Diversity

In order for Panasonic to provide products and services that satisfy customers all over the world, it is essential that the Company create a corporate culture that allows its diverse employees to fully exercise their capabilities and to play an active role in the Company, regardless of gender, nationality, or age. Panasonic endeavors to provide a wide range of opportunities for its motivated and skilled personnel, and strives to create a structure and environment that is easy to work in.

Panasonic is promoting the e-Work program, which uses information and communications technology to enable people to work from anywhere, and in April 2007, Panasonic introduced the e-Work@Home program applicable to 30,000 employees. As of the end of March 2008, there were about 3,000 people working from home either once a month or one or two times a week. A survey of the people on this program showed that 75% of them felt their productivity improved, and 72% felt that their personal lives were also enriched. Panasonic also established "spot offices"- places where employees can work when traveling on business-at nine locations, and thus far over 3,500 people a month have been using them. The spot offices have reduced travel time and sped up customer service, so we plan to expand the number of these offices in the future. Panasonic will increase productivity and improve the work-life balance for its employees by accelerating the implementation of a number of flexible work styles.

As part of Panasonic's efforts to create an environment that enables everyone to play an active role, we are implementing initiatives to support a good work-life balance for employees.

In addition, new benefits were added to the cafeteria plan this fiscal year to support the work-life balance.

For those employees who have put off retirement, Panasonic is providing practical knowledge and information about the issues caused by the mandatory retirement age. Panasonic is also offering the Retirement Planning Seminar for employees over 55 and their spouses to help them complete their post-retirement plans. This half-day seminar is held at all business locations on Saturdays, and in fiscal 2008, about 1,950 employees and their spouses took advantage of it. One employee who attended had this to say: It was a great opportunity for my wife and I to consider our post-retirement financial situation.

In 1999 Panasonic began its Equal Partnership initiative, and since this time, we have been promoting the creation of an open, fair work environment-one that does not discriminate based on gender, age, or nationality-through the establishment of the Matsushita Positive Action Program, special training programs for women, and the establishment of the Equal Opportunity Employment Officer.

Then in 2001, the initiative to appoint women to positions of responsibility-heretofore the crusade of the human resources department- was recognized as an engine of diversity for the entire organization, and as one of the management policies to change the corporate climate by facilitating the participation of women in management, the Corporate Equal Partnership Division (currently the Corporate Diversity Promotion Division) was established directly under the office of the chairman and CEO.

An advisory committee made up of the 10 top executives over the business domain companies was then established to implement the various activities originated from the Corporate Equal Partnership Division. Acting as the leader for diversity in their domain, these executives promoted the appointment of women to positions of responsibility, changing the corporate climate from the top down.

July was declared Diversity Promotion Month, during which the Diversity Forum is held to provide an opportunity for the chairman and CEO, executives, managers, and divisional leaders to discuss the role of women within the company and issues relating to diversity.

In 2007 Panasonic reestablished the Career Improvement Seminar with the goal of developing knowledge and improving practical management skills for female middle managers who are upper management candidates. This seminar was attended by 64 people companywide.

The result of these multi-faceted initiatives was an increase in the number of women serving in a management capacity, whether as a top executive, group manager, or team leader. It also resulted in more women in leadership roles in manufacturing and all other fields, and led to the creation of many new and popular products.

Panasonic is working with other companies to create a work environment that enables all employees to achieve their full potential regardless of gender, age, or nationality. In 2005, Panasonic joined other leading companies to encourage female employees through the Women's Networking Forum, an annual forum attended by about 520 people from 49 companies. Panasonic is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Diversity West Japan Workshop (with 93 members from 39 companies), a group that gathers to share practical policies and know-how and thus increase the effectiveness of diversity initiatives at each company.

In April 2007 Panasonic worked with the Specified Non-Profit Organization Japan Women's Innovative Network (NPO J-Win), a group established to promote networking among women executives who serve important roles in the management of their companies. In fiscal 2008 Panasonic won the second place award in recognition of our policy, released seven years prior, to bring diversity to the manufacturing division-an area that has lagged behind others in diversity-and for our continuous efforts to improve diversity while pioneering new policies.

Through these attempts to effect diversity outside the corporate framework, Panasonic will learn from other companies as well as contribute to improving diversity throughout the entire society.

As part of our effort to create an organizational climate that enables people to play an active role regardless of gender, age, or nationality, Panasonic implemented the Action Plan of Global Recruitment, a program to expand the hiring of non-Japanese employees to work in Japan, including both new graduates and midcareer professionals.

This year, in conjunction with this program, we began making environmental changes and fostering an organizational climate that enables us to maximize the potential of each foreign employee working in Japan. For example, foreign employees meet with their immediate supervisors to create an Individual Development Plan so that the supervisor and employee share an understanding of his or her future career path. This is followed up with an interview in two year's time by the human resources division to ensure that the employee's training and education are going well. To provide new employees with vital information about working in Japan, we created the "Irimajiro" website for the foreign community. For Japanese employees working with non-Japanese employees, we instituted inter-cultural communications training that provides tips on how to better communicate across cultural borders.

These initiatives are intended to help each our employees excel and make full use of their abilities, creativity, and sensitivities, and by exchanging different viewpoints, it will make us that much more able to embrace a customer-comes-first attitude.

Meeting of a non-Japanese employee with a mentor

Panasonic Corporation of North America (PNA), the company that oversees Panasonic's businesses on the continent, is working to promote a corporate culture of diversity under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Yoshi Yamada. The Diversity Campaign was launched in 2005 to create a climate of tolerance that values the broad experiences and viewpoints of each employee, acknowledges different value systems, and creates opportunities for employees to learn from each other, thus building a creative and innovative organization that produces new, revolutionary ideas.

To meet the many different needs of the workplace, the 2007 Diversity Campaign introduced initiatives to make our employees more autonomous and productive. But, in addition to being good employees, we want our people to be connected with their local communities and have a fulfilling home life, because without the new values and experiences that come from such a lifestyle, we cannot expect the improvement of work quality and productivity. Thus, in 2007, we launched the High-Performance Works Program, and provided an environment that enables people to work more flexibly. We also introduced initiatives to improve the productivity of all employees and achieve an optimum work-life balance. Through this approach to work, we are nurturing a corporate culture that provides Panasonic employees with more autonomy and an increased sense of responsibility that enables them to achieve self-fulfillment through their work.

In March 2008, we introduced a health program and a range of other welfare services for employees and their families through the Perks@Work program. We believe that through these programs we can help enrich the lives of Panasonic employees and their families, and increase employee satisfaction, which not only improves the quality of life for family and friends but also allows Panasonic employees to understand the needs of the customer.

A poster promoting the Diversity Campaign

Panasonic Corporation of North America(PNA), the company that oversees Panasonic's businesses in North America, has instituted intercultural communications training based on its Equal Employment Opportunity(EEO)policies and related laws against discrimination. This training is being provided to promote understanding of the laws related to discrimination in employment, and to prevent harassment in the workplace. This training has the additional goal of teaching employees how to deal with fellow employees, customers, and trading partners, and of creating an open and fair work environment. It also raises awareness among managers and executives of their responsibility to take the necessary actions to comply with EEO policies in the workplace and with the law.

Panasonic established the Equal Partnership Consultation Office and appointed full-time consultants to staff it. In addition, a consultation desk was established at each domain company and business site as well, in an effort to provide a place for employees to go and discuss their concerns about equal employment, sexual harassment, and a wide range of other topics.

Panasonic is applauded for its work-at-home system and diversity in the work place