Open Up Group Inc. / Research Institute for Rewarding Work<TSE Prime: 2154>
To the press

March 7, 2023

March 8 is International Women's Day - Let's think about career advancement and work styles of womenin the workplace.

FY2023 Fact-finding Survey on Women and Work

Female celebrities admired by working women as role models
No. 1 in the ranking was Yuki Amami. Second place went to Keiko Kitagawa, and third to Rola.
While the respondents aspired to be their own self and balance work and family, salary was themost important factor in career advancement.

The Research Institute for Rewarding Work, operated by Open Up Group Inc., conducted a fact-finding
survey on women and work for a total of 1,509 working women in their 10s to 60s, to coincide with theInternational Women's Day. Yoshie Komuro, Representative Director and President of Work-Life BalanceCo., Ltd. contributed comments based on the survey results.
<Summary of Survey Results>(1) Ranking of female c elebrities admired by work ing women as role models☑ No. 1 in the ranking was Yuki Amami. Many said the reason was that she was a cool,independent woman.
☑ Keiko Kitagawa and Rola came in second and third, respectively. Many respondents
tended to mention "balancing work and personal life."
The survey resulted in the ranking of celebrities who are able to balance work and private life in their own way. Amongthem, "feminine beauty" and "elegance" were also mentioned, with Mitsuko Kusabue, who will turn 90 this year, also
ranking in sixth place. For women, balancing their personal lives and work while maintaining beauty may be an importantpoint.

(2) Women's Career Advancement in the Workplace☑ 52.6% of all respondents were considering career advancement, with "increased income" being
the most important factor.
☑ The most common response to gender inequality felt at work was "salary," which was
47.1%.
52.6% of female respondents indicated that they would like to advance their careers, with "increased income" being themost important factor in this regard at 25.5%. Although some of the reasons for the admiration for role models included"balancing work and personal life," it can be assumed that the desire to have a stable income is in fact inherent. A
substantial 47.1% of respondents said "salary" was the reason for gender inequality felt at work.

(3) Support from the company for women☑ 53.5% of all respondents answered that their company's support for women is"inadequate."☑ The most common reason given for this was "inadequate women-specific health support"
at 37.8%.
The most common reason given for their company's support for women being "inadequate" was a lack of "women-specifichealth support," at 37.8%. For those who responded "adequate," this item was the lowest scoring reason at 19.1%. The
development of "women-specific health support" is required, as it may lead to increased satisfaction among female
employees.
When publishing the results of this survey or analysis, please clearly state that it was conducted by Open Up Group Inc.
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Open Up Group Inc. / Research Institute for Rewarding Work<TSE Prime: 2154>

Outlineof thesurvey[Survey method] Internet survey [Survey period] February 24 - February 27, 2023 [Survey organization] Grill Research[Survey target] Total 1,509 working women in their 10s to 60s(1) Ranking of female c elebrities admired by work ing women as role models☑ No. 1 in the ranking was Yuki Amami. Many said the reason was that she was a cool,independent woman.
☑ Keiko Kitagawa and Rola came in second and third, respectively. Many respondents
tended to mention "balancing work and personal life."

A survey of female celebrities admired by working women as role models received responses listing a wide rangeof female celebrities of all ages, especially actresses and models.
In first place was Yuki Amami, who continues to be active in TV dramas and movies, followed by Keiko
Kitagawa, an actress and mother of one, and Rola, a model currently based in Los Angeles.
Furthermore, when asked why they chose the female celebrity they admire as a role model as working women, anoverwhelming number of responses cited "independent coolness" for Yuki Amami, who came in first; for
Keiko Kitagawa, who came in second, many cited "marital happiness," "feminine beauty," and "balancing workand family"; and for Rola, who came in third, many cited "sticking to her own style." For women, balancing workand personal life (family) through their own core and style may be the point they admire.
・She is cool. She seems to have the ability to lead people. (Age 48/Female)#1: Yuki Amami

・I think she is a cool, independent woman. (Age 41/Female)・She is cool, she doesn't show any compromise in her work. (Age 34/Female)・She has a happy marital life, while also beautifully growing in her career and age. (Age#2: Keiko Kitagawa

48/Female)・ She is beautiful, balancing work and home life, understanding husband. (Age 48/Female)#3: Rola

・How she sticks to her own style. (Age 33/Female)・She challenges herself to do what she wants to do. (Age 39/Female)

Also on the list are actress Ryoko Yonekura in fourth place, and Ahn Mika, who is very active in variety TV shows,in fifth place, and Mitsuko Kusabue, who will turn 90 this year, in sixth place. For Ahn Mika and Mitsuko
Kusabue in particular, the reasons given by the respondents for their choice indicated that they admired not
only these celebrities' enduring beauty, but also their ways of life filled with vitality.
#5: Ahn Mika
#6: MitsukoKusabue

・She has a strong sense of self and is energetic. (Age 47/Female)・She seems to be fulfilled in both her public and personal lives. (Age 65/Female)・She remains youthful, healthy, and active. (Age 56/Female)・She has a wonderful way of life, regardless of her age. (Age 38/Female)
When publishing the results of this survey or analysis, please clearly state that it was conducted by Open Up Group Inc.
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Open Up Group Inc. / Research Institute for Rewarding Work<TSE Prime: 2154>(2) Women's Career Advancement in the Workplace☑ 52.6% of all respondents were considering career advancement, with "increased income" being
the most important factor.
☑ The most common response to gender inequality felt at work was "salary," which was
47.1%.

52.6% of all modern working women surveyed said they would like to advance their careers, with"increased income" having the greatest importance out of the response items in this regard at 25.5%. When
asked about gender inequality felt at work, the most common response was "salary," at 47.1%.
In addition, 49.5% of the respondents answered that "improvement for competitive salary is necessary" forwomen's future success in the workforce, indicating that "income/salary" is a very important factor forworking women for their career advancement. For women, balancing work and personal life (family) throughtheir own core and style is listed as the point they admire, but in reality, it can be assumed that the desire to havea stable "income/salary" is largely inherent.
After "salary," the next most common reason for gender inequality felt at work was "promotion" at 43.3%,"evaluation" at 35.7%, and "job content and opportunities" at 33.9%. Respondents who selected "other" voiced"maternity/parental leave is difficult to take" and "inadequate leave system," and some also said they wanted
to see "an understanding that leave may be taken for reasons specific to women."
Items in which respondents feel "genderinequality" at work (as many as apply)

Items respondents would like to see improved
for women's future success in the workforce(as many as apply)Competitive salary (49.5%)#1

Salary (47.1%)#2

Promotion (43.3%)

Support environment for childbirth andchildcare (47.5%)#3

Evaluation (35.7%)

Comfortable work environment conducive tolong-term work (46.9%)#4

Job content and opportunities (33.9%)

Shorter working hours (44.7%)

The survey results revealed that 70.0% of all respondents felt that there are more opportunities for women toplay an active role in the workforce, and we hope that the treatment of and support for women in society andcompanies will improve in the future, further reducing the gap in gender inequality.

When publishing the results of this survey or analysis, please clearly state that it was conducted by Open Up Group Inc.
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Open Up Group Inc. / Research Institute for Rewarding Work<TSE Prime: 2154>(3) Support from the company for women☑ 53.5% of all respondents answered that their company's support for women is"inadequate."☑ The most common reason given for this was "inadequate women-specific health support"
at 37.8%.

In order to create a society in which women can more easily advance their careers and play an active role in
the workforce, we asked about "support for women" at the companies where they work. 46.5% of all
respondents answered that their company's "support for women" was "adequate," while the remaining
53.5% said it was "inadequate," a result that was roughly evenly split between the two groups.
Among those who answered that their company has "adequate support" for women, the most common
reason (42%) for this was having a workplace environment where childcare and work can be balanced(shorter working hours and half-day leave, support for sudden injury or illness of children, it has a day-care
center, company provides assistance for childbirth and childcare, etc.). The least common reason (19.1%)
was having adequate women-specific health support (easy to get menstrual leave, self-service items
in restrooms, benefits, etc.).
As for the remaining 53.5% of the respondents who answered "inadequate," the most common reason givenwas "inadequate women-specific health support" at 37.8%, followed by "not having a workplaceenvironment where childcare and work can be balanced" at 31.7%.

#1

Reasons for adequate support from thecompany where the respondents work (asmany as apply)
A workplace environment where childcare andwork can be balanced (42.0%)

Reasons for inadequate support from the company
where the respondents work (as many as apply)
Inadequate women-specific health support (37.8%)#2

Easy to take pregnancy/parental leave (38.9%)

A workplace environment where childcare and work
can be balanced (31.7%)#3

Mental health support (21.1%)

Mental health support (24.5%)

Adequate women-specific health support

Easy to take pregnancy/parental leave (22.3%)#4(19.1%)

When publishing the results of this survey or analysis, please clearly state that it was conducted by Open Up Group Inc.
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Open Up Group Inc. / Research Institute for Rewarding Work<TSE Prime: 2154>
Although the results indicated that there is lack of adequate women-specific health support, there are many
initiatives (tasks) that can be taken by companies to improve the satisfaction of female employees, such as
menstrual leave and adequate self-service items in restrooms, and it would be desirable if companies could
promote and implement improvements in "women-specific health support."- Expert Comment on the Survey Results - (From Yoshie Komuro, Work-Life Balance Co., Ltd.)

Attention is drawn to the fact that 70.0% of all respondents in this survey feel that there are more opportunities
for women to play an active role in the workforce, and 52.6% of all respondents would like to advance theircareers.
Companies are also looking to diversity led by women to provide fresh perspectives, with the aim of creating newvalues.
As a result, in recent years, the employment rate of women has been approaching 80%, at 78.6% (Ministry ofInternal Affairs and Communications, "Labour Force Survey (Basic Tabulation)" / 2021 survey / women aged 2544). According to the results of the FY2021 Basic Survey of Gender Equality in Employment Management by theMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the ratio of companies with female managers in managerial positions
equivalent to section chief or higher was 53.2%, up 0.4 points from the previous survey (FY2020). Still, comparedto other developed countries, the level of women's engagement in the workforce ranks 167th (ILO, 2019estimate), showing there is still plenty of room for growth.
However, for women to continue working, there are three key points: 1) work style that can cope with life events,2) environment that allows women to take on challenges in their own way, and 3) flexible work style that can copewith changes in their own health. Of particular importance is organizations' commitment to working in a way thatallows adequate rest without resorting to long working hours. Future mechanisms that will attract attention include
an 11-hour interval system between work hours. If we work with these in mind, we will be able to create anenvironment that encourages not only women, but also men, to stay in the workforce.
We hope that the results of this survey will provide women who are highly motivated to work with more
opportunities to play an active role in the workforce and bring vitality to society as a whole.

■ Yoshie Komuro (Representative Director and President, Work-Life Balance Co., Ltd.)
Representative Director and President, Work-Life Balance Co., Ltd.
She has given consultations to more than 2,000 companies and is well known for her "work style reform consulting" method,which reduces overtime work and improves business performance. She has served as a private-sector member of the Industrial
Competitiveness Council of the Abe Cabinet, the Industrial Structure Council of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, andthe Central Council for Education of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Her many publications
include "Playing Manager: The Art of Zero Overtime Work" (Diamond, Inc.), "Work Style Reform: 20 Examples of Increased
Productivity and Motivation" (Mainichi Shimbun Publishing Inc.), "The Art of the Team Going Home at 6:00" (JMA Management Center Inc.), "Paternity Leave: Thisis How Family, Company and Economy Change" (co-author, PHP Shinsho), and others. She also runs the "WLB Consultant Training Course," which has 1,600
graduates working throughout Japan. In her personal life, she is a mother of two children.

*If you are interested in interviewing Ms. Yoshie Komuro in connection with this survey, please get in touch at the address provided at the endof this report.

When publishing the results of this survey or analysis, please clearly state that it was conducted by Open Up Group Inc.
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Open Up Group Inc. / Research Institute for Rewarding Work<TSE Prime: 2154>
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This <Fact-Finding Survey on Women and Work> revealed that 52.6% of all the surveyed respondents
would like to advance their careers, in addition to the "female celebrities admired by working women as rolemodels." As for the item in which they feel "gender inequality" at work, 47.1% of the respondents answered"salary," indicating that improvement in "salary" is essential for women's advancement in society. Among
women who felt that the company they work for does not provide adequate support, 37.8% felt that thecompany does not provide adequate women-specific health support. Komuro, an expert on work-lifebalance, suggested that if organizations committed to a work style that would allow sufficient rest without
resorting to long working hours, it would create a better working environment for everyone. There is a call forcompanies, organizations, etc. to promote measures to improve their issues.
The Research Institute for Rewarding Work will continue to promote various surveys and social awarenessactivities so that more people can engage in rewarding work.

Open Up Group Inc. <Company Profile>Business description
Establishment andcapital
Head office location
Representative
Stock listing
Number of groupcompanies
Remarks

A pure holding company with the human resource service business (temporarystaffing business) as a core business
Established in August 1997 / 4,561 million yen *1
NBF Comodio Shiodome, 2-14-1 Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Chairman, Representative Director and CEO Yutaka Nishida
President, Representative Director and COO Daio Sato
Prime Market, Tokyo Stock Exchange (Securities code: 2154)(Domestic) 17 companies + (Overseas) 26 companies / Total 43 companies *2Company name changed on January 1, 2023 / [Former Company Name] BeNextYumeshin Group Co.

*1: As of June 30, 2022 *2: As of April 1, 2022

What makes the Open Up Group unique?
1. Engineer temporary staffing group, for which the top priority is "Realization of Purpose" = "Creation ofRewarding Work".
Our group is involved in the temporary staffing of engineers, and our mission is to "create a society that opens
up individual potential through rewarding work." The entire group is promoting its business with the realizationof this Purpose as a top priority.
2. "Training investment and job change incentives" for future career advancement
We consider the engineers who work for us to be our most important customers, and we continue to create
opportunities for them to expand their employment opportunities and improve their skills.
Specifically, the company invested approximately 14% of its operating income last fiscal year in education andtraining for engineers. Furthermore, as a career advancement option for engineers on staff, we encouragethem to "move to a client company," which is rare in the industry.
Through these efforts, the Group aims to continue to open up the potential of each and every one of its humanresources.

When publishing the results of this survey or analysis, please clearly state that it was conducted by Open Up Group Inc.
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Open Up Group Inc. / Research Institute for Rewarding Work<TSE Prime: 2154>

About the Research Institute for Rewarding WorkThe Open Up Group Inc. is committed to "creating a society that opens up individual potential throughrewarding work" as its Purpose, and it is constantly thinking about "rewarding work" for working people.
The Research Institute for Rewarding Work, established within the group, is working to create an environmentthat encourages many people to work toward a rewarding work. To this end, the institute conducts independent
surveys and other activities to uncover the indicators of a rewarding work in each individual's view andconducts social awareness activities.

For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact:
Research Institute for Rewarding Work, PR Office (within Sunny Side Up)
Contact: Yoshida (080-7687-8670), Tsunakawa (070-1554-4971), Nakane
TEL：03-6894-3251 MAIL：shiawasenashigoto_pr@ssu.co.jp

When publishing the results of this survey or analysis, please clearly state that it was conducted by Open Up Group Inc.
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