary action are taken in accordance with the rules of employment |
• Out of 35 human rights-related internal reports, including sexual harassment and discrimination, there were no serious cases requiring public disclosure were reported | |
| Forced labor | • Confirmation of alignment between international standards and disciplinary regulations | • Abolishment of wage reduction measures in disciplinary actions | |
| Child labor and youth labor | • Thorough age verification is conducted during hiring in each country | • No cases of child labor | |
| Right to privacy (Details: Promoting Information Security) | • Education on personal information protection and information security is conducted • A group-wide system (KM-CSIRT) is established to prepare for incidents |
• Five incident reports to KM-CSIRT were handled appropriately with no impact on business | |
| Employees of our suppliers and contractors | Excessive/unfair labor, occupational health and safety, discrimination, rights of foreign and migrant workers (Details: CSR Procurement Initiatives) | • Compliance with the Konica Minolta Supply Chain Code of Conduct (=RBA Code of Conduct) is requested • A self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) is conducted to diagnose the level of implementation of the Konica Minolta Supply Chain Code of Conduct |
• SAQs were conducted for 131 out of 143 important suppliers, identifying 3 high-risk suppliers, and corrective actions were completed as a result of on-site improvement support |
| Local Communities/Indigenous Peoples | Forced labor, child labor and youth labor (Details: Practicing Responsible Minerals Procurement) | • Implementation of responsible mineral procurement | • In the Digital Workplace and Professional Print businesses, the percentage of 3TG smelters confirmed to be conflict-free or undergoing the audit process is 64% • Confirmed that toner, optical lenses, and some functional film products, which are among the main products, are conflict-free |
| Customers | Right to privacy (Details: Protecting personal information, Enhancing the Security of Products and Services) | • A personal information protection policy and regulations in compliance with GDPR have been formulated • Product security guidelines have been established, and the Group as a whole promotes secure development and operation processes for products and services |
• The number of serious security incidents related to products remains at zero |
RBA VAP Audit of Group Production Bases
Konica Minolta continuously undergoes third-party audits (RBA VAP Audits) to reduce human rights risks at its own production sites. As of April 1, 2025, the following three major sites hold certifications.
| Site name | Country | Certification rank | Certification expiration date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Konica Minolta Business Technologies (DONGGUAN) Co., Ltd. | China | Platinum | January 10, 2026 |
| Konica Minolta Business Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. | Malaysia | Platinum | November 30, 2025 |
| Konica Minolta Mechatronics Co.,Ltd. (Mikawa) | Japan | Platinum | October 9, 2026 |
Living Wages
Konica Minolta not only complies with minimum wage requirements in each country and region where it operates, but also strives to ensure appropriate wage levels that enable employees to maintain motivation in their work. In fiscal 2021, Konica Minolta investigated the actual status of living wage payments to employees.
A living wage consists of basic living expenses and taxes. The market basket method is generally used to estimate basic living expenses, though in some countries the Basic Needs Budget standard is applied. In addition, since regional differences within a single country must also be considered, Konica Minolta calculates living wages with reference to sources such as the Japanese Trade Union Confederation and the WageIndicator Foundation.
As a result, no significant issues were identified concerning the payment of living wages.
4.Information Disclosure
Konica Minolta regularly discloses its initiatives in a timely manner through its website and Integrated Report.
Remedy and Grievance Mechanism
When an allegation of a human rights violation is made through the reporting system, Konica Minolta promptly conducts an investigation. If it is clearly determined that the company has caused or contributed to a negative impact on human rights, the company takes corrective actions through appropriate internal and external procedures.
Group Employees
Help Line within the Konica Minolta Group
Konica Minolta has established a Whistle-blowing System (Help Line) not only within the Group in Japan but also overseas. The Help Line is an anonymous reporting system, and whistleblowers are not subject to adverse treatment.
In fiscal 2024, of the Help Line cases reported that related to human rights (abuse of power /sexual harassment/discrimination/inappropriate treatment), 11 were domestic and 24 were overseas.
Furthermore, there were no serious issues that required public disclosure.
Corrective Action Example
During the RBA VAP audit of Konica Minolta Mechatronics Co., Ltd. Headquarters in 2024, an evacuation exit that was not easily accessible was identified in part of the designated evacuation route in the event of a fire, and additional construction work for the evacuation exit was carried out. In addition, although there was a wage reduction penalty in the disciplinary section of the rules of employment, it was determined that this provision constituted unpaid wages, and the rules of employment were retroactively revised, including at Konica Minolta, Inc.
Emergency exit installed in case of power failure of automatic doors
Employees of Our Suppliers and Contractors
Help Line: Suppliers
Help Lines are open to suppliers in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, and have also been made available to suppliers in Europe. In North America, the Help Line is open to all stakeholders, including suppliers.
There were no reports from suppliers in fiscal 2024.
Corrective Action Example
Information was received from stakeholders regarding two suppliers in Malaysia and one production contractor in Thailand concerning the exploitation of recruitment fees from foreign workers and insufficient safety measures. Konica Minolta has requested the suppliers and production contractors to confirm the facts, implement corrective actions if the facts are confirmed, and have a third party verify the corrective actions. Corrective actions (e.g., refunds, provision of appropriate protective equipment) and third-party verification of the corrective actions are in progress.
Customers
Gathering Vulnerability Information
Konica Minolta has established KONICA MINOLTA PSIRT as a Companywide organization to manage information on the vulnerabilities of its products and services, and to pursue necessary measures. When KONICA MINOLTA PSIRT receives a vulnerability report from an outside stakeholder about Konica Minolta's products or services, it takes appropriate action in compliance with the international vulnerability handling process.
Stakeholder Engagement
Konica Minolta conducts dialogues with stakeholders to strengthen its human rights initiatives.
Group Employees
Labor-Management Management Council
Konica Minolta shows that it guarantees freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining through its participation in the United Nations Global Compact. Konica Minolta, Inc. has concluded a collective labor agreement, and regular meetings of the joint management council are held four times a year with the president’s attendance to provide an opportunity to explain the Company’s management situation to the labor union and give the labor union an opportunity to explain its policies to Company management. Many other Group companies also have their own labor unions and employee associations and have built good labor-management relations.
Employees of Our Suppliers and Contractors, Partners, and Others:
Supplier Meetings
Through supplier’s meetings and the procurement collaboration system, the Konica Minolta Procurement Policy is explained, procurement results and plans for the next fiscal year are reported, and targets and issues are shared. At the same time, the Group encourages its suppliers to further improve their quality, delivery, productivity, and environmental performance by commending suppliers for their outstanding achievements.
Customers
Customer Service Desk
Konica Minolta has established call centers and web-based consultation services around the world for each of its products and services. Not only does it swiftly respond to inquiries and information on product defects received at each contact point, but Konica Minolta is also consolidating this information to monitor quality status and customer requests. The Company has also established an AI Ethics Review Committee with outside experts to verify the appropriate use and application of AI technology.
