Focus

Focus7 | Preventing unwanted care resignation! Sega Sammy's approach

Sega Sammy Group positions the improvement of employee health and well-being as an important management issue and has formulated a health management declaration. The company has been certified as a "Health Management Outstanding Corporation 2024 (Large Corporation Division)" based on its efforts, including health policies based on health check-up results.※1
In 2025, the so-called "baby boomers" will reach the age of 75 or older, and one in six Japanese nationals will become a "super-aged society" where the elderly population accounts for more than 25% of the total population. Consequently, the number of people requiring care is expected to increase, and more people will become caregivers for family members. For this reason, the Sega Sammy Group believes that support for employees involved in caregiving is important in promoting health management and is advancing information dissemination and system development related to caregiving. The Human Resources Development Division and the Sustainability Division are leading the effort.

The internal seminar on care was conducted by both headquarters this time. We interviewed the person in charge about the content of the seminar and the future prospects. In addition, we asked employees using the care support program to talk about how they are handling work and care as business carers.

Announcements of the selection of “Health Management Excellent Corporation 2024 (Large Corporations Category)”.

Two types of seminars were held to improve employee care literacy.

Takayanagi

As part of DEI, the Sega Sammy Group is working to create an environment in which all employees can fully utilize their potential and actively work. Care support is also one of them. Anyone can be involved in care and it can start suddenly, unlike childbirth and child rearing. Therefore, we held an online seminar on “Balancing Work and Care” to help employees acquire literacy that can handle emergencies caused by care. We wanted all employees, regardless of age or position, to participate, so we held the seminar at lunchtime. We invited an external lecturer to the seminar, who explained the basics from what to do when you become a caregiver to where to turn for help, based on their personal care experience, and the points to be aware of to prevent unwanted withdrawal due to care. The seminar was designed to lighten the psychological burden by knowing the first response to care, and to imagine being able to balance work and care. For those who could not attend, we have posted archives on the intranet.

Kobayashi

The Human Resources Development Department has produced a video series that introduces "useful information for preparing for care" by internal VTubers and posted it on the intranet. We were conscious of the length of the video that can be easily viewed during work, and made it about 8 minutes long. We have already released up to the second episode, and plan to produce them about every two months in the future. In the video series, we will disseminate a wide range of information that we want you to know before care begins, such as how to use the Comprehensive Community Support Center, how to proceed with care insurance procedures, the costs of care, what to do for preventive care, and the mindset to have when providing care. The purpose is to reduce the number of people who leave their job due to care or give up career advancement. We want employees who will provide care in the future to gain knowledge now and have a positive attitude that they can work with reassurance even while providing care. Adding the production of in-house VTubers contributed to the uniqueness of Sega Sammy as an entertainment company. We think it was the best choice to make the difficult-to-understand content of care system more understandable to people.

*2: (As of March 2024)

The person in charge who implemented the internal seminar wants people to take an interest in care.

Takayanagi

Until we released the seminar information, I was worried that care would be seen as a gloomy subject and that participants would not gather. However, contrary to expectations, applications came immediately after the announcement. I was surprised that many people wanted to learn about care. As a result, a much larger number of participants gathered than expected.

For creating an environment where all employees can fully exert their potential and actively work, including support for care, the Sega Sammy Group

Before joining SEGA SAMMY Holdings, I worked at a regional comprehensive support center as a public health nurse. I pick up information about caregiving that I want people to know based on my experience, and decide on the theme of the course. There was a plan to provide information in writing, but I tried to create a course using an in-house VTuber to make more people interested in it. It was an unprecedented attempt, but I heard that SEGA SAMMY's corporate culture had no restrictions on how to communicate, so I thought there would be no objection. Still, I was relieved when it was approved.

I put a lot of effort into creating the character, but the hardest part of video production was summarizing the information concisely. Because I was involved in various cases in the caregiving field, there were many things I wanted to convey. However, I am not trying to include everything, but I am devising the content and how to convey it while listening to what people around me want to know. As a result, those who watched the video said that they were able to acquire knowledge, which was a positive reaction.

First, I aim to improve the caregiving literacy of the entire SEGA SAMMY group with an introductory video series that can be easily viewed. After that, I would like to disseminate information that can only be conveyed by someone who has been involved in caregiving, which cannot be found even by searching on the Internet. Because laws and systems are changing rapidly, I will always catch up with the information and update the information conveyed.

Practicing remote work while providing caregiving! Voices of employees using caregiving support program.

How do employees who are actually providing caregiving feel about changes in their work style and company support systems? I asked Mr. Teramae, who has been using the select location system for about two years.

Mr. Teramae

Four years ago, my father who lived in Osaka suffered a stroke and needed care. My mother and sister took care of him, but as someone who lived in Yokohama, I worried about what would happen if something that required more support happen. During this time, I felt that it was an opportunity to serve my parents and take care of them as a form of thanks. Although I already had the desire to return to Osaka and take care of my parents after retirement, my father's stroke made me realize that I couldn't hesitate anymore. I wondered if I could work remotely in Osaka. It was something that I had to ask for the company's support with the courage to do so and I was very worried.

Currently, I am based in Osaka and am taking care of my father while working with my mother, sister, and wife. I basically go to SEGA SAMMY headquarters in Tokyo twice a month. However, when we entered the climax of the project, we talked within the department and went to work more than twice a month. Over the past two years since moving to Osaka, I have gradually deepened my understanding of caregiving. Recently, I feel that I have finally been able to establish a rhythm of life between caregiving and work.

I think Sega Sammy Group's care support program, including the Select Location System, is a very good system. I am sincerely grateful for the development of the system, which accepts my idea of wanting to look after my parents, and I am truly glad that I consulted about it. And I am able to work remotely because my family agreed to move the foundation of our lives from Yokohama to Osaka. I am grateful for being able to work in this way thanks to the understanding of the company and my family.

I believe it's my mission to produce solid results at work, precisely because I am supported by many people. I aspire to be able to proudly say "I can balance work and caregiving," without any loss of productivity. If users of the caregiving support program can produce good results, it should become more popular among other employees. Just as my superiors told me to "lay the tracks," I intend to guide those who follow me.

In my case, as well, caregiving began suddenly. At first, I didn't know what to do because I hadn't gathered information beforehand and was left clueless. Caregiving is something that will happen to anyone eventually, so it's a good idea to gather information at seminars and elsewhere, without thinking it's still a long way off. I would imagine that many people are worried about whether they can manage their work while caregiving, just like I was. For such people with those worries, there is a caregiving support program, so I hope people make active use of it.

Establishing a system that allows you to choose your working hours and location flexibly, we support various human resources to be active.

This time, we introduced the voices of employees who work while caregiving and those in charge of disseminating information such as seminars on caregiving.

At Sega Sammy Group, we are establishing a system to prevent career fragmentation and unwanted resignations, so that various human resources can be active. The Select Time System and Select Location System are systems that allow you to select your working hours and location according to individual circumstances, such as childcare and caregiving.

Regarding support for balancing work and caregiving, we have implemented measures that exceed legal regulations in terms of the duration of caregiving leave and part-time work for caregiving. We are developing various support systems for balancing work and caregiving to reduce the economic burden of caregiving and alleviate the physical burden caused by returning home, etc. *3.

Sega Sammy Group's Mission/Purpose is "Creating Inspiring Experiences," and our Sustainability Vision is "Making Sustainability More Colorful." It is important for employees to create an environment where they can understand and trust each other, regardless of whether they are caregiving or not. To that end, Sega Sammy Group will continue to work on caregiving and develop its efforts in the future.

*3: Support for Balancing Work and Caregiving