Lifenet refers to Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards for the insurance industry.
As described below, we will promote initiatives for our stakeholders, including “customers,” “society” and “employees,” while continuing to enhance “corporate governance,” which is the foundation of our management.
We have established the following in the Manifesto: Listening to what our customers are saying. Recognizing their needs and acting accordingly. Allowing our actions to be borne out of their voices and needs. Delivering the caliber of products and services that we would feel confident recommending to our own friends and families.
We will strive to “create the future for our customers” by promoting customer-oriented business operation so that our customers can understand, accept and select the coverage they truly need in their lives.
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Customer-Oriented Business Conduct Principles
We have formulated customer-oriented business conduct principles to further operate business from the customer’s point of view. Moreover, we periodically disclose the status of our initiatives under the Principles and the achievement indicators to promote even more specific efforts.
Announcement of the Results of Our Initiatives in fiscal 2023 for Our Customer-Oriented Business Conduct Principles (Japanese version only)
We have also disclosed in chronological order the content of communication with customers (e.g., the regular gatherings of policyholders and our response to customer questions and grievances) in the Annual Report 2024 (Japanese version only): 4. Communication with Customers on page 40.
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Personal Information Protection Policy
We recognize that it is an important social responsibility as a company to appropriately handle the valuable information of our customers, and we have established a personal information protection policy. All our officers and employees comply with relevant laws and ordinances (e.g., laws and guidelines on the protection of personal information) so that we do our utmost to protect the personal information of our customers.Privacy Statement (Japanese version only)
- Basic Policy of Information Security
We recognize that ensuring information security is one of the most important issues for the smooth operation of life insurance online. We have been building a robust information security system to protect our information assets.
Basic policy of Information Security (Japanese version only)
Chapter 2 of the Manifest concerns our pursuit of comprehensible life insurance. Our products are specialized in pure protection with no surrender value. We provide simple and comprehensible coverage.
We also introduce the basic knowledge of life insurance, how to select insurance and the social security benefits so that our customers themselves can understand, accept and select the coverage which is suitable for themselves.
Tips on How to Choose Life Insurance! (Japanese version only)
Moreover, we have provided careful support with our customers with using the telephone and chat even though we offer our products and services online. We also pursue comprehensibility when customers claim insurance claims and benefits. We deliver the information on claims not only through our website, but through mail once a year, and support our customers firmly.
Chapter 3 of the Manifesto states our aim to make life insurance premiums affordable. We propose the necessary coverage to our customers with appropriate insurance premiums. We disclose the breakdown of life insurance premiums so that our customers can understand, accept and select products with being convinced. We are the only life insurer in Japan that discloses this breakdown.
Aiming for Complete Information Disclosure: Working on the Full Disclosure of the Additional Insurance Premium Rate (Japanese version only)
We utilize the Internet in all points of contact with our customers, and we provide highly convenient services to them while reducing the use of paper resources.
We have developed an environment which enables customers to request insurance consultation, apply for insurance, undergo procedures during their contracts and claim benefits over the Internet according to their lifestyle 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Our products and services have been praised by our customers.
We ranked highest for four consecutive years in overall customer satisfaction, and also awarded top ratings in two factors – Forms and documents, Price. – in J.D. Power 2024 Japan Life Insurance Contract Customer Satisfaction Study<Direct Segment> .
In addition, we have been awarded three stars in two categories for the eleventh time, the most in the industry, in the HDI Benchmarking rating chosen by internationally certified professional evaluators and consumer volunteers.
We started our business in 2008 as a new life insurance company utilizing the Internet in the life insurance industry, where the main sales channels were sales representatives. To this day, we have been providing products and services unique to online life insurance companies. Going forward, we aim to provide new value through life insurance while leveraging the strengths of both our own and our partner companies.
In addition, we will take initiatives on climate change and the global environment. As a life insurance company engaged in the asset management business, we will also include ESG considerations in our investment. Through these initiatives, we will strive to “create the future for a better society”.
In addition to delivering the value of our products and services based on the Manifesto to more customers, we promote partnerships with partner companies in different industries with the aim of solving social issues by enhancing the provision of value in life insurance through collaboration that transcends the boundaries of the corporate group.
By embedding our insurance business into the ecosystem with a wide customer base and strong brand power of partner companies, we seamlessly deliver our insurance products and services. We aim to provide highly convenient financial services to our customers.
We recognize that it is essential to manage insurance premiums which we received over a long time safely and reliably to pay insurance claims to our policyholders. We have established an asset management policy and have been managing the assets safely and reliably.
Asset Management Policy (Japanese version only)
We have also disclosed an overview of our asset management in the Annual Report 2024 (Japanese version only): 4. Summary of General Account Assets for fiscal 2023 on page 84.
In addition, given the nature of life insurance as a long-term business and the achievement of a sustainable society, we invest with ESG considerations in the context of investment performance and risks.
We recognize that climate change may have an impact on the life insurance industry, including our company, and we will consider measures to deal with this from a medium- to long-term perspective.
As our business model focuses on the Internet since the beginning of the business, we are contributing to the reduction of paper resources and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by not having branches and sales offices. In addition, we are working to improve customer convenience as well as environmental conservation activities by utilizing the Internet.
Implementing the “Forest of the Future Project” to contribute to environmental conservation (Japanese version only)
Our group's greenhouse gas emissions, including Scope1 (direct emissions by Lifenet Group) and Scope2 (emissions from the use of electricity supplied by other companies), are as follows. The results for Scope2 in fiscal 2023 have increased from fiscal 2022 because the electricity usage of the data center (one location) has been newly included in the calculations.
For details, please refer to the Securities Report for fiscal 2023 (Japanese version only):(3) Climate Change on page 18.
We believe that in order to provide new value of life insurance for the diversified customer needs and society while flexibly responding to the changing times, it is important to create an organization in which employees themselves have diverse perspectives and respect each other. At the same time, we will provide employees with opportunities for each of them to grow and an environment in which they feel they want to grow and can work in a healthy, cheerful, and positive manner. We will strive to “create the future with our employees” so that the growth of our employees will lead to further growth of our company.
Regarding our human capital development policy and internal environmental development policy, as well as indicators and targets based on these policies and our performance in fiscal 2023, please refer to the Securities Report for fiscal 2023 (Japanese version only): (4) Human Capital on page 19.
With the aim of creating a diverse organization, our recruitment policy promotes diversity. Employees from diverse backgrounds have come together in our company, and we have received high evaluations for our diversity initiatives from external organizations.
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Job Applicants
In our recruitment policy, we have established “Inclusion Recruitment”, that is to face each personal individuality. Under this policy, we are working on the following three points.
(1) We provide periodic recruitment (new graduate recruitment) to everyone applicable under the age of 30.
(2) We are building the foundations so that LGBTQ and all other sexualities can work as they really are.
(3) We are creating an environment in which our employees can demonstrate their abilities to the fullest regardless of disabilities.We have also stated guiding principles in our Recruitment Manifesto concerning periodic recruitment.
Recruitment Policy (Japanese version only)
The Recruitment Manifesto (Japanese version only)
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Employees
Based on our recruitment policy, Lifenet has employees with various backgrounds. Approximately 60% of our mid-career recruits come from other industries. We believe that we can providing products and services from the customer’s point of view through discussions by employees with diverse personal histories. We have disclosed our employee situation in the Annual Report 2024 (Japanese version only): 3. Employee Situation on page 31.We are also training employees to respect diversity. We have introduced a mentor system and conduct one-on-one interviews to boost individual challenges and growth. In addition, we conduct an anonymous employee engagement survey four times a year. We measure engagement from the perspective of whether our employees can proactively engage in their work and whether they maintain a voluntary willingness to contribute to the organization. Furthermore, we have formed a Diversity Team across departments in our company. It is aiming to cultivate an organizational culture that accepts diverse values.
Our Initiative for Customers
With the increasing demand from same-sex couples for life insurance companies to offer products to meet their needs, we expanded our range of designated beneficiaries of term-life insurance products in November 2015. Now we accept same-sex partners who meet specific criteria such as duration of cohabitation as the beneficiaries.
Lifenet Expands Range of Designatable Beneficiaries
Website: Life Insurance for Your Partners (Japanese version only)
Recognition of Our Initiatives
We have been recognized for our LGBTQ initiatives. We have been awarded the highest rating of Gold in the PRIDE Index for the 8th consecutive year.
We are promoting initiatives to support work styles that match the lifestyles of our employees. We believe that the initiatives contribute to continually produce even better products and services from the customer’s point of view and to improve the productivity of our employees.
Our employees can take leave before and after childbirth and childcare leave. We have also introduced a special paid leave program for employees and their families to undergo treatment for illnesses. In addition, we introduced a working from home program even before the outbreak of COVID-19, and proactively allow employees to have multiple jobs.
Moreover, we have made the LIFENET INSURANCE Health Management Declaration (Japanese version only). Under the declaration, we are continuously promoting the initiatives to keep healthy both physically and mentally. In addition, we have introduced a personnel system to respond to social changes such as the need to support those who will undergo treatment while working even after being diagnosed with cancer. The system provides support for our employee who get cancer treatment while working, and we are making effort to develop a comfortable working environment.
We have introduced the employee stock ownership plan in order to reward employees’ contributions by providing incentives associated with increased corporate value, to improve employee engagement by enhancing employee benefits, and to further promote value sharing with shareholders, not only among directors, but also among employees. We are also taking steps to expand the program, such as by encouraging employees to join the employee stock ownership plan, increasing the percentage of incentive subsidy, and expanding the scope of eligibility. As of the end of March 2024, the percentage of incentive subsidy is 25%, and the participation rate of the employee stock ownership plan is 62%.
We have established the following as our guiding principles in the Manifesto: Being a “straight-shooter.” Committing to transparency. Communicating openly about our management team, our products, and our employees. Acting in good faith means always taking the high road when it comes to compliance and ethics.
We will continue to work on the “corporate governance to create the future” with the aim of building highly transparent corporate governance under the guidelines.
Our Mission is to help our customers embrace life more fully by offering comprehensible, cost-competitive and convenient products and services. Under the Mission, we have been working on ensuring transparency in management and strengthening the supervision and effectiveness of our management organization structure as a life insurance company with a strong social and public nature. Through these initiatives, we aim to strengthen and enhance corporate governance, and to achieve a sustainable improvement in our corporate value.
Please see Corporate Governance for a chart of our corporate governance system and details of the organization.
2008 |
Formed a Board of Directors with Outside Officers serving as a majority of all officers since the beginning of the business |
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2011 |
Introduced an executive officer system |
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2016 |
Established the discretionary Nomination and Compensation Committee with an Independent Outside Director serving as the chair and Independent Outside Directors comprising a majority of its members |
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2017 |
Started evaluating the effectiveness of the Board of Directors |
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2019 |
Introduced restricted stock compensation as officer compensation |
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2021 |
-Transitioned from being a company with a board of corporate auditors to a company with an audit and supervisory committee -Introduced performance-linked compensation as officer compensation -Disclosed a skills matrix of Directors -Expanded evaluation of the effectiveness of the Board of Directors (Introduction of individual interviews) |
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2022 |
Revised the transfer restriction period for the restricted stock compensation system for Directors |
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2023 |
Revised the performance-linked compensation as officer compensation (Newly adopted non-financial indicators in addition to financial indicators as performance indicators) |
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2024 |
-Changed the composition of the board of directors to a system where the majority are independent outside directors(transition to a monitoring board) |
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- Nomination and Dismissal Policy of Officers
We have established a discretionary Nomination and Compensation Committee to strengthen the independence, objectivity and accountability of the functions of the Board of Directors concerning the nomination, dismissal, and compensation of officers. The Board of Directors enacts the nomination and dismissal policy of officers upon deliberations by the Nomination and Compensation Committee.
- Skills Matrix of Directors
We disclose the knowledge, experience and abilities of each Director in a skills matrix based on our business and management strategies. We are working to ensure the effectiveness of the Board of Directors. In light of the new Management Policy and mid-term business plan formulated in fiscal 2024, we have reviewed the necessary skills for the Board of Directors. We have disclosed the correlation between the Management Policy, etc. and skill items, and reasons for selecting skill items.
- Skills Matrix of Directors (123KB)
- Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Board of Directors
We have evaluated the effectiveness of the Board of Directors through a self-evaluation once a year in principle to ensure the effectiveness and suitability of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors receives a report of the results and deliberates on it. Then it formulates an improvement plan to make its functions more enhanced. We also evaluate all aspects of the governance system, in addition to the Board of Directors, including the Audit and Supervisory Committee, the discretionary Nomination and Compensation Committee, and the meetings for outside officers. Overview of the Board of Directors' Effectiveness Evaluation for fiscal 2023 is as follows.
- Evaluation Process
A questionnaire on the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Board of Directors was distributed to all Directors. The President and Representative Director who serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Chairman”) conducted individual interviews with all Outside Directors to hear their opinions based on the results of the questionnaire. The results of responses to the questionnaire and the content of individual interviews were compiled by the Secretariat of the Board of Directors and reported to the Board of Directors. Discussions based on the content of the report were held with the participation of all Directors.
- Evaluation Items
The overall evaluation of the Board of Directors, the Management Policy formulated in 2018, Fiscal 2024 budget and the mid-term business plan, the Management Policy formulated in 2024, Fiscal 2023 main agenda, operation (operation of the Board of Directors, communication among Officers, provision of information and training), initiatives based on the results of the fiscal 2022 evaluation of the effectiveness of the Board of Directors (discussion on how the Board of Directors should be, the meetings for Outside Directors, one-on-one meeting between the Chairman and Outside Directors, investigation of other companies' cases of management of the Board of Directors), operation of the Audit and Supervisory Committee, operation of the discretionary Nomination and Compensation Committee.
-Questionnaire Respondents
All Directors (ten directors)
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Compensation of Directors
The compensation of Directors (excluding Directors Who Are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members and Outside Directors) is designed to give a sound incentive to increase our mid- to long-term performance and to enhance our corporate value as well as to further share value with our shareholders. It is comprised of base compensation (fixed), performance-linked compensation and restricted stock compensation.
We only pay base compensation (fixed) to Directors Who Are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members and Who Are Outside Directors.
The Board of Directors determines the amount of compensation for individual Directors upon deliberations by the discretionary Nomination and Compensation Committee. The amount is based on a third-party investigation on the compensation level of corporate executive managers in Japan in consideration of the work areas and range of responsibilities of each Director.
The ratio of fixed compensation, performance-linked compensation and restricted stock compensation for Directors (excluding Directors Who Are Audit and Supervisory Committee Members and Outside Directors) is roughly 6:1:3 so that it functions as a sound incentive. The amount of performance-linked compensation is determined according to the level of achievement of targets in a single fiscal year under the premise of a standard amount of performance-linked compensation calculated based on the amount of base compensation. We shall use financial indicators (the indicator of the Company's corporate value improvement etc.) and non-financial indicators (the customer satisfaction etc.) set by the Board of Directors.
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Risk Management System
We recognize that the establishment and development of risk management system are extremely important from the perspective of the soundness and suitability of operations as a life insurance company, and we have enacted internal rules for risk management. We have developed the system for the assessment and improvement of each risk through taking the initiatives on establishing internal organizational structures.Please see the Securities Repoart for fiscal 2023 (Japanese version only): (1) Risk Management Policy, (2) Risk Management System on page 23 for details.
- Compliance System
Lifenet promotes compliance by setting a policy on legal compliance and a basic policy on legal compliance regarding specific measures, and establishing a compliance system.
Please see the Annual Report 2024 (Japanese version only): 2. Compliance System on page 48 for details.
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Whistleblowing System
We have introduced a whistleblowing system to secure and increase social trust as a life insurance company through the early detection and rectification of illegal activities and protection of whistleblowers.
Not only our officers and employees but part-time and temporary workers can utilize the system. We protect anonymity unless we have the consent of the whistleblower. Furthermore, the safety of whistleblowers is ensured so that they are not subjected to disadvantageous handling by the company.
- Conflict of Interest Management Policy
We strive to manage conflict of interest transactions so that we do not harm the interests of our customers. We achieve this by our officers and employees complying with this policy.
Conflict of Interest Management Policy (Japanese version only)