HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 19 July 2023 - hana-musubi, a Japanese rice Omusubi specialty store under Hyakunousha International Limited, announced today a comprehensive enhancement of its employee benefits policy. The major initiative includes the introduction of the "Employees' Child Health Care Plan " for the first time, which extends medical coverage to the children aged 18 or below of all full-time employees, prioritising the health and well-being of employees and their families. Mr. Muneo Nishida, Managing Director of Hyakunousha International Limited, stated, "At hana-musubi, our core philosophy of 'triple-win' emphasises the importance of what's good for employees, good for the company, and good for society. We believe that health is of utmost importance, so the critical step of practising what's 'good for employees' is to address their medical benefits and reduce their financial burden of healthcare. It is rare in the food and beverage industry to provide employees' children with insurance coverage. We hope to become the pioneer for the industry, leading industry players to improve their welfare measures, especially in the areas related to employees' healthcare and family-friendly measures. We hope this initiative will become the new norm, motivating the development and progress of the entire industry." Securing the next generation: introducing the first-ever "Employees' Child Health Care Plan" hana-musubi, known for bringing traditional Japanese meals to Hong Kong, embodies the Japanese spirit of warm and sincere hospitality - "omotenashi" - not only in caring for its customers but also employees. The launch of the "Employees' Child Health Care Plan" stems from the same intention - to care for our employees with heart, providing them with what they need, and caring for whom they love. Compared to last year, the company's annual medical budget has increased significantly by 60%, with a broader range of coverage to benefit employees and their children. Starting this month, hana musubi has launched the "Employees' Child Health Care Plan" which extends medical coverage to all full-time employees' children aged 18 or under, including both inpatient and outpatient insurance plans. Mr. Nishida also stated that: "hana-musubi upholds the brand mission of 'creating the agriculture of the next hundred years' and continuously nurtures the next generation through action. Through our delicious Omusubi, we hope to enable our customers to feel warmth and the love of a family. To achieve this goal, we must first connect with our employees, listen to their needs, and genuinely care about them. And when you do, you will naturally care about the next generation and ensure the health and well-being of both the employees and their children. Introducing a half-day paid medical check-up leave to enhance employee healthcare benefits hana-musubi is always striving to improve its employee healthcare benefits. It has established a mechanism to review welfare details periodically to ensure that its team enjoys protection that meets or even exceeds industry standards. While hana-musubi offers preventive health check benefits to its employees, it has noticed that some employees are hesitant to sacrifice a half day's pay for the check-up, resulting in underutilization of this benefit. In light of this, it has introduced a half-day paid medical check-up leave to encourage employees to undergo annual physicals and prevent illnesses before they occur, thereby enabling them to live longer and healthier lives. Flexible working arrangements to accommodate the needs of working mothers in caring for their children In addition to the upgrade in healthcare benefits, the flexible working arrangements and other generous benefits offered by hana-musubi are key factors in attracting many working mothers. With hana-musubi stores located throughout Hong Kong, employees can choose to work at the store near to their residential area and enjoy full reimbursement of transportation expenses and free meals. Acknowledging the challenging lifestyle of working mothers, the option to choose their work hours allows them to balance their family and childcare responsibilities while also dedicating themselves to their careers, achieving a better work-life balance. The company's Head of Human Resources, Ms. Rachel Kwong, emphasised the importance of flexibility: "Most of our frontline employees in stores are health-conscious individuals with families. With that said, besides the medical benefits, flexibility is also a key factor, for example, we have mothers who work a designated number of hours each day in order to accommodate their children's school schedules." In addition, hana-musubi provides paid comprehensive training for employees, including field training, classroom training, and demo store training, ensuring they have sufficient product knowledge and preparing them for real-life situations. A...