Basic Approach, Policy and External Certification
The Olympus Health Declaration
The Olympus Global Code of Conduct states that "Safe and healthy workplace is a major priority. We take proactive steps to prevent accidents and occupational illnesses at work and promote good health and wellness as well as work-friendly environment."
In Japan, also including Japan subsidiaries, we established the Olympus Health Declaration to help maintain and improve the health of employees and their families.
In line with the announcement of the Health Declaration, action to prevent passive smoking is to be made a priority. At the same time, we are introducing measures to help employees to become healthy and stay healthy, including advice with lifestyle improvements, recommendations and financial assistance with screenings to catch cancer at an early stage, and how to avoid mental health problems.
In this way, the Olympus Group wants to create a corporate culture that encourages employees to be healthy, both physically and mentally and for everyone to lead healthy and happy lives.
Olympus Health Declaration
Realization of a Better Livelihood and Happiness
Our corporate philosophy is to contribute to society by "Making people's lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling." We believe this is possible with the support of healthy employees and their families with vitality.
Olympus places top priority on the health of its employees and their facilities through the following activities.
1. Olympus regards employee health as an important management issue and is committed to a corporate culture that places top priority on employee safety and health.
2. Olympus will continue to create a workplace environment where employees are able to work with vitality and good physical and mental health.
3. Olympus cooperates with the Health Insurance Association to support better health to each and every employee and their families.
Health Promotion System and Initiatives
Health Promotion System
At Olympus and its Japan subsidiaries, the Human Resources EHS Division leads industrial health and health-related activities, and under the following structure, each company and workplace with the Health Insurance Association to enable collaboration and coordinated action between the company and the Health Insurance Association.
Particularly as an industrial health and welfare organization, we assign dedicated industrial physicians, and nurses, depending on the size of the business site, to share the actual state of employee health, respond to the issues, and develop activities to resolve the issues.. Also, the system is not only internal. In cooperation with external institutions, we have established a health consultation service and prepared a system that can be used by employees, including their families.
Under this system, we will create a health management strategy map, and plan, deploy, and review the results of each health measure, while continuing to promote initiatives to improve the health of our employees
- Health management strategy map
External Certification
2022 Certified Health and Productivity Management Outstanding Organization ~ White 500 ~
As a result of promoting activities in employee health management, implemented strategically from a management point of view, Olympus has been certified for six consecutive years since 2017 as an excellent company by the White 500* Certified Health and Productivity Management Outstanding Organization Recognition Program. In 2022, Olympus Marketing and Aizu Olympus Corporation were listed in the Certified Health and Productivity Management Outstanding Organization Recognition Program.
Olympus health management is actively promoted through a combination of industrial health activities carried out by the company, including health guidance based on health examination results and a range of mental health services, and activities led by our health insurance association, such as awareness-raising about the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and the promotion of cancer screening tests, including endoscope tests.
We will continue to work in cooperation with the Health Insurance Association to build work environments in which employees and their families can work and live healthily and vigorously. We will also work actively to promote health among employees of Japan subsidiaries and contribute to society through the promotion of the health of customers through our business activities.
Olympus
Olympus Marketing
* White 500, which is organized jointly by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Nippon Kenko Kaigi, is a certification program to highlight outstanding large enterprises engaging in efforts to advance health and productivity management in cooperation with health insurance associations, etc.
Sports Yell Company 2022
Olympus has been certified as a Sports Yell Company for two consecutive years by the Japan Sports Agency for being a company that works positively on the promotion and support of sports activities to promote the health of employees. In particular, its initiatives considerate of employee health such as working on eliminating the lack of exercise due to the COIVD-19 pandemic were evaluated highly. Further, Olympus Marketing and Olympus Terumo Biomaterials were also simultaneously certified in 2022.
* The Japan Sports Agency certifies companies implementing positive initiatives towards the playing of sports for employee health promotion as "Sports Yell Companies."
Activity Policies and Achievements
Cancer Screening
Olympus is enhancing its cancer screening program using procedures such as endoscopic screening for the early detection of cancer. Such promotion includes financial assistance of cancer screening by the Health Insurance Association for employees and their families, maintaining high screening rates for endoscopic examinations (69% for gastrointestinal endoscopy and 61% for colonoscopy), and not setting age limitations for gynecological examinations for employees and families for the early detection of cancer. To further improve screening rates, we provide education annually through E-Learning to help people obtain knowledge about cancer and receive screenings. In addition, we are working to improve screening uptake rates and the accuracy of cancer screening by recommending that those who need to undergo further screening receive a medical examination.
We utilize a cancer screening call/recall program*, in which examinees for the current fiscal year are encouraged to take screenings following a certain set of criteria based on previous examinations.
* Call / recall system: A system that sends emails automatically to examinees selected based on previous screening data to advise on taking further cancer screening.
Cancer Screening Test Support System
| Examination Item |
Target |
Health Insurance
Cost Subsidy |
Years Consultation
Encouraged* |
Stomach cancer
(endoscope) |
35 years and older |
100% coverage |
Once every two years |
Stomach cancer
(pepsinogen examination) |
35 years and older |
100% coverage |
Year that Gastrointestinal
endoscopy is not undertaken |
Colorectal cancer
(endoscope) |
35 years and older |
100% coverage |
Once every three years
(40 years and older) |
Colorectal cancer
(fecal occult blood test) |
35 years and older |
100% coverage |
Year that Colonoscopy is not undertaken |
| Breast cancer/Cervical cancer |
Women of all ages |
100% coverage |
Once every two years |
Prostate cancer
(PSA marker) |
Men 50 years and older |
100% coverage |
Once every two years |
| Abdominal ultrasonography |
40 years and older |
100% coverage |
Once every two years |
Lung cancer
(lung helical CT) |
40 years and older |
50% (Limit of ¥5,000 including tax) |
Individual decides whether
to receive health exam |
*Consultation encouraged: For those who have not yet taken the exam for certain period from the target age (those who have not yet taken an exam within the encouraged yearly interval).
Cancer Screening (screening rates*)
| Examination Item |
FY20 |
FY21 |
FY22 |
FY23 goals |
| Stomach cancer（%） |
85.4 |
82.1 |
83.2 |
90 |
| Colorectal cancer（%） |
81.6 |
79.3 |
80.7 |
90 |
| Breast cancer（%） |
71.7 |
72.3 |
74.5 |
74 |
| Uterine cancer（%） |
67.1 |
66.0 |
69.3 |
71 |
* Screening rate: Number of people who actually take an examination within the encouraged yearly interval set for a specific cancer divided by the total number of examinee candidates.
Implementation of Health Promotion Activities for the Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases
Implementation of Health Promotion Activities for the Prevention of Lifestyle DiseasesOlympus believes that maintaining and improving the physical and mental health of employees is necessary to enhance their performance. Developing healthy lifestyle habits can prevent lifestyle-related diseases and lead to mental and physical health, and we will develop various measures with the goal of increasing the number of people who possess the five good health habits.
5 Health Habits
Olympus promotes activities under the Specific Health Guidance program to prevent lifestyle diseases. Specific health guidance for Olympus and its Japan subsidiaries is provided by healthcare workers and nurses working in the health management offices of each company, through counseling and guidance. (Implementation rate of specific health guidance in FY2020: 51.5) In the past, we have provided personalized exercise guidance to employees, but we now share online videos to promote exercise. (Total of 1,347 participants in FY2021) We are also implementing communication reinforcement measures positively aimed at support for employee health. We started sending out regular newsletters last fiscal year and have provided information a total of eleven times so far.
In addition, we introduced the WellsPort Navi portal site led by the health insurance association aimed at raising employee awareness of health management and supporting their activities, to facilitate the health management activities of each and every employee. We are also rolling out a health campaign positively using this portal site. Last fiscal year, the impacts on health due to changes in lifestyle patterns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were particularly concerning so we increased the frequency of campaigning and provided employees with more opportunities for activities.
Main campaign activities and participation (FY2022)
| Month |
Activity |
Number of participants |
Participation rate |
| April |
Spring walking campaign |
2,751 people |
19.7% |
| June |
Toothbrushing campaign |
2,430 people |
17.3% |
| July |
Summer walking campaign |
2,491 people |
17.8% |
| October |
Autumn walking campaign |
2,596 people |
18.9% |
| November |
Toothbrushing campaigning |
2,087 people |
15.2% |
| December / January |
Year-end, New Year weight management campaign |
1,901 people |
13.9% |
| January |
Winter walking campaign |
2,505 people |
18.3% |
Activities to Quit Smoking
As an activity to prevent passive smoking, a ban on smoking inside all buildings and structures at Olympus and its Japan subsidiaries was put in place by the end of March 2020, and smoking was also banned on all sites by the end of March 2021. We also run the Quit-Smoking Marathon program, with health care personnel supporting employee smokers who want to quit smoking. Also, the Health Insurance Association provides an online quit smoking program, covering expenses in full. Thanks to these efforts, the smoking rate decreased to 16.4% as of the end of March 2022.
| Smoking Rate (average at Olympus and Japan subsidiaries)* |
| End of March 2018 (at the start of activities) |
22.0% |
| End of March 2019 |
20.0% |
| End of March 2020 |
18.4% |
| End of March 2021 |
16.9% |
| End of March 2022 |
16.4% |
Preventing Mental Health Problems
Olympus and its Japan subsidiaries combine the four care programs below to support everything from preventive measures to the handling of employees with health problems and the resumption of work.
| Self-care |
Mental health training such as e-learning programs, mental toughness seminars, etc., for employees.
Interviews for all new employees and midcareer employees |
| Line care |
Activities to support employees in the workplace, such as mental health seminars for workplace managers. |
Care by industrial
health care personnel at
business sites |
Consultation and daily care service provided by industrial doctors and other health staff. Activities organized by industrial healthcare workers in cooperation with the Human Resources Division for the returning to work program for those with health problems. |
Care provided by
resources outside the
business site |
Consultation service and seminars provided by external psychologists |
In addition, we are holding training workshops conducted by psychiatrists and other specialists in clinical practice for healthcare workers and nurses to support mental health care for employees.
We conduct the statutory stress checks all together in Olympus and its Japan subsidiaries. Appropriate interviews and personalized follow-up are provided in accordance with the results for early response if necessary. We will continue to review its effective application as part of our mental health program.
Support for Treatment and Continuing to Work
To help employees who are undergoing treatment to retain financial stability and continue their outpatient treatment, and to raise employee motivation, various support programs have been introduced, including paid leave, flexible working hours and a work-at-home system. To provide greater employee assistance, a special leave program was introduced in April 2020 for employees suffering from a disease for which the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends support.
Action on Infectious Diseases
The following activities are being conducted to prevent infectious diseases.
Olympus's Response to COVID-19 (including safety and health)
Health Management for Expatriate Employees
In addition to the statutory health examinations for expatriate employees required on departure and return to Japan, employees can have a health examination (for the items in the complete medical examination) during a temporary return to Japan.
Industrial physicians, healthcare workers and nurses are assigned to provide everyday health counseling before departure and on return to Japan. The health management service is offered not only to expatriate employees, but also to their families.
Further, industrial physicians are dispatched on a regular basis to overseas subsidiaries to upgrade the quality of health management for expatriate employees.
Women's Health Support Initiatives
In conjunction with Women's Health Week in March, we invited a gynecologist to present an online seminar on women’s specific health issues.A total of 355 employees, both male and female, participated in the event, which was viewed 1,698 times on demand.
94% of the participants were satisfied with the seminar content, and we will continue to hold it regularly to support women's health.
Support for Partner Companies
The following activities are being implemented to support our partner companies.
- Joint implementation of workplace vaccinations
- Held a health management seminar at a general meeting for distributors (conducted by the supervising industrial physician)
Main data on Health Management
For health management, basic activities (periodic health checkups, stress checks, etc.) are also properly implemented.
Actual values for each fiscal year are as follows.
| Data item |
Details |
Target for activities |
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
| Rate of taking medical examinations |
Rate of taking regular medical examinations |
Increase over previous year |
98.7% |
98.9% |
98.5% |
98.7% |
| Rate of follow-up interviews |
Percentage of employees eligible for post-measures interviews for regular medical examinations checkups |
Improve over previous year |
17.1% |
17.7% |
20.1% |
15.8% |
| Rate of implementation of post-medical examination measures |
Rate of implementation of consultation for employees who require measures after taking a regular medical examination |
Increase over previous year |
97.4% |
95.9% |
97.8% |
99.1% |
| Rate of taking of stress checks |
Rate of taking of stress checks |
Increase over previous year |
94.5% |
94.2% |
94.2% |
90.9% |
| Rate of employees with high stress |
Rate of employees with high stress among those taking stress checks |
Reduce over previous year |
13.5% |
13.3% |
13.4% |
15% |
Activities in North America
(Olympus Corporation of the Americas U.S.A)
Healthy Incentive Program
The company provides this program to employees and their partners, enabling them to receive cash or a health insurance premium deduction if at least three of six biometric screening parameters are normal values. The six biometric screening parameters are height, weight, BMI, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood glucose.
Wellness Wednesday
Wellness Wednesday, which started in 2021, is a free virtual class that focuses on all aspects of wellbeing (physical, emotional, environmental, economy and society) on Wednesday each week. Because recordings of this class are available to all employees, they can participate in the live session or through a recorded session at a good time for them.
Activities in Europe
(Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG Germany)
Workshop
"Managing stress in uncertain times" was a 90-minute workshop in which more than 3,000 people participated. During this workshop, methods for reducing stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic were provided in English and German.
Free vaccinations
The company is providing influenza vaccinations regularly.
(Olympus Iberia S.A.U. Spain)
Individual psychology sessions
The company implemented its first individual psychology sessions for all employees following the global pandemic. The company is planning to continue providing these psychological sessions because they were very well received.
Activities in China
(Olympus (China) Co., Ltd China)
Activities for improvement of the rate of taking endoscopy tests
The company increased the rate of taking endoscopy tests from 14% in 2020 to 42% in 2021 by holding lectures by a gastroenterologist and implementing interviews with employees who took an endoscopy test and Q&A.
Activities in Asia / Oceania
(Olympus New Zealand Ltd New Zealand)
Certification of Mental Health First Aiders
First Aiders who play a role supporting mental health have been established and 21 employees have been certified from various divisions and positions. If mental health support is required, employees can receive support from a First Aider confidentially at any time.
