Press Releases 2019

SoftBank Corp. Receives Gold Rating for Third Year as
LGBT-friendly Workplace in ‘PRIDE Index’

October 11, 2019
SoftBank Corp.

SoftBank Corp. (“SoftBank”) announced on October 11 it received a gold rating from ‘work with Pride’*1 (“wwP”), a Japanese organization that promotes LGBT-friendly human resource practices, in its ‘PRIDE Index 2019.’ SoftBank has now received the gold award, the highest ranking, for three consecutive years.

The PRIDE Index is an evaluation method that was drawn up by wwP in 2016. SoftBank's initiatives were highly evaluated in all of the five categories below.

  1. 1.
    Policy
  2. 2.
    Representation
  3. 3.
    Inspiration
  4. 4.
    Development
  5. 5.
    Engagement/Empowerment

SoftBank will continue to foster an environment that enables employees in a diverse workforce to fully realize their potential. By maximizing the productivity of both individuals and organizations, SoftBank aims to be a company that continues to grow.

Reference: SoftBank's LGBT-friendly initiatives

  • SoftBank amended its internal rules and definitions to recognize same-sex partners as spouses*2. Employees with same-sex spouses are eligible to receive spousal benefits equal to those of other married couples. Benefits include marriage leave and congratulatory/condolence payments.
  • SoftBank set up an LGBT-related consultation desk.
  • SoftBank conducts e-learning programs and holds seminars by people concerned with LGBT matters.
  • SoftBank participated in ‘Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2019,’ an LGBT event held by NPO Tokyo Rainbow Pride that is one of the largest of its kind in Asia. For the two days of April 28 and 29, flagship store SoftBank Omotesando was decorated with rainbows to raise awareness for the event.
  • As a committee member, SoftBank assisted with the planning and operation of ‘work with Pride 2019,’ a conference held on October 11 to discuss how to make workplaces more LGBT-friendly.
  • SoftBank applies family discounts and other family services to ‘SoftBank’ and ‘Y!mobile’ customers who submit documentation from local governments and other authorities that give proof of same-sex partnerships*3.
[Notes]
  1. *1
    For more information on work with Pride, please see https://workwithpride.jp (in Japanese).
  2. *2
    SoftBank requires the submission of certain documents to recognize an employee's spouse.
  3. *3
    For those living in jurisdictions where documentation to prove same-sex partnerships is not issued, family services are applied if the customers share the same address.

PRIDE Index 2019 Gold Award Mark

PRIDE Index 2019 Gold Award Mark
  • SoftBank, the SoftBank name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of SoftBank Group Corp. in Japan and other countries.
  • Other company, product and service names in this press release are registered trademarks or trademarks of the respective companies.