TEPCO Home Tech, a Rapidly Growing Member of the Tokyo Electric Power Group, Introduces 'Smart Counseling Room'

Smart Counseling Room Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Yasuo Fujita) has announced that its corporate external consultation service, 'Smart Counseling Room,' has been introduced at TEPCO Home Tech Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sumida-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Takahiro Aoki; hereinafter 'TEPCO Home Tech').

■ Business Challenges and Reasons for Introducing 'Smart Counseling Room'

TEPCO Home Tech, as a member of the Tokyo Electric Power Group, operates under the slogan 'Energy Efficiency for Every Home,' offering design and installation services for energy-saving home systems such as residential solar power, storage batteries, and Eco Cute, as well as a fixed-fee subscription service called 'Enecari' with zero upfront costs. Riding the social trend toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, the company is experiencing significant business growth. As a result, securing necessary talent and ensuring organizational continuity have become increasingly critical management challenges. Additionally, with the increase in employee numbers and organizational changes due to expansion, talent mobility has intensified, making it essential to create a work environment where employees feel secure and to establish systems that support stable organizational operations.

While TEPCO Home Tech has traditionally maintained internal consultation windows based on laws and regulations, many employees have felt psychological barriers to using them due to their internal nature, resulting in underutilization. Furthermore, consultations with immediate supervisors often depend on the individual manager's skills and compatibility, making it difficult to ensure fair access to consultation opportunities for all employees. There was also a growing need to enhance response capabilities for highly specialized consultations, such as mental health, and to ensure objectivity and neutrality in consultation responses, necessitating a review of the existing system.

Therefore, the company decided to introduce 'Smart Counseling Room,' which allows employees to anonymously consult external specialists on a wide range of issues—not limited to mental health and career concerns, but also including personal and health-related matters.

With the introduction of 'Smart Counseling Room,' employees now have access to a safe environment where they can consult external experts anonymously, without concern for internal or external workplace relationships. The service covers a broad range of topics, including mental health, career, personal life, and health, enabling employees to use it casually as a natural extension of daily life, rather than reserving it only for serious issues. This allows for preventive care, enabling employees to receive appropriate support before problems escalate. Additionally, receiving objective advice from external specialists on equal footing is expected to support each employee's autonomous career development and personal growth, thereby enhancing motivation and engagement.

Moving forward, the company aims to contribute to employees' psychological safety and the organization's sustainable growth by providing an environment where anyone can consult freely and easily.

■ Expectations for 'Smart Counseling Room'

We expect 'Smart Counseling Room' to serve as a 'second safe space' where every employee can speak openly and honestly. By creating an environment where employees, regardless of position or department, can consult easily even as the organization expands, we aim to promote psychological safety and self-directed growth, ultimately fostering an organization where employees want to continue working.

TEPCO Home Tech Co., Ltd.

Director: Shun Katayama

Assistant Group Leader, Risk Management Division, Management Headquarters, and Assistant to the General Affairs & HR Group Leader: Chieko Goto

Case Study Article: [Link]

■ Overview of the External Consultation Service 'Smart Counseling Room'

'Smart Counseling Room' is an external consultation service for corporations that enables anyone, anytime, to easily consult on any issue. It offers a wide range of functions, including counseling and medical consultations, legally compliant stress checks and harassment consultation windows, and coaching and individual training programs that contribute to talent development and growth. With over 200 specialists on board, the service carefully supports each individual's concerns and challenges. By addressing minor worries and early signs of distress before they escalate, it helps prevent mental health issues and contributes to corporate health management and the psychological well-being of employees.

Smart Counseling Room Service Website: https://smart-sou.co.jp/counseling

Request Materials Here

■ Features of 'Smart Counseling Room'

Counselor Consultation

Medical Doctor Consultation

Coaching

Individual Training

Harassment Consultation Window

Self-Stress Assessment

Stress Check

Occupational Physician Interview Coordination

Suggestion Box

eNPS

User Guide

◼ About Smart Counseling Room Inc.

Under the mission of 'Resolving employees' vague anxieties and aligning individual growth with organizational growth,' the company develops and operates an online human support platform for corporations. Founded in February 2021 by Yasuo Fujita, who served for 10 years in healthcare-related businesses focusing on new business development and organizational management, the company offers 'Smart Counseling Room,' an external consultation service that supports corporate health management by preventing mental health issues, and 'Smart My Coach,' a coaching service that maximizes individual potential and accelerates human capital management. Smart Counseling Room is a member of the SmartHR Group.

■ Company Overview

Company Name: Smart Counseling Room Inc.

Representative Director & CEO: Yasuo Fujita

Established: February 1, 2021

Headquarters: Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower, 3-2-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Corporate URL: https://smart-sou.co.jp/company

Business Activities: Development and operation of an online human support platform for corporations

Smart Counseling Room: https://smart-sou.co.jp/counseling

Smart My Coach: https://smart-sou.co.jp/coaching

*Product names, company names, and service names listed are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

*The information provided is current as of the announcement date and is subject to change without prior notice.