Basic Policy on Customer Harassment

The Yorozu Group, guided by its Human Rights Policy, aims to ensure that all our employees perform their duties in a safe and respectful environment, and realize a society where relationships between the employees and all business partners, including customers and suppliers, are built on mutual respect.

Recognizing customer harassment as a significant factor that undermines a healthy workplace environment, we have established this Basic Policy on Customer Harassment to make clear our firm stance against customer harassment. The policy aims to protect our employees and also prevent them from engaging in harassment toward suppliers.

1. Definition of Customer Harassment

We define customer harassment as any customer demand or conduct that lacks reasonable grounds, or even when the demand is reasonable, if the means or manner used to pursue such demand deviates from socially acceptable norms and harms the working environment of our employees, such demand or conduct is deemed to be customer harassment.

[Specific examples of harassment]

• - Physical or psychological attack (assault, bodily injury, threats, slander, defamation, insults, abusive language, etc.)
• - Continuous, persistent, and intimidating language and behavior (refusing to leave, occupying the premises, confinement, persistent and unreasonable repetition of the same question, etc.)
• - Privacy violation (invasion of employees’ privacy, unauthorized audio/video recording, etc.)
• - Discriminatory or sexual language and behavior
• - Unjustified demands for products, services, monetary compensation, or excessive apologies, such as forcing dogeza (demanding to kneel in apology), or coercing similar humiliating acts

*The above examples are illustrative. Acts and behavior that constitute customer harassment are not limited to these. It should be noted that the same applies to our employees’ attitude toward suppliers.

2. Basic Policy

(1) External measures

When we find that harassment by a customer has occurred, we will take the incident seriously and stand firm as an organization to protect our employees. Depending on the situation, we will suspend delivery of products and services, or stop serving the customer. Further, if the incident is judged to be extremely abusive or of a criminal nature, we will report to the police, and consult with outside counsel and experts to consider other measures, including legal action.

(2) Internal measures

To protect the Group’s employees from customer harassment, we have established an internal system for employees to communicate and consult whenever such incident occurs, provide care for the affected employee’s physical and mental well-being, and take measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents. In addition, we have prepared a training manual to help employees deal with customer harassment, while also educating employees on appropriate behavior toward suppliers.