Companies leverage healthy working strategies to attract talent

Japan Times

07-05-2025

An increasing number of Japanese companies are adopting 'health management' strategies that prioritize employee well-being as a core business objective with the aim of boosting recruitment and improving workplace wellness.
Such strategies center on corporate initiatives that treat employee health as a key management issue. They involve such measures as providing support for improving the diet of employees, encouraging physical activity, and offering smoking cessation programs.
The approach is gaining traction not only as a means of promoting wellness but also as a tool to appeal to job seekers in a competitive labor market.
Since fiscal 2016, the trade ministry, through its KENKO Investment for Health program, has recognized organizations that actively promote health management. The number of certified companies has risen steadily over the years.
In fiscal 2024, the ministry certified 3,400 large enterprises — defined as manufacturers and other businesses with more than 301 employees — and 19,796 small and medium-size businesses, which are classified as those with 300 or fewer employees or capital of ¥300 million ($2 million) or less.
Among them is Hattori, a machine tool and industrial equipment supplier based in the city of Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture. The company encourages employees to undergo regular health checkups, supports anti-smoking initiatives, and distributes vegetable juice to staff once a month as part of a dietary improvement campaign. Some workers even use exercise balls in place of office chairs to improve posture and strengthen core muscles.
Hattori, which employs 30 people, began its health-focused activities out of a concern for the future. 'Unless we change something, young people won't want to join us,' said managing director Kaori Hueter.
The company began noticing an uptick in applications from prospective employees after it started promoting its initiatives via its website and company briefings. Students who attended interviews at the company reportedly said they wanted to work for a company that cared about them.
Kumamoto-based Higo Bank has made health management a central pillar of its medium-term business plan. The regional bank subsidizes its employees' medical checkups, including cancer screenings, and promotes smoking cessation and exercise through smartphone apps. It also hosts an annual athletic meet that sees full employee participation.
'It also helps invigorate communication,' said a company representative.
Kenji Muramatsu, a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo's Institute for Future Initiatives, emphasized the importance of such efforts in curbing urban migration.
'It's vital that young people understand there are companies in their hometowns that genuinely value their workers,' he said while highlighting the effectiveness of drawing on external expertise, such as by seeking advice from municipal public health nurses.
Translated by The Japan Times