Applications Open for the 2023 Health & Productivity Stock Selection and 2023 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program

1. Growing interest in health and productivity management

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is promoting "health and productivity management," whereby it considers employees' health and productivity management from a business-management perspective to be one of the efforts toward achieving a healthy long-lived society, and strategically implements initiatives that lead to maintenance and promotion of health. For that purpose, METI started the Health & Productivity Stock Selection jointly with the Tokyo Stock Exchange in FY2014 and the Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program jointly with the Nippon Kenko Kaigi in FY2016 in order to create an environment in which enterprises practicing health and productivity management are recognized by society.
Health and productivity management is positioned as part of the Grand Design and Action Plan for a New Form of Capitalism decided by the Cabinet on June 7, 2022. It is attracting attention as the foundation of human capital management and garnering interest as a corporate strategy. The number of enterprises practicing it is increasing each year, and investors, job seekers, and other parties are beginning to take into account whether an enterprise is recognized as a Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization when evaluating the company.

Reference: Health and Productivity Management As an Essential Corporate Strategy (PDF:212KB)

2. About the Survey on Health and Productivity Management

The Survey on Health and Productivity is conducted with the aim of analyzing the health and productivity management efforts in enterprises and how they change over time, to obtain basic information toward choosing the Health & Productivity Stock Selection and Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations (Large Enterprise Category).
The number of enterprises responding to the survey, which is a prerequisite necessary to be recognized, is increasing year by year (2,869 enterprises last fiscal year). With more than 80% of the companies that make up the Nikkei Stock Average (Nikkei 225) now participating, many of the leading companies in each industry have begun to promote health and productivity management as part of their management strategy.

To find out how to participate, please refer to the following URL: Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program Secretariat Portal Site (in Japanese)

<Key points of the FY2022 Survey>

In FY2022, the Survey on Health and Productivity Management has been updated with the following new points.

1. Promotion of information disclosure

Taking into account the growing trend to disclose and evaluate non-financial information on human capital, quantitative information on commitment by top management and output of policies have been added to the items in the Survey on Health and Productivity Management's feedback sheets.¹

2. Evaluation and analysis of work performance

Questions have been added regarding the situation surrounding disclosure of information on yearly changes in absenteeism (absence from work due to injury or illness), presenteeism (inability to work at full potential due to health-related issues despite coming to work), and work engagement (having a positive and satisfied attitude toward work), as well as methods of measuring them. This is in order to promote the use of work performance indicators and help the effects of health and productivity management become more visible.

3. Promotion of data utilization

Considering the fact that studies are being done in both the public and private sectors on the utilization of personal health records (PHRs) (e.g., health checkup information and life log data), the survey will evaluate the creation of environments allowing such information to be recorded and viewed electronically in an effort to promote the improvement of health literacy among employees.
Questions regarding the provision of health checkup data from companies to insurers covering employees under the age of 40 have also been added to ensure effective and efficient healthcare businesses.

3. Health & Productivity Stock Selection

METI and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) select exceptional TSE-listed enterprises who are engaged in health and productivity management for the Health & Productivity Stock Selection, and present them to investors as attractive investment options. The enterprises are evaluated based on their responses to the 2022 Survey on Health and Productivity Management.

Reference: Health & Productivity Stock Selection (in Japanese)

4. About the Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program

This recognition program is conducted by Nippon Kenko Kaigi¹ and aims to create an environment in which large enterprises, SMEs, and other businesses who are practicing health and productivity management are appreciated by society.
This program has two categories: the Large Enterprise Category and the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category. The Large Enterprise Category is for large enterprises, and the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category is for SMEs. Enterprises are recognized as Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations in each category.²
As a result of this fiscal year's public call, Nikkei will become the organizer and secretariat of the program, and will work to further promote health and productivity management through active PR and other activities. (Subsidized by the 2022 Health & Productivity Management Program Organization Project)

(1) Recognition of the 2023 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations (Large Enterprise Category)

Applicants' levels of achievement for the requirements are determined based on the responses to the 2022 Survey on Health and Productivity Management. The top 500 enterprises in the Large Enterprise Category are recognized as the White 500.

(2) Recognition of the 2023 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category)

Applicants' levels of achievement for the requirements are determined based on the details on their application form for the 2023 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category). The top 500 enterprises in the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category are recognized as the Bright 500.

To find out how to apply, please refer to the following URL: Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program Secretariat Portal Site (in Japanese)

5. Future schedule

Response period for the 2022 Survey on Health and Productivity Management

August 22, 2022 (Mon.) to 17:00, October 14, 2022 (Fri.)

Application period for the 2023 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category)

August 22, 2022 (Mon.) to 17:00, October 21, 2022 (Fri.)

Announcement of the selected and recognized enterprises

Scheduled to be around March 2023

Inquiries should be directed to:

Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program Secretariat (Nikkei Inc.)

Contact: Nikkei Research, Inc.
Tel: 03-5296-5172 (service hours: from 10:00 to 17:30 on weekdays)
Large Enterprise Category: health_survey@nikkei-r.co.jp
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category: kenkoujimu@nikkei-r.co.jp

Division in Charge

Healthcare Industries Division, Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group