Japan Advocates 4-Day Workweek For Its Dedicated Employees
The three-day-off model's proponents claim that it promotes workers who are searching for flexibility or extra income to stay in the workforce longer
Japan is on a quest to encourage more people and businesses to switch to four-day workweeks in an effort to address a concerning labour shortage.
After lawmakers approved the plan, the Japanese government initially announced its support for a shortened workweek in 2021. Though the idea has taken a while to catch on, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 8 per cent of Japanese businesses permit workers to take three or more days off each week, while 7 per cent only allow the legally required one day off.
The government launched a "work style reform" campaign, which advocates for shorter hours and more flexible arrangements coupled with overtime limitations and paid annual leave, in an attempt to attract more takers, particularly among small and medium-sized firms.
As further incentive, the labour ministry has started to provide grants, free consultations, and an expanding collection of success stories.
“By realizing a society in which workers can choose from a variety of working styles based on their circumstances, we aim to create a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution and enable each and every worker to have a better outlook for the future,” states a ministry website about the “hatarakikata kaikaku” campaign, which translates to “innovating how we work.”
Only three enterprises have so far stepped forward to ask for guidance on making modifications, pertinent regulations, and potential subsidies, according to the department in charge of the new business support services. This indicates the difficulties the program confronts.
What's perhaps more striking is that, of the 63,000 workers at Panasonic Holdings Corp. and its group firms in Japan who are qualified for four-day schedules, only 150 have chosen to accept them, according to Yohei Mori, who manages the program at one Panasonic location.
The official government support for a better work-life balance marks a significant shift in Japan, a nation whose storied workaholic stoicism was frequently credited with driving the country's remarkable post-World War II economic boom.
The three-day-off model's proponents claim that it promotes workers who are searching for flexibility or extra income to stay in the workforce longer, such as those who are raising children, taking care of elderly relatives, or pensioners living on pensions.
