What kind of company is Nichinen? ⑧ Comprehensive Welfare Benefits and Events
Nichinen is a company that handles the total creation of office and factory spaces. From layout design to interior, architectural, civil engineering, and maintenance work, as well as the proposal, manufacturing, and sales of furniture and interiors, we consistently support the creation of comfortable and functional environments.
This time, we interviewed Masatoshi Sato from the General Affairs Department about our welfare benefits and company events. We asked him in detail about the systems and initiatives that are unique to Nichinen.
Please note that Storytellers Inc. cooperated in the creation of this article.
A well-balanced work style with a comprehensive leave system
First, let us introduce Nichinen's leave system, various allowances, and welfare programs. How many annual holidays are there?
“At our company, every employee is on Saturday duty once every month and a half, which means there are 6 to 7 days of Saturday work per person each year. Subtracting those duty days, there are 120 to 121 holidays per year.”
Besides annual holidays, what kind of leave systems are there?
“We have all the standard types of leave, such as year-end and New Year holidays, Golden Week holidays, paid leave, bereavement leave, pre- and post-natal leave, and childcare leave. Regarding childcare leave, it is of course available to both men and women.
In addition, we have a unique leave system called ‘Refresh Leave’. This is leave that can be taken at milestones of 5, 10, 20, 30, and 35 years of service, allowing for 7 consecutive days off.
Also, separate from regular paid leave, there is a system called ‘Accumulated Paid Leave’. Regular paid leave expires after two years, but this system allows employees to accumulate the unused portion for up to 40 days.
This leave is set up so that it can be used when long-term medical treatment is required or when taking a long break to care for family members. It is a system designed to ensure that employees can work with peace of mind in case of an emergency.”
Allowances to support child-rearing and housing
Nichinen also puts effort into various allowances.
“As a ‘Family Allowance’, we provide 5,000 yen per month for each dependent family member (spouse and children).
Also, for young employees in their 20s to mid-30s who joined the company from outside Osaka Prefecture, we provide a ‘Housing Allowance’ of up to 30,000 yen. This is an allowance for employees who would have a commute of over an hour and a half from their parents' home, to encourage them to live in Osaka City and commute from there.”
And for job categories that require specialized knowledge, there is also support for acquiring qualifications.
“When employees acquire qualifications directly related to their work, such as Interior Coordinator, Construction Management Engineer, or Architect, the company covers the cost of reference books and training fees. This mainly applies to employees in the sales and design departments, and the company covers these costs out of a desire to ‘firmly support employees who aim to improve their skills.’”
Health is also important for employees to work energetically. At Nichinen, in addition to an annual health checkup, we also conduct cancer screenings based on age.
“Employees receive a health checkup once a year at a medical institution designated by the union. Furthermore, we distribute kits for a nematode cancer screening called ‘N-NOSE’ to employees aged 40 and over once a year, and to employees aged 50 and over twice a year.”
Welfare benefits that allow you to enjoy your private life
As welfare benefits that enrich private life, the welfare program “Relo Club” and the membership-based resort hotel “XIV” are particularly popular among employees.
“‘Relo Club’ is a welfare program where you can receive benefits and discounts at various facilities such as leisure facilities, restaurants, sports clubs, and movie theaters.
Also, with ‘XIV’, you can stay at membership-based resort hotels at a discounted price. It is a very popular benefit among employees who have used it, as they can spend a relaxing time at a resort hotel with their families at a low cost.”
Enriching seasonal company events
From here, we will introduce Nichinen's annual events.
Nichinen's New Year begins with the “Work Commencement Ceremony”.
“At the start of the New Year, on the day before work begins, there is a ‘Work Commencement Ceremony’. At the ceremony, after New Year's greetings from the president and executives, all employees enjoy food and drinks together.
And, one of the highlights of the ceremony that gets very exciting every year is the bingo tournament. There is a wide array of prizes that people genuinely want, such as facial beauty devices, high-end hair dryers, 1kg of steak meat, and complimentary tickets for Billboard Live Osaka.
By the way, the members of the General Affairs Department rack their brains every year thinking about ‘what kind of products would make people happy.’ It is an event that gets all the employees fired up.”
And in April, there is an event where you can feel the history of Nichinen.
“In line with our company's founding anniversary, we hold the ‘Inari Festival’ and the ‘Awards Ceremony’. An Inari shrine is enshrined on the roof of our company, and we invite a Shinto priest to perform the Inari Festival.
At the same time, we also hold a long-service award ceremony to honor employees who have been with the company for 5, 10, 20, 30, and 35 years.
Also, cherry blossom viewing has become a regular event. On a nice day, we bring bento boxes to Urae Park near the company and enjoy cherry blossom viewing. It is a park with very beautiful cherry blossoms, so it is something we look forward to every year.”
Before summer, we hold a barbecue.
“It is a regular event that has been going on for about 15 years, and we hold it in the company parking lot. This year, we plan to have about 35 people participate, including people from our partner companies.”
Also, in the autumn, we set up a stall every year at the “Fukushima Ward Citizens' Festival,” which is held in Fukushima Ward, Osaka City, where the Nichinen headquarters is located.
“As a local company, we have been running a hot dog stall for nearly 10 years. We grill them on the spot after receiving orders and hand them over freshly made. The bread is specially baked for us by a bakery every year.
The employees who participate in the stall are volunteers. There are many local residents who look forward to it every year, making it an event where we can feel our connection with the community.”
Company trips and overseas assignments where you can see the world
In addition to the annual seasonal events, we also go on company trips overseas in milestone years.
“Most recently, in November 2024, all employees went to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In the past, we have also been to Taiwan, Guam, and other places.”
Furthermore, we also send employees overseas to learn about furniture.
“We send two employees each time to ‘ORGATEC’ held in Cologne, Germany. ORGATEC is one of the world's largest international office furniture trade fairs, which has been held for about 70 years. In addition, we have also sent employees to trade fairs in the United States in the past.
There is a limit to the world you can see with only the latest information on domestic office furniture. Therefore, we send employees to overseas trade fairs so that they can actually see and experience the cutting edge of the world. The president himself has experience working overseas, so he has the desire for employees to ‘look beyond Japan and toward the world.’”
“Also, it has the aspect of presenting an opportunity to go overseas in the form of an assignment, as a way to express gratitude and appreciation to employees who have worked for a long time.”
Flat relationships between employees fostered by events
What kind of impact do these events have on internal communication?
“I think it is difficult to build a relaxed relationship with only communication at work.
Through these events and trips, we can talk about private matters that we wouldn't normally talk about, and get to know a side of other members that we didn't know. Then, a relationship of trust is naturally fostered, and it becomes easier to ask questions and exchange opinions at work.
I think the numerous events bring about such positive effects.”
Finally, what kind of events would you like to work on in the future?
“Although it is my personal opinion, I hope that there will be more events that connect with society and the community in ways different from usual, like the stall at the ‘Fukushima Ward Citizens' Festival’.”
Last year, I volunteered as a venue guide for the Osaka Expo, and it was a very stimulating experience. I was able to have experiences that I don't normally get to have, such as communicating with people from overseas.
Before doing it, I was a bit hesitant, wondering ‘Can I really do volunteer work?’ but once I did it, it was very rewarding.
It would be wonderful if we could create opportunities for employees to have such experiences that they can't easily taste in their daily work.”
So that each and every employee can grow beyond their work and touch new worlds—Nichinen's welfare benefits and events are packed with such company thoughts.
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[Interview/Writing/Proofreading] Storytellers Inc. Ayumi Hirasawa
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Nichinen Co., Ltd. is currently looking for new members.
If you are even a little interested, please take a look at the recruitment page below.
We are looking forward to receiving your applications!
[Nichinen Co., Ltd. Recruitment Page]