Applications Open for the 2024 Health & Productivity Stock Selection and 2024 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program

1. Growing interest in health and productivity management

METI is promoting health and productivity management, whereby it considers health and productivity management of employees from a business-management perspective to be intrinsic to 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 (TSE) 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 enterprise.

Reference: Health and Productivity Management as an Essential Corporate Strategy

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

Aiming to create an environment in which enterprises which are practicing health and productivity management are appreciated by society, this program is conducted by Nippon Kenko Kaigi^*1 to recognize Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations in two categories: the Large Enterprise Category and the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category.^*2

As a result of this fiscal year's public call, Nikkei Inc. has become the organizer and secretariat of the program, and will work to further promote health and productivity management through active PR and other activities. (This program is subsidized by the 2023 Health & Productivity Management Program Organization Project.)

Note: 

*1. An organization whose aim is to encourage local governments and private organizations (e.g., economic associations, medical associations, and insurers) to work together toward achieving concrete measures at workplaces and in communities.

*2. A fee is required to apply for the 2024 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program.

[i] Recognition of the 2024 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations (Large Enterprise Category)

Applicants' levels of achievement for the requirements are determined based on the responses to the 2023 Survey on Health and Productivity Management. The top 500 enterprises in the Large Enterprise Category are recognized as the White 500.

[ii] Recognition of the 2024 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 2024 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.

• ​Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program Secretariat Portal Site

3. 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 (3,169 enterprises last fiscal year). With more than 80% of the enterprises 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.

• Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program Secretariat Portal Site.

Key points of the FY2023 Survey

In FY2023, 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, the survey evaluates the measurement and disclosure of the accomplishment ratios of the predetermined health checkups and predetermined health guidance and the indices of business performance as efforts to improve the quality of health and productivity management. Moreover, it adds questions on the status of the respondents’ current disclosure of industrial safety and health and risk management.

(2) Responses to social challenges

Taking into consideration the social challenge of the physical and mental burdens that some employees are suffering from owing to child rearing, giving nursing care to their parents, and health problems unique to women, the survey focuses on the maximization of employees’ business performance and the enhancement of organizations’ vitality. To this end, it adds new questions on flexible working styles tailored to individual situations and the prevention of productivity decline.

(3) International dissemination of health and productivity management

For discussing the further international dissemination of health and productivity management, the survey adds questions to ascertain the current state of health-conscious activities and responses to health problems involving employees stationed overseas and employees in overseas subsidiaries. (The responses to these questions are not used for evaluation.)

4. Feedback to respondent enterprises

Following on from the previous survey, METI will issue to enterprises that have responded to the survey (in the Large Enterprise Category) the feedback sheets on which the ranking on evaluation results, deviation scores, and other data among all respondents.

In addition, as a new effort from this fiscal year, METI will also provide feedback about the survey results to enterprises that have been recognized as the Bright 500, aiming to further expand the base on which SMEs will promote health and productivity management and to encourage enterprises that have already been engaged in such management to fortify their efforts.

Moreover, METI will consider providing feedback from the next fiscal year onward to all enterprises that have applied to the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category.

5. Health & Productivity Stock Selection

METI and the TSE jointly select exceptional TSE-listed enterprises which 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 2023 Survey on Health and Productivity Management.

• Reference: Health & Productivity Stock Selection

6. Future schedule

Response period for the 2023 Survey on Health and Productivity Management

From August 21 (Mon.) to 17:00, October 13 (Fri.), 2023

Application period for the 2024 Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Category)

From August 21 (Mon.) to 17:00, October 20 (Fri.), 2023

Announcement of the selected and recognized enterprises

Scheduled to be around March 2024

Note: The term "health and productivity management" is a registered trademark of the Workshop for the Management of Health on Company and Employee.

Division in Charge

Healthcare Industries Division, Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group

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