As interest in human rights increases around the world, including in Japan, companies are expected to address the impact of their business activities on human rights and respond appropriately. The DTS Group supports the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and promotes business activities that respect human rights. Based on these principles, the DTS Group has established the “DTS Group Human Rights Policy” and will continuously advance initiatives to respect human rights.
DTS Group Human Rights Policy
1.Basic Approach
The DTS Group supports the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, while firmly supporting business activities that uphold human rights.
2.Scope of Application
This policy applies to all of the DTS Group’s board members and employees. In addition, the Group takes great efforts to ensure human rights are respected throughout the entire business value chain by requesting business partners recognize, support, and implement the DTS Supply Chain’s Responsible Corporate Behavior Guidelines.
3.Respect for Human Rights
The DTS Group does not conduct any form of discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity, nationality, birthplace, social standing, social class (family lineage), sex, marital status, age, language, disability status, health status, religion, philosophy or belief, wealth, sexual orientation, gender identity, job type, employment status, or other attributes. In addition, the Group does not permit forced labor or child labor.
The DTS Group upholds the principles of equal pay for equal work and pays appropriate wages.
The DTS Group respects workers' right to freedom of association and the basic labor rights to collective bargaining and collective action.
The DTS Group complies with laws and regulations related to occupational safety and health, and provides a safe and comfortable working environment.
4.Human Rights Due Diligence
The DTS Group has created and continues to advance a human rights due diligence process. In addition, the Group seeks to identify negative impacts on human rights, and strives to prevent and mitigate them.
5.Compliance with Applicable Laws and Regulations
The DTS Group complies with the laws and regulations of the relevant countries and regions in its business activities. In cases where the laws and regulations of a country do not meet internationally recognized human rights standards, the Group respects internationally recognized human rights principles.
6.Dialogues and Discussions
The DTS Group utilizes the human rights-related expertise of independent external sources when holding discussions with relevant stakeholders in an effort to enhance and improve its initiatives.
7.Education
The DTS Group provides appropriate education to all of its board members and employees to ensure that this policy is incorporated into all business activities and is effectively enforced.
8.Remediation
Should a negative impact on human rights be discovered, regardless of whether it arose directly from the DTS Group or indirectly from a business partner or other source, the Group will strive to remedy the situation through appropriate means.
9.Disclosure
The DTS Group discloses initiatives based on this policy on its website and in other media.
Established on April 1, 2024
Revised on April 1, 2025
Tomoaki Kitamura
Representative Director and President
DTS CORPORATION
Promotion structure (governance)
Important matters related to human rights are reported to the Sustainability Committee (Chair: Representative Director and President), which determines response policies, conducts due diligence, and manages and oversees progress.
Human Rights Due Diligence
The DTS Group continuously conducts human rights due diligence to identify, prevent, and mitigate adverse impacts on human rights in its business activities and supply chain, and to ensure that, where issues are identified, they lead to corrective action and remedy. We have identified the following as human rights issues in the DTS Group and are promoting initiatives with an emphasis on preventing their occurrence and correcting them.
- Employees and directors and officers (the Company and domestic and overseas Group companies)
We conduct an annual compliance survey to understand awareness and the actual situation regarding harassment and long working hours.
Survey results
| FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of respondents | 5,474 | 5,213 | 5,326 |
- Business partner companies)
We use a corporate survey form at the time of entering into new contracts or renewing contracts to confirm the status of initiatives related to respect for human rights. If there are concerns about the responses, we conduct additional checks and, as necessary, use dialogue to lead to the consideration and promotion of improvement and preventive measures.
| Survey details | Investigate the status of initiatives regarding “Initiatives on Human Rights” and the status of initiatives regarding “2. Human Rights and Labor” in the “DTS Supply Chain Responsible Business Conduct Guidelines”. |
|---|---|
| Implementation period | 2Q–4Q FY2024 |
| Implementation rate | 88.2%(362 Companies/410 Companies) |
| Survey results | In response to questions on “Human Rights and Labor” in the “Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct in the DTS Supply Chain,” some business partners responded “No” or “No response,” but additional follow-up to confirm the situation has verified that, while there are differences in the level of initiatives among companies, there are no major issues regarding respect for human rights. |
Consultation Contact Point (Access to Correction and Remedy)
We accept consultations and reports to identify concerns and issues related to human rights at an early stage and respond appropriately. After receipt, we operate an integrated process covering initial confirmation, investigation, corrective action and remedy, and prevention of recurrence.
The DTS Group has established an internal reporting system (helpline) to prevent and promptly detect and correct legal violations, fraudulent acts, and other compliance-related issues. You may also use this system to seek advice or make a report regarding human rights-related concerns. For details, please refer to the internal reporting system page.
Internal Reporting System
Education and awareness
The DTS Group positions respect for human rights as one of its key management challenges and provides ongoing education and awareness-raising for directors and employees, temporary staff engaged in our operations, and employees of partner companies. Using the “DTS Compliance Guide” and other materials, we communicate common principles of conduct and promote deeper understanding by incorporating human rights content (prevention of harassment, deterring long working hours, and the importance of consultation and reporting, etc.) into regularly conducted compliance training. In addition, we conduct a compliance survey once a year to understand awareness levels and the actual situation, and, as necessary, reflect the results in training content and operational improvements.
Human rights-related training results
| FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 9,877 | 10,343 | 11,769 |
| Course attendance rate | 100% | 100% | 100% |