Last Updated: 2010.03.05
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Our Basic Principle
In fulfilling our corporate social responsibilities, the FAST RETAILING Group has established a framework that emphasizes compliance and nurtures an awareness of compliance across the FAST RETAILING Group.
Implementation of Code of Conduct for Officers and Employees
The FAST RETAILING Group Code of Conduct (CoC) has been implemented at UNIQLO and each of the other FAST RETAILING Group companies. Upon the introduction of the CoC and also once a year, every employee is required to understand the content of the CoC and sign a pledge declaring their intent to comply with it in order to ensure thorough implementation.
Hotline operation
FAST RETAILING has set up hotlines at each Group company to enable employees to anonymously discuss work-related problems and report potential violations of the CoC. In the event of a potential violation, a team in charge of the hotline investigates to ascertain the facts of the matter while protecting the anonymity of the person reporting the alleged incident. The CoC Committee will then deliberate on concrete actions to be taken.
Since FY 2009, we have integrated all our hotlines into one for all domestic Group companies, which has dramatically increased the number of calls made in comparison to 2008. We will continue to disclose cases of compliance violations to all Group companies to prevent violations from recurring.
Internal control
FAST RETAILING is committed to enhancing the corporate philosophy defining the basic principles of our businesses, the FAST RETAILING WAY, and the CoC, which outlines our fundamental approach toward corporate ethics and compliance. We strive to operate legitimately, ethically and efficiently, and to produce accurate financial statements as well as controlled environments and procedures conducive to the disclosure of corporate information. To ensure these are occurring, we conduct objective internal audits and regularly analyze risks for the Group.
Development of a Compliance System
Promotional framework for compliance
Compliance means acting in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations and thoroughly governing behavior in accordance with moral and ethical standards. FAST RETAILING has developed an internal framework that serves as the core of these activities.
FAST RETAILING CSR Committee (bimonthly)
Deliberates issues including the group-wide promotional framework for compliance and social and environmental activities for FAST RETAILING as a whole. The manager of the CSR Department chairs the committee, which consists of top management, officers and an outside expert.
UNIQLO Code of Conduct Committee (monthly)
Conducts discussions on establishing the CoC. This committee also reviews internal compliance issues received through hotline consultations to determine and present concrete solutions for improvement. The manager of the CSR Department chairs the committee, with members that include auditors and outside attorneys.
UNIQLO Business Ethics Committee (monthly)
Development of the UNIQLO Business Partner Transactions Ethics Committee
Protection of personal information
FAST RETAILING emphasizes the care required for handling personal information as part of training related to the CoC, and efforts are made to raise awareness of this connection. Measures include the implementation of Personal Information Handling Guidelines, fingerprint authentication to control entry into sections that handle important personal information, and information folder access restrictions. In each store, a privacy manager assumes the responsibility of thoroughly applying rules for the handling of customer information.
