How Nintendo are blazing trails when it comes to LGBT+ rights for staff in Japan
Super Mario 3D World. (Nintendo)
In its newly published Corporate Social Responsibility report, Nintendo has outlined its internal commitment to diversity and inclusion.
As reported by Nintendo Life, Nintendo aims to “create a work environment that supports and empowers each and every one” of its employees.
The annual report includes a two-page spread on diversity and inclusion initiatives from its offices in Japan, America and Germany.
Of particular interest is Japanās new Partnership System, introduced in March this year to ensure āemployees who are in a domestic partnership with a same-sex partner have the same benefits as employees in an opposite-sex marriage.ā
It reads: āWe have also established that a common-law marriage between a same-sex couple will be observed in the same way as a legal marriage.
āIn our Code of Conduct for employees in Japan, we had already established that āwe do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, nationality, ideology, religion, creed, origin, social status, class, occupation, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity,ā prohibiting all forms of discrimination.Ā
āIn addition, with the introduction of the Partnership System, we took the opportunity to revise our internal regulations regarding harassment to clearly prohibit discriminatory comments based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as well as disclosing someoneās privately held sexual orientation against their will.ā
This is a progressive step for a Japanese company thatās traditionally been very conservative.
Initiatives in other countries also support diversity and inclusion in the company.
In America, a number of Employee Resource Groups have been established, such as a group to champion Black employees and another to empower women in the company.
In a message at the start of the report, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa says: āFor our employees, we continue to enhance our working environment and its systems, including respecting diversity and ensuring that each employee can perform to their fullest potential, regardless of sex, age, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.ā
The report also covers the ways Nintendo has supported its employees throughout the COVID-10 pandemic and how they are reducing their impact on the environment.
You can read the full Nintendo report here.
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