The announcement has been made by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government regarding a shift to 4 day workweeks for its employees, effective from April this year, as an attempt to counter the decreasing fertility rates in Japan and promote young families by helping them with the stated purpose. This policy presented by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is intended to balance the responsibilities of an individual’s work and family responsibilities, all without forcing them to leave a job just for life’s activities such as childbirth or childcare.
Under this new policy, employees will be allowed to take three days off each week. There are also provisions for parents with elementary school children to avail of reduced hours at work with a slight salary deduction. Governor Koike said, “This ensures that nobody should have to give up their careers because of life events such as childbirth or childcare.” She also noted that the change meant a lot: He pointed out that “Now is when Tokyo should step up to make sure it leads its citizenry in protecting and boosting their lives, livelihoods, and economy during such difficult times for a nation.”
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Broadly speaking, Japan has a very demanding work culture that favors long hours and makes it difficult for women to establish careers while being able to balance a family life. It was reported in data from last year’s World Bank that in terms of workforce participation rates, Japan has the most striking gender disparity of them all: with men participating at 72% and women at just 55%. The four-day workweek has already been piloted in several countries with positive outcomes. According to a 2022 global pilot scheme by the nonprofit organization 4 Day Week Global, companies that participated in the scheme reported improvements in mental and physical health, work-life balance, and overall satisfaction. About 90% of respondents expressed wanting the new schedule to continue, which thus will go down in history with a remarkable rating of 9.1 out of 10. In addition, stress, burnout, and work-family conflicts were also significantly mitigated.
It also follows other countries like Singapore that adopted new policies for companies to consider requests on alternative work schedules, such as working a shorter workweek or flexible work hours.