Microsoft Japan Says Four-Day Work Week Boosted Productivity 40%
Japan has been struggling to bring down some of the world’s longest working hours as it confronts a labor shortage and rapidly aging population.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
After spending August experimenting with a four-day work week in a country notorious for overwork, Microsoft Japan said sales per employee rose 40% compared with the same month last year.
The “Work-Life Choice Challenge Summer 2019” saw full-time employees take off five consecutive Fridays in August with pay, as well as shortening meetings to a maximum of 30 minutes and encouraging online chats over face-to-face ones. Among workers responding to a survey about the program, 92% said they were pleased with the four-day week, the software maker’s Japan affiliate said in a report on its website on Oct. 31.
Japan has been struggling to bring down some of the world’s longest working hours as it confronts a labor shortage and rapidly aging population. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to make workplaces more flexible and reduce overtime has drawn mixed reviews .
The summer trial also cut costs at Microsoft Japan, with 23% less electricity consumed and 59% fewer pages printed compared with August 2018, according to the report. Some Microsoft Japan managers still didn’t understand the changes in working styles and some employees expressed concern that shorter work weeks would bother clients.
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What's your opinion of, or experience with, a four day work week?
I enjoyed it...the few more hours each day were outweighed by the pleasure of three days off in a row.
I enjoyed it, too ... for the same reasons.
I don't know how it would work in other places, but it sure seemed to be a positive thing for this group.
The industry that I worked in was 24/7/365. Well, actually it was 363 the only days that part of the operations shut down was Christmas and Bloody Thursday in the US. So I have no hands-on experience with it.
My cousin's business did convert to a 4 day 10 hour day a few years ago and they are still observing it. He told me that it, like the experiment in Japan, has been very good for the business and his employees.
"labor shortage"
See what happens when there are more jobs available than folks.
Time to take the democrats stance and get back to a high un-employment record.
"rapidly aging population"
Ummmmmm….. Time for the "Young" folks to climb out of mommy and daddy's basement ?
It's not an official military work policy but due to having so much leave to burn I pretty much have a 4 day work week and 3 day weekend every other week. Truthfully I hate it a 2 day weekend is more than enough, by the end of a 3 day weekend I've long run out of things to do and am chomping at the bit to get back to work (sometimes I'll slip into the office on Sat/Sun to get stuff done anyway)
Hi, Freefaller. Empty time like that on your hands is a bummer. Maybe you can find a hobby or volunteerism to fill up those hours?
You're right Jasper just not all that interested in those things right, but I should definitely figure out something before I retire in 3 years.
Lol is drinking Mai Tai's on a sandy beach 24/7 considered a hobby?
You have 3 years to think of things to do, and I'm sure you'll find something that interests you!
Now this made me laugh a lot! Hell, yeah!
Found this interesting.
Note: there is a link in this one to the original WSJ article which I am also posting but I can't read it due to the fact I don't "subscribe" to it. Maybe you all can but I don't do WaPo or NYT either. Usually read on MSN as they use them a lot of times with cites.
My wife and I were talking about that Business Insider article the other day.
I can't read the WSJ link either.
Thank you for sharing them here!