What happened when the "Henzutsu Club" was established in the company January 15, 16:08

"Two or three times a month will occur attacks of headache. Such time I wait for the draw pain quietly turn off the electricity in the conference room"

This confided was the will, of the 30s working for the Tokyo company I'm a woman.

I think that many people are suffering from health problems that are difficult for others to understand, such as insomnia, menstrual pain, and stiff shoulders, as well as migraines.

What is the required "imagination" as remote work spreads due to the corona sickness and it becomes difficult to see each other's situation?

(Metropolitan area reporter Hiroko Ujiie)

I can't get rid of my headache

Maya Mamiya, who works for the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly Japan, has been suffering from migraines since she was a teenager.

It continues even after joining the company, and it is said that he suffers from pain, especially after he is busy working.

Mamiya:

"I often have seizures the next day when I'm very focused, such as when I'm preparing for a presentation. I get stuck in severe pain and have nausea."

I've been worried for many years, but I thought I should put up with it, so I couldn't talk to my boss.

I talked about my feelings at that time.

Mamiya-san: I

was sometimes told that I had a headache or that I couldn't do anything without resting. I had a strong feeling that every time I had a seizure, I would bother someone, so I have to put up with it. I thought it was a bad thing. "

"Henzutsu Club" launched!

In the fall of 2019, a turning point came to Mr. Mamiya.

We found that many employees were similarly worried at internal meetings.

The "Henzutsu Club" was set up by the parties concerned to create a comfortable working environment for themselves.

He recalls that he was impressed when he had a discussion with a migraine-free employee.

Mr. Mamiya

"When I talked about the pain of migraine headaches and the pain of not being able to convey it between the parties, it was exciting to understand. When I told people who did not have migraine headaches, it was" it was so hard ". I remember being happy to hear that you could take a rest. "

The activities of the Henstsu club

1 Poster posting

Mamiya and his colleagues first posted posters in prominent places in the office in order to deepen the understanding of people in the workplace.

He told me that he had not only a headache but also symptoms such as hypersensitivity to light, sound and odor, and nausea.

2 Rest place map creation

We have created a map that summarizes the places where you can take a break in the office when you have more symptoms.

A bright office where the sun shines through the windows can be a difficult environment for people with migraine symptoms.

Therefore, we picked up 11 seats and meeting rooms on each floor where the sun was hard to enter and the sound was quiet, and we made them known to all employees.

"Consult your boss" 10% ↑

The activities of the club were gradually recognized within the company, and not only the parties concerned but also family members and acquaintances were suffering from migraine headaches, and the number of members exceeded 100.

These activities have changed the workplace.

In a questionnaire conducted for all employees, the number of respondents who answered "consult with their boss" when they were in poor physical condition increased by more than 10 points compared to before the activity.

Mamiya-san:

"I was wondering if this pain would end without telling anyone, so I'm glad I got to know a friend who I can sympathize with. I thought it was natural to take a rest when it was hard, and the people around me really thought so. I was happy to be able to give it to me. "

Invisible diversity

As the effects of the new coronavirus continue, new developments are emerging in the company.

While the introduction of remote work is progressing, some people find it difficult to see each other's situation.

Daisuke Kojo, a manager with four subordinates, says:

Mr. Furushiro

"The new corona makes it very difficult to see each other's work. It is necessary to ask from here what kind of condition it is, but at the same time I feel it is difficult. Actually, I also could not stand because of back pain due to remote work. There was something

Many employees are suffering from not only migraines but also insomnia, menstrual pain, stiff shoulders, back pain and other health issues that are difficult for others to see.

Inspired by the activities of the Henstsu Club, the company has defined various health issues and the difficulty of working due to lack of understanding as "invisible diversity."

Then, he launched a project in collaboration with other companies such as "ASICS" and "Pasona" to develop a card game that can be played online.

Developed card game

Card games use two cards, blue and red.

The blue card describes employee behavior that seems selfish at first glance.

For example, "I took a morning break for health reasons, but I attend a drinking party. Why?"

The rule is to imagine the reason and choose from the 36 words written on the red card to explain.

It is said that the aim is to cultivate the "imagination" of thinking from the standpoint of the parties concerned.

Managers take on challenges-trigger mutual understanding

Mr. Kojo and the person in charge of other companies participated and challenged the card game remotely.

The theme is here.

"Why did the team suddenly look in a bad mood even though they had a meeting in a very good atmosphere?"

After worrying, Mr. Kojo chose the "backache" and "chair" cards and thought about the reason as follows.

"The person had back pain, and he seemed to be in a bad mood because he was in pain while sitting in a chair."

Meanwhile, another participant who chose the "Kosui" card explained:

"Some people wear very fragrant perfumes, which caused migraine attacks. I think they can look moody to the people around you."

Mr. Kojo said he felt that card games would be a catalyst for mutual understanding.

Mr. Koshiro:

"If you think that you should do your best because you are doing your best, you will end up pushing it. Each person has different points of difficulty, so take a closer look at them and personal abilities. I felt that making the most of this would lead to demonstrating teamwork. "

Expert "For the benefits of the company"

The president of an NPO, who has been an industrial physician for many years, pointed out that a work environment that protects the health of employees leads to corporate benefits.

Chairman Okada

"Creating a workplace that is easy to work in and open to people, and a workplace where superiors and subordinates can communicate with each other will contribute to the development of the company. With the declining birthrate and aging population, the number of workers is decreasing, and employees are encouraged to work comfortably. It is becoming important to raise the sexuality. At present, the labor productivity of Japan is very low compared to France, the United States, and Germany, and the idea of ​​health management is how to improve it. I think it's spreading rapidly. "

* This card game can be downloaded free of charge from the website of the pharmaceutical company "Eli Lilly Japan".

Hiroko Ujiie,

Reporter

,

Metropolitan Area Bureau

Joined in 2010

After working at the Okayama Bureau and Niigata Bureau, we

covered a wide range of fields, mainly in the medical and educational fields