Compliance

Compliance System

At Alps Logistics, we established the Compliance Subcommittee within the Sustainability Promotion Committee, and hold subcommittee meetings four times a year. The Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs Department is in charge of overseeing the subcommittee, and works alongside the Corporate Planning Department, the Human Resources and General Affairs Department, and other departments to monitor the status of legal compliance in each department, as well as promote measures and provide advice as necessary. The subcommittee’s activities are reported to the Board of Directors via the Sustainability Promotion Committee and the information is used to create and implement compliance measures.

Initiatives to Develop Compliance Awareness among Employees

To develop a corporate culture committed to legal compliance, we offer annual education programs for all officers and employees to enhance understanding of business laws, competition laws, personal information protection laws, labor laws, etc. We also offer compliance education for new employees, new section managers and employees transferring overseas.

Anti-bribery and Anti-corruption Initiatives

At the Alps Logistics Group, we do not engage in bribery or make illegal political donations. Furthermore, we have established regulations prohibiting the provision of money to public officials, as well as engaging in business entertainment and gift-giving activities. In these and other ways, we are working to prevent bribery and corruption both in Japan and overseas.

Security Trade Control Initiatives

To play our part in contributing to international peace and safety, we ensure thorough compliance with export trade regulations, sanctions and laws in each country where we operate, and work to prevent violations. We have formulated the Security Trade Control Regulations, and monitor each department with the president acting as chief trade officer and the Corporate Planning Department functioning in the role of the export management department.

Tax Compliance

To fulfill our social responsibility and increase shareholder value, we ensure thorough compliance with international tax laws. In addition, we have set up internal rules and management systems for appropriate tax payments and established the Global Tax Policy in June 2023 to ensure measures are properly implemented. Moving forward, we ensure thorough tax compliance based on this policy.

Internal Reporting System

At the Alps Logistics Group, we have set up an internal reporting system—the Ethics Hotline—independent from management at business execution departments. Employees can use the hotline in the event they discover violations of laws, regulations or internal rules (including harassment) and when the issue cannot be resolved within the department in question. In addition to the Ethics Hotline at Alps Logistics, we have also set up an Ethics Hotline at each subsidiary in Japan and overseas. For overseas subsidiaries, we have informed employees that they can use the system in the event of any illegal activity by a those in charge at their respective location.

We have also formulated Ethics Hotline regulations in line with the Whistleblower Protection Act. The hotline is operated by a full-time Audit and Supervisory Committee member, an outside Audit and Supervisory Committee member, and the head of the Internal Audit Department. In addition to ensuring whistleblower anonymity, we protect the whistleblower to ensure that they do not receive unfair treatment or disadvantages. In the event that confidentiality or prohibition of unfair treatment is violated, we will work to rectify any negative consequences experienced by the whistleblower, as well as take disciplinary action against the individual who violated the rules.

In line with internal rules, when internal reports are received via the Ethics Hotline, we conduct an investigation while paying careful attention to maintaining the confidentiality of the report and the anonymity of the whistleblower, and take the necessary action if the report is proven to be accurate. To date, we have used reports related to occupational health and safety and harassment to quickly correct any compliance violations and implement preventive measures.

We have provided details about the Ethics Hotline via Company newsletters, internal portal sites, posters and internal education programs.

Number of Inquiries and Reports to the Ethics Hotline (Alps Logistics Non-consolidated)