How We Work
Purpose and Principles
Our Purpose
Our Principles
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-
Drive
impact -
Embrace learning & a growth mindset
Take accountability, think customer first
Biased towards action, persevere till the end, pivot when needed
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Drive
-
-
Think Boldly
about the future -
Challenge the status quo with courage
Take informed risks
Fail fast, learn from failures
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Think Boldly
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Embrace
diversity -
Stay curious
Be respectful in all your interactions
Be open and transparent
Connect and collaborate
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Embrace
Culture & Work
1. Culture
At Sony Honda Mobility, we're a diverse team of professionals including external partners, creators, and developers, who pursue innovation in mobility by engaging with knowledge from around the world. Each team member embraces a venture mindset. We wear multiple hats, stepping outside our comfort zones to tackle challenges that go beyond our individual expertise. Collaboration is key, and employees work autonomously across different projects, taking ownership and initiative to bring their ideas to life. We also believe in fostering an open and flat organizational structure. This allows us to make quick decisions, break down silos, and achieve rapid progress in our work.
Examples of initiatives
- Open Doors to Key Decisions: All employees have unrestricted access to the content
and minutes of crucial company-wide meetings.
- Direct Connect with Leadership:
Top management regularly hosts planning and technical discussions open to all
employees (multiple meetings every week).
- Quarterly All Hands meetings: All
hands meetings provide a platform for top management to directly share critical
company policies, business updates, and answer questions from employees.
In
order to pursue innovative technologies as a "Mobility Tech Company," we focus on
planning and developing core technologies and know-how in-house, while dividing
labor and collaborating with other companies. In addition, dense interaction is
essential for a diverse range of employees to work toward the creation of new value.
Sony Honda Mobility has created an environment in which employees from design,
business, development, and corporate domains can gather together on one floor at any
time, this fosters constant cross-pollination of ideas and breaks down traditional
silos. We embrace the power of remote work, but we also prioritize real,
face-to-face interaction, fostering a vibrant community where everyone feels heard
and valued.
We will continue to achieve internal growth as we engage with
a global and diverse group of leading internal and external partners, and remain
engaged in cutting-edge activities based on the latest information.
2. Working system & style*
Empowering our people, Sony Honda Mobility embraces flexible work styles, allowing independent professionals to strive to realize our Purpose, while responding to life events.
Discretionary work system/flexible time work system
Depending on the role an employee is assigned, either of two working system will be
applied.
- Discretionary work system: This system puts employees’ results
in the spotlight. We trust our members to manage the time, schedule, and workload
independently, allowing employees to maximize their creativity and skills. How get
the job done is up to employees, as long as deliver exceptional outcomes.
-
Flexible time work system: As long as meeting the monthly hour requirement (7 hours
45 minutes per day x number of working days), employees are free to structure the
working time (when to start and end) to fit their needs. There's no rigid core time,
so employees can prioritize peak productivity and personal commitments.
Remote work
Work from anywhere, as long as deliver high performance and handle confidential information responsibly. While building initial relationships at the office is crucial after joining, employees will soon have the flexibility to choose the work environment based on project needs and personal preference. You can consult with your manager and colleagues to determine the best balance. On average, across the company, employees are in the office about 60% of the time (roughly 3 days a week). Please note that full remote work, with no in-person office presence, is not currently supported.
Support for communication expenses
To encourage communication among employees, we provide support for the expenses for social gatherings held by each organization (with caps on annual expenses).
Commuting allowance
We will provide a commuting allowance based on the number of days employees come to work at the office (there are separate regulations, such as monthly limits).
Annual work calendar
Number of days off annually: 125-126 days (Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays). Annual working hours are 7 hours and 45 minutes x number of business days per year.
Paid leave
After the first year of employment, 20 days of paid leaves are granted annually (For the first year, it depends on the month of entry). We encourage employees to use their paid leave, such as by taking off days between national holidays to create long breaks.
Time off during business travel
We allow employees to use paid leave to extend their stay during business travel, whether in Japan or overseas, in order to expand their horizons and experience users' perspectives. (All transportation and lodging costs during such extended stays will be the responsibility of each individual.)
3. Promoting diversity/responding to life events*
As stated in our purpose and principles, we want to promote "diversity" and turn it into a strength. In particular, we have established a system that allows employees to cope with life events such as childcare and nursing care, while continuing their careers. Sony Honda Mobility also treats same-sex partners and common-law partners as spouses, if the required notification has been submitted. This makes them eligible for various types of time off, leaves of absence, and congratulatory/condolence payments.
Shorter working hours (childcare/nursing care)
This system allows employees who are raising children or caring for family members to work shorter hours so that they can continue to support their family while working. The employee can choose to work only a certain number of hours while caring for a child up to 3 years old, or while providing nursing care for up to 3 years.
Various types of time off
In addition to childcare and nursing care, we also offer time off for specific
reasons such as fertility treatment. To ensure that employees can take time off with
peace of mind, all time off within the stipulated number of days is granted with
pay.
<Reasons for granting time off>
- Childcare : Until
either the end of April in the following year when the child reaches one year old,
or the end of the month when the child reaches one year and two months.
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Nursing care for children : Until the child starts elementary school
- Nursing
care : When caring for a relative in need of nursing care
- Treatment of a
specific disease : When leave is required for treatment of cancer, stroke, or other
illness
- Fertility treatment : When leave is required for fertility treatment
Various types of leave
The following system is also in place in the event that an extended leave of absence
is required to deal with life events such as those described above. Leaves of
absence are granted without pay.
<Reasons for leave of absence>
-
Childcare :Until either the end of April in the following year when the child
reaches one year old, or the end of the month when the child reaches one year and
two months.
- Childcare at birth : Up to 8 weeks after the birth of a child
-
Nursing care : When caring for a relative in need of nursing care
- Fertility
treatment
- Other personal injury or illness
Leave of absence for personal study
A leave of absence can be taken for up to two years for graduate school or other studies, if the company recognizes that these studies are applicable to the employee's work in the future.
4. Compensation system: Job grade system and compensation system by job group
Sony Honda Mobility uses a job grade system for employees according to their roles, regardless of age, length of service, or other attributional factors. We also set compensation levels by the job group to recruit the best personnel for each job group.
5. Welfare program*
Sony Honda Mobility supports employees in building financial assets in line with their personal life plans while leveraging the economies of scale of its parent companies, Sony and Honda. We also have a system in place to prepare for contingencies, and are working to create an environment in which employees can work with peace of mind.
Optional defined contribution pension plan
Individuals can contribute a defined amount of money according to their needs, and invest those assets in financial products according to their own wishes, thereby building assets for the future. Various tax deductions and tax-free benefits are available for contributions and investment income on assets. Portability is also ensured for those who have changed jobs, for example, in order to transfer pension assets from their previous employer. * Depending on the design of the retirement plan of the previous employer, the transfer of pension assets might not be possible.
Social health insurance
Sony Honda Mobility is a member of the Sony Health Insurance Society, which provides subsidies for physical examinations, cancer screenings, and dental examinations, as well as its own benefits, such as a 200,000 yen lump-sum childbirth/childcare payment. In addition, the health insurance society allows the use of affiliated fitness clubs, lodging facilities, and other facilities at discounted prices.
Other insurance
Employees can purchase group insurance policies handled by our parent companies, Sony and Honda. Favorable premiums that take advantage of economies of scale are available.
* These HR policies apply to Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (Japan). If you are employed in another country, all regulations and policies will follow your country of employment.