Renesas Strengthens LGBTQ+ Initiatives to Promote Diversity & Inclusion

TOKYO, June 21, 2021 ― Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced that it has revised its Human Resources (HR) policies in Japan to accept common-law partners including same-sex couples and has implemented this system as part of the company’s initiatives to promote Diversity & Inclusion. Renesas revised the definition of spouses in the related guidelines of the Group’s offices in Japan. Following the revision, company benefits will now apply to couples who are in common-law partnerships and their families. This includes leaves of absence (including marriage, childbirth, childcare and family care) and other financial benefits (including rent allowance, relocation allowance, and bereavements).

In addition to revising the HR policies, Renesas also introduced the following LGBTQ+ related initiatives as of today: The availability of a consultation helpline, the choice of using a “professional name” to enable employees to work as their self-identified gender, and the implementation of working guidelines related to gender diversity. These initiatives and HR policies revision are implemented within Japan, but Renesas plans to introduce these initiatives to different countries and regions to respect the rights of LGBTQ+ members, while taking into consideration the laws and circumstances of each country and region.

Renesas respects all types of diversity and values, and actively works to improve its work environment and foster a corporate culture that accepts and is inclusive of one another. In order to achieve this, Renesas believes it is important to establish “Diversity & Inclusion” as the basic foundation of its organization, where employees with different genders, nationalities, sexual orientation, gender identities, disabilities and ages can acknowledge and accept one another without discrimination and prejudice.

In June 2021, Renesas has established the Diversity Promotion Group (DPG), which consists of 120 volunteer employees from around the world to globally to drive Renesas’ Diversity & Inclusion efforts. The DPG leads the decision-making process on global policies and initiatives related to Diversity & Inclusion and promotes activities across all regions.

These activities reaffirm Renesas’ commitment to foster a corporate culture where employees understand and accept gender diversity, while also helping to make improvements in systems and work environments for LGBTQ+ employees. The revision of the HR policies announced today is part of this activity. Renesas will continue to accept and include people with various backgrounds and values including LGBTQ+ members and promote further initiatives on Diversity & Inclusion.

For more information on Renesas’ Diversity & Inclusion activities, visit Renesas’ Sustainability website.

<List of LGBTQ+ initiatives at Renesas>

*The initiatives started from June 2021 are underlined.

Fostering Culture
Establishment of Diversity Promotion Group (DPG)	Established a cross-company team to promote diversity such as LGBTQ+ and increase the participation of women
Revision of Renesas Code of   Conduct	Prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
Internal notice of revision   of company rules and systems	Notified all employees on the company intranet regarding revisions
Pledge to support Business for Marriage Equality (BME)	Pledged support for marriage equality in Japan (supporting a campaign to legalize same-sex marriage, published on June 1, 2021)
CEO message to employees about LGBTQ+	Issued a CEO message directed to Renesas’ employees regarding LGBTQ+ on the external website (“On Pride Month,” published on June 1, 2021)
Adoption of LGBTQ+ friendly logo	Replaced Renesas company logo during “Pride Month” in June, to show our commitment to realizing a fair and diverse society with the rainbow logo (limited time only for the external website and intranet) Image
Activities to raise awareness	Annual Human Rights training (e-learning) conducted in Japan to educate employees on LGBTQ+
Establishment of HR Systems and Environment
Revision of HR policies	HR policies applied to same-sex partners and their families  Vacation days, leaves and shortened working hours relating to marriage, childbirth, childcare and family care Rent allowance, financial benefits for bereavements Relocation allowance, travel expenses, moving expenses, leave for relocation etc. Use of some HR systems can be done discreetly
Establishment of consultation  helpline	Begun accepting LGBTQ+ related reporting within the internal harassment consultation helpline
Inclusive and considerate environment for everyone	Offer the choice to use names that respect employees’   gender identity for company email addresses, etc. Modified process to respect individual preferences on gender identity for annual health checks and clothing choices in the workplace
Considerate approach in hiring	Clarified Renesas’ stance on respecting diversity such as LGBTQ+ in our recruitment policy Modified application processes so declaring gender and attaching a photo of the candidate are now optional

Notes:

• LGBTQ+ refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and other sexual minorities.
• Excludes items that are not permitted by laws and regulations of a particular region.
• As the laws and culture differ from country to country, Renesas will comply with the laws of each country and will respond to the cultural circumstances of the country appropriately when implementing measures.

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) delivers trusted embedded design innovation with complete semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices to enhance the way people work and live. A global leader in microcontrollers, analog, power, and SoC products, Renesas provides comprehensive solutions for a broad range of automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT applications that help shape a limitless future. Learn more at renesas.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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