In line with Denka Value-Up, we are also focused on pushing ahead with work style reforms in ways that address issues specific to each business unit—from Head Office to sales offices to production bases—to allow every Denka employee to realize their full potential. In response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus that emerged in February 2020, we formulated in-house guidelines aimed at protecting employee health and thoroughly preventing infection by rallying the entire strength of the Company. Moreover, we continued the distribution of PCs and other devices to enable employees to work from home, an ongoing activity since 2019, while encouraging a switchover to online meetings. As a result, the ratio of employees who work remotely surpassed 80% as of April 2020.
In July 2020, we formulated a Companywide policy for work style reforms (also see page 29), with an eye to securing our responsiveness to the “new normal” in the post-pandemic period. In line with this policy, we are striving to update our working styles to focus on truly essential operations and protect the health of employees and their families. At the same time, we are addressing various issues arising from decreasing opportunities for face-to-face meetings, to this end seeking out alternative methods for conducting employee evaluations, OJT, mental health counseling sessions and other operations that cannot be executed remotely.
In addition, as part of initiatives to improve employee engagement, we conducted an employee awareness survey in April 2020 for the first time since the previous survey undertaken in fiscal 2017. Drawing on survey results, we will analyze issues and problems in our workplaces to systematically promote the review of various programs aimed at helping diverse employees achieve success as well as the development of working environments to improve productivity.