Human Rights
Our Approach
Code of conduct
The values shared across the Fujitsu Group are set out in the Fujitsu Way, and the very first principle in its Code of Conduct is “We respect human rights”. This demonstrates Fujitsu's clear commitment to making respect for human rights a fundamental principle underpinning all our corporate activities. By ensuring that all Fujitsu Group employees demonstrate this commitment through their day-to-day actions, we can be confident that our management is founded on respect for human rights.
Human Rights Statement
In 2014, the Fujitsu Group released the “Fujitsu Group Human Rights Statement” and revised it in 2022. It states that senior management is committed to upholding international norms on human rights, complying with laws and regulations, conducting ongoing human rights due diligence, and engaging in dialogue with stakeholders. We are disseminating the Human Rights Statement throughout Fujitsu Group companies, and we also request our major suppliers to understand and comply with it. Fujitsu Group has publicly expressed its support for the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact(*1) which are based on universal principles regarding human rights and rights at work, such as United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We have also made public announcements regarding the Modern Slavery Acts passed in the UK and Australia.
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(*1) Ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact :
The compact identifies 10 principles that corporations should uphold in four areas: human rights, labor practices, the environment and anti-corruption.
Organizational Structure and Regular Reviews
A Division dedicated to Human Rights has been established within the CEO Office, which reports directly to the President. This group promotes activities that address human rights issues across the value chain in collaboration with corporate and business divisions. The group has established a system of regular meetings with human rights personnel in each region to promote global initiatives.
Activities are reported to and discussed by the Sustainability Management Committee (chaired by the CEO), and the results are then shared with the Executive Management Council and the Board of Directors.
Conducting Human Rights Due Diligence
In accordance with the "Fujitsu Group Human Rights Statement," the Fujitsu Group promotes human rights due diligence across its global value chain to identify actual and potential adverse human rights impacts associated with our business activities, implement measures to prevent and mitigate such impacts, and regularly monitor the effectiveness of these measures. Information on these activities is disclosed through our Integrated Report, Sustainability Data Book, and other public disclosures.
In addition, when undertaking a new corporate acquisition, we carry out due diligence from a sustainability perspective, including human rights considerations. We also work to mitigate any risk of human rights violations and ensure that the Fujitsu Group’s human rights initiatives are effectively implemented throughout the acquired organization.
Assessment of Human Rights Impacts
To maximize the effectiveness of human rights due diligence in the Fujitsu Group, we conduct regular Human Rights Impact Assessments.
Working with Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), an international NPO, the main business activities of the Fujitsu Group were reviewed, and interviews were conducted with each region, corporate division and business division to compile a list of human rights risks. These issues were then prioritized in terms of severity, likelihood of occurrence, and relevance to the business. The most recent Human Rights Impact Assessment identified priority issues such as: “Employee working environment, health and safety,” “Forced labor and child labor in the supply chain,” and “Data privacy and information security in business.”
Initiatives to Prevent or Mitigate Negative Human Rights Impacts
Supply Chain
The Fujitsu Group requires that all its suppliers support the Fujitsu Group Human Rights Statement. The Group additionally requires them to support the prohibition of human trafficking, forced and child labor and discrimination, to support freedom of association and collective bargaining rights, and to promote policies such as pay equity.
Supply chain work environment
- Risks associated with services procurement for IT services: Risk of difficulty in achieving improvements in working conditions due to long work hours and lack of freedom of association for contractors to whom IT services are outsourced
- Risks associated with hardware procurement: Long working hours for migrant workers in global supply chains, underpayment of wages, inadequate occupational health and safety provision, restrictions on freedom of association, and limited job security
- To develop and announce the “Fujitsu Group Sustainable Procurement Policy,” and request that suppliers absorb and comply with the contents. To conduct regular, annual Sustainability Surveys of our major suppliers both in Japan and overseas to verify the status of initiatives
- Conducted a Sustainability Survey and received responses from 1,240 suppliers
Forced labor and child labor
- Forced labor risk for foreign workers in Japan’s Technical Intern Trainee Program: Risk of restriction on freedom of movement and on communication with the outside world, nonpayment of wages, long work hours, and debt bondage
- Child labor risk: Risk that young workers hired through apprenticeships and internship programs are working under abusive labor practices, including long hours, low wages, and inadequate health and safety practices
- The Fujitsu Group prohibits forced and child labor and, as part of the Fujitsu Group Sustainable Procurement Policy, requires suppliers to eliminate forced labor and child labor
- We confirmed the status of this initiative through a written survey
- Conducted a Sustainability Survey and received responses from 1,240 suppliers
- Confirmed that there is no forced labor or child labor
Dealing with high-risk minerals
- Risk of procuring raw materials (copper, cobalt, tin, tungsten, tantalum, gold, etc.) from conflict-affected or high-risk areas
- Risk of Fujitsu directly or indirectly supporting conflict and abuse perpetrated by non-state militia groups and private and public security forces as a result of procuring such raw materials
- Risks associated with human rights violations, including forced labor and child labor
- Fujitsu Group policy is to eliminate high-risk minerals that fuel conflict, or are associated with forced labor or human rights violations, from Fujitsu Group products, components, and supply chains. The Fujitsu Group conducts regular surveys of high-risk minerals
- Fujitsu received responses from 61.1% of the suppliers surveyed
- Smelters operated by 804 companies were checked, of which 338 were compliant with the RMI-certified Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP)
Employees
The Fujitsu Group takes the rights of all its employees very seriously and complies with the core labor standards set out by the ILO. It will not discriminate on the basis of race, skin color, religion, beliefs, sex, social status, family origin, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity, birthplace, age, or any other factor that is not related to legitimate business interests.
Work environment
- Risk of excessive working hours: The risk that employees may be unable to work in an environment that enables them to grow autonomously and fully utilize their strengths, resulting in imbalanced workloads and chronic excessive working hours.
- Risk of harassment: The risk that a weakened foundation of collaboration, mutual understanding and respect for others may reduce psychological safety and hinder communication, giving rise to an increasing likelihood of harassment
- Promote flexible work styles that are not constrained on time or location. Through systems such as tele-work and measures to reduce excessive working hours, improve employee well-being while maintaining high productivity.
- Fujitsu is undertaking projects focused on fostering psychological safety with the aim of creating an organization in which employees trust one another and feel comfortable taking on challenges.
- To enable a diverse workforce to thrive, we encourage open communication through enhanced labor-management dialogue and internal social networking tools. At the same time, provide more comprehensive employee support programs tailored to major life events and initiatives that assist with employees’ work-life balance.
- Social Well-being
Non-discrimination and equal opportunity
- The risk that unfair discrimination or unequal opportunities in recruitment, career development, performance evaluation, promotion, compensation, benefits, and other employment practices may arise on the basis of gender, age, nationality, cultural or ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other personal characteristics, leading to diminished individual dignity or the loss of fair employment opportunities.
Human Rights Education and Awareness-Building
Education
Fujitsu will continue to provide comprehensive human rights education to all employees and will conduct human rights training that factors in the specific challenges faced by each region.
＜e-Learning on Business and Human Rights＞
- Purpose：To develop an understanding of how to conduct business in a way that respects human rights, and to learn the basics of recognizing and acting on the risks of human rights violations
- Target audience：All employees of the Fujitsu Global group of companies
- Attendance rate：96％ (FY2025)
＜e-Learning on AI Ethics＞
- Purpose: To understand the basic principles of AI Ethics, as well as Fujitsu’s initiatives and internal rules relating to AI, and to gain an understanding of the risks inherent in AI-driven business and the countermeasures for those risks.
- Target audience：All employees of Fujitsu’s group companies within Japan
- Attendance rate：94％ (FY2025)
＜e-Learning on Workplace Management＞
- Purpose：Learn the knowledge and mindset essential for workplace management to create a comfortable working environment (information security, harassment prevention, mental health, working time management, etc.)
- Target audience：Employees in leadership roles of Fujitsu Japan’s group companies
- Attendance Rate: 98% (FY2024). Following a review of the program content in FY2025, the training was divided into two parts, with the first half only delivered in FY2025. The second half is scheduled for FY2026.
Awareness-raising
Fujitsu and its Group companies in Japan hold human rights training and awareness-raising activities at various times. Specifically, these include training for new hires and staff promotions (including new recruits, career hires, newly appointed executives, and new directors), as well as management training for management staff. We also organize human rights awareness initiatives such as calling for and commending human rights awareness slogans during Human Rights Week and on Human Rights Day. Fujitsu also participates in the Industrial Federation for Human Rights, Tokyo, a voluntary organization through which the many member companies work together to deepen their understanding of human rights issues. Through this participation, we aim to embed respect for human rights as part of our corporate culture and engage in activities that help to raise societal awareness from a corporate perspective.
To commemorate Human Rights Day, Fujitsu implemented a range of internal initiatives globally, including distributing a message from the Chief Sustainability and Supply Chain Officer (CSSO) and launching a dedicated web page. These initiatives allowed employees to deepen their understanding of the human rights issues that arise from climate change, technological advancement, and global value chains, and reaffirmed the importance of everyone conducting responsible business activities that help to build a society in which human rights are respected.
Customers and End Users
The Fujitsu Group is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities as a developer and supplier of AI and other digital technologies by appropriately managing and mitigating potential human rights risks, including those related to privacy and data security. To this end, we conduct our business with due consideration for ethical issues and strive for business activities that respect human rights throughout our value chain.
Privacy and Data Security
- The risk that personal privacy and data protection rights may be adversely affected if appropriate consent is not obtained
- The requirement to comply with laws and regulations protecting personal information in different countries and regions, and to strengthen data protection across the entire supply chain
- The risk of ending up in a situation where customer and/or end-user data and information is exposed to cyber attacks, unauthorized access, or information leakage
- The data security risks arising from vulnerabilities in products and services
- Fujitsu established a global personal information protection framework and promotes compliance with applicable laws and regulations worldwide, including the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- Ongoing implementation of operation based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) principle, along with audits, inspections, and training based on our information protection management system
- The use of tools such as information management dashboards to visualize vulnerabilities and information management risks, enabling corrections and early-stage improvements based on the severity level.
- To protect customers who use Fujitsu products and services, we are progressing the centralized management of vulnerability and other data, and working to strengthen our incident response systems.
- Information security
Initiatives on AI Ethics
In recent years, there have been rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI, AI agents, and physical AI. These developments have the potential both to bring significant changes to people's lives and to society, and could also offer new ways of resolving societal and environmental issues. At the same time, as AI becomes more widely used, it is likely that we will need to put considerable thought into ways of reducing its negative impacts.
The Fujitsu Group has long advocated a ‘human-centric’ approach, which argues that information technology should fundamentally be used to focus on, and to benefit, people. Consistent with this stance, we believe that companies involved in the research, development, provision and operation of AI have a responsibility not only to pursue convenience, but also to strive to make the use of AI safe, secure and trustworthy.
As part of this effort, the Fujitsu Group has established and publicly released the “Fujitsu Group AI Commitment”. The Fujitsu Group, which carries out AI related businesses such as research, development, provision and operation activities, prioritizes the communication with a wide range of stakeholders in the community, including users and consumers, so that we distribute the enormous value of AI to society. Based on this commitment, the Fujitsu Group continues to undertake ongoing AI Ethics initiatives.
The Fujitsu Group has identified the ethical risks listed below arising from the use of AI, and is formulating mitigation measures to address emerging risks that could significantly impact our future business.
Emerging Risks
The Ethical Risks of Utilizing AI
The Fujitsu Group has been engaged in AI research, development, provision, and operation since before the 1980s, and has long advocated that information technology should be used in a human-centric way.
At the same time, the Fujitsu Group recognizes that the deployment of AI has led to increased technological complexity, including behavior that is difficult to predict and performance variability due to factors such as post-installation retraining.
There is also an increasing number of instances where various different stakeholders are involved in the process from the planning and development of AI through to its eventual use. This means that when problems arise, the allocation of responsibility may become more complex.
In addition, the rapid pace of technological innovation means that ethical issues and regulatory requirements require ongoing review and reassessment in response to evolving societal demands and environmental changes.
Factors such as the widespread adoption of generative AI and the emergence of AI agents have also increased the potential for unforeseen AI behavior and inappropriate outputs that could infringe the human rights of users and consumers. Such incidents could in turn pose risks not only of legal liability but also of damage to the Fujitsu Group’s reputation.
Moreover, if issues such as defects or human rights violations occur when the allocation of responsibilities is unclear, this could increase the risk of disputes and conflicts among those involved. Such incidents could both disrupt business operations and degrade trust in our customers and the broader community, inflicting medium- to long-term impacts on our business.
In addition, the EU AI Act of 2024 requires developers, users, and other stakeholders to take strict action based on the level of risk that their AI systems could pose to the enjoyment of human rights. Violations could result in penalties, including fines of up to 7% of total global sales. It is therefore crucial to implement appropriate risk management in the development and operation of AI systems. (As at June 2026)
To ensure appropriate handling of AI Ethics risks across all the companies in the Fujitsu Group, we conduct AI Ethics Check for all our AI-related businesses. AI Ethics Check work by categorizing the level of risk and then applying a mechanism for an independent secondary review to products or customer engagements that exceed specified risk thresholds. As well as organizations specifically tasked with AI Ethics, these reviews involve departments that specialize in areas such as human rights and legal functions, so that AI's potential impacts on society are assessed from a range of perspectives.
Since FY2025, the Fujitsu Group has been working to establish and strengthen a framework where risk responses are integrated and centrally managed at a system level from three perspectives: AI Ethics Check, Compliance with AI regulations in each country (including compliance with the EU AI Act and other applicable regulations), and AI Safety Assessment.
To enable all employees to promptly identify AI ethical risks, the Fujitsu Group is implementing various group-wide initiatives, including avenues such as education and the provision of theme-based learning materials to deepen understanding of the importance and key aspects of AI Ethics.
To support the safe, secure and trustworthy deployment of AI in society, the Fujitsu Group has also established the Fujitsu Group External Advisory Committee on AI Ethics. This committee includes external experts and meets regularly to facilitate ongoing dialogue with community stakeholders.
As part of efforts to mitigate AI ethical risks in society as a whole, the Fujitsu Group has also been using its membership of AI4People and meetings with government advisory panels to research and review guidelines for the development and use of AI as proposed by the Japanese government and governments of other countries.
These risk mitigating initiatives enable the Fujitsu Group management and employees to better recognize AI Ethics risks and appropriately consider the interests of a wide range of stakeholders, including users and consumers. In doing so, we believe we can preserve trustworthiness in AI while practicing sustainable business operations.
As a company engaged in AI research, development, provision, and operation, the Fujitsu Group will continue to prioritize engagement with the community and strive to ensure that the enormous potential benefits of AI are shared throughout society.
Promotion and Practical Application of AI Ethics
Based on the Fujitsu Group AI Commitment, the Fujitsu Group conducts ongoing company-wide training and awareness-raising activities to embed and operationalize AI Ethics throughout its business activities. To ensure that AI Ethics practices within the Fujitsu Group are evaluated objectively, the Fujitsu Group has established the Fujitsu Group External Advisory Committee on AI Ethics, composed of external experts. The Fujitsu Group has also put in place a mechanism for sharing discussions and recommendations from the Committee with the Board of Directors, which ensures that AI Ethics initiatives have an integral role as part of corporate governance and undergo ongoing review and improvement. This stems from a recognition that leadership by management is essential to embedding AI Ethics founded on respect for human rights into the Fujitsu Group’s corporate culture. Furthermore, we have identified AI Ethics as one of the key topics in the management foundation for the Fujitsu Group’s Materiality and regard AI Ethics as a key management issue.
- Fujitsu’s AI Ethics Governance
- Fujitsu AI Ethics Karuta (Japanese text only)
- AI Ethics Research - Toward AI safety and its trustworthy materialization
- Fujitsu delivers new resource toolkit to offer guidance on ethical impact of AI systems
- Fujitsu AI Ethics for Fairness
- Fujitsu and Carnegie Mellon University launch joint center for Physical AI
Achievements in FY2025
- The Fujitsu Group held two meetings of the “Fujitsu Group External Advisory Committee on AI Ethics” to receive objective feedback on the Fujitsu Group's AI Ethics initiatives, including human rights initiatives, from external experts.
- We share the activities for FY2025 and the minutes and recommendations of the above mentioned External Advisory Committee at meetings of the Board of Directors.
- The Fujitsu Group conducted an e-learning course on “AI Ethics” for the Fujitsu Group employees in Japan; 94% of all domestic employees took part.
- To prevent discrimination or injustice that may be caused by AI, specialized departments within the Fujitsu Group conduct ethical screening on all AI business project opportunities presented to customers and implement risk mitigation measures according to the type of AI and its application.
- As a global company, we are participating in the Reporting Framework for compliance with the International Code of Conduct, which is a direct outcome of the G7 Hiroshima AI Process.
- Through the Cabinet Office's “AI Institutional Study Group”, we are taking part in discussions on the future of AI regulation as AI technology is adopted in Japan, and we are also participants in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' “The Conference toward AI Network Society”, which debates various issues surrounding AI.
- Based on “AI Guidelines for Business” issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Fujitsu Group developed “Fujitsu AI Ethics Karuta(*2)”, an educational tool designed to make AI Ethics easy to learn and understand. We have since made this tool available to the public for free. We have also conducted a number of workshops aimed at customers and schools.
Tracking the effectiveness of measures
Human Rights Surveys at Group Companies
The Fujitsu Group continuously monitors the progress of initiatives related to respect for human rights at all its Japanese and overseas Group companies. In FY2025, we conducted human rights surveys at 57 Group companies worldwide as part of an initiative targeting all the Group companies. The surveys covered each company's responses to human rights issues affecting employees and the value chain, as well as the operational effectiveness of complaints handling mechanisms. Fujitsu undertakes measures to address any human rights risks identified in these surveys, and also provides human rights education to all employees throughout the Group as one plank of its risk prevention efforts.
We will continue to support the development of preventive and mitigation measures for human rights risks, assist with corrective actions where necessary, and work to strengthen human rights risk governance throughout the Group.
RBA Auditing
The RBA (Responsible Business Alliance) is an international industry body that promotes responsible business conduct across global supply chains in areas such as labor, health and safety, environment, and ethics. The RBA Code of Conduct is a set of standards for responsible behavior that companies must observe, and includes respect for human rights.
Since joining the RBA in 2017, the Fujitsu Group has been working both internally and with suppliers to promote responsible business practices and build responsible supply chains. This includes incorporating the RBA Code of Conduct into the Fujitsu Group Sustainable Procurement Policy.
The RBA Validated Audit Process (VAP) audit is an assessment by third-party auditors to determine whether a workplace is being properly managed in accordance with the RBA Code of Conduct. Fujitsu Group's Kasashima(*3) and Date(*4) server and storage manufacturing factories underwent a VAP audit in FY2025. Both factories attained Gold Status, certifying that they have a safe and secure working environment with high levels of respect for the human rights of their workers. The audit did identify a few exceptions, such as “Inadequate description of the method used for calculating payroll deductions (taxes, social insurance premiums, etc) in the Notification of Conditions of Employment” (Kasashima factory) and “Minor inconsistencies in compliance and due diligence processes” (Date factory). However, they have all since been rectified and the improvements made currently ensure full compliance with the RBA Code of Conduct.
- (*3) Kasashima factory: located in Kahoku City in Ishikawa Prefecture
- (*4) Date factory: located in Date City in Fukushima Prefecture
Dialogue with Stakeholders
As part of its human rights due diligence, the Fujitsu Group is engaged in dialogue with internal and external stakeholders, including with external experts.
Framework for Reporting and Consulting on Human Rights Issues
The Fujitsu Group conducts its business activities worldwide in close collaboration with local communities. Working with these communities, we have established systems to engage in human rights-related consultations and information gathering both inside and outside the company, in order to listen to and understand the opinions of various parties and reduce and prevent negative human rights impacts.
Consultation Service for Fujitsu Group employees in Japan: ”Human Rights Consultation Service”
The Fujitsu Group has created an intranet-based system to consult with and accept input from all Fujitsu Group employees on human rights-related issues including harassment. Within Japan, Fujitsu has set up a Human Rights Consultation Service. The matters discussed are reported to the Human Rights Promotion Committee and regularly communicated to auditors, with careful consideration given to ensuring that personal information and privacy are respected. The objectives are to understand the utilization status of this consultation service and to put in place initiatives designed to prevent recurrences of any breaches.
In FY2025, we undertook the following mitigation and remediation measures for instances of harassment:
- We conducted investigations into the relevant facts while giving due consideration to the privacy of the affected individuals. Where human rights violations were identified based on the Code of Conduct, the Global Business Standards (GBS), and other internal regulations, appropriate remedial measures were provided to the affected individuals, and appropriate personnel actions, including disciplinary measures, were taken with respect to the individuals concerned.
- Human rights education, including harassment prevention training, was provided to all employees across the Fujitsu Group.
Whistle blowing platform for a wide range of stakeholders ”JaCER Engagement and Remedy Platform Contact Desk”
Since November 2023, the Fujitsu Group has been participating in the Engagement and Remedy Platform, operated and provided by Japan Center for Engagement and Remedy on Business and Human Rights (JaCER), to receive complaints and reports on human rights from a wide range of stakeholders(*5). JaCER aims to provide a non-judicial platform for grievance redress and to act in a professional capacity to support and promote redress of grievances by member companies based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. By accepting complaints through third-party contact points, we aim to promote fairness and transparency in the handling of complaints and promote dialogue and redress more than ever before.
- (*5) Reports by Fujitsu Group employees regarding illegal activities, illegal transactions, and other non-compliance activities, as well as reports and consultations from Fujitsu Group employees, are accepted through Fujitsu Alert, not this Platform. Consultations on human rights are available at the Human Rights Consultation Service.
Community Human Rights Initiatives
The Fujitsu Group undertakes community engagement activities worldwide in recognition of the role regional communities play as important stakeholders. By interacting and collaborating with people from a wide range of diverse backgrounds, Fujitsu helps to address social issues and build a sustainable society, while also respecting human rights and the dignity of all individuals and fostering a deeper understanding of diverse values.
