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A Nissan Motor Co. factory worker checks an engine on an assembly line at its plant in Yokohama, near Tokyo, on Aug. 2, 2017.Japan, a nation so hard-working its language has a term for literally working oneself to death, is trying to address a worrisome labour shortage by coaxing more people and companies to adopt four-day workweeks.
The department overseeing the new support services for businesses says only three companies have come forward so far to request advice on making changes, relevant regulations and available subsidies, illustrating the challenges the initiative faces. Long hours are the norm. Although 85% of employers report giving their workers two days off a week and there are legal restrictions on overtime hours, which are negotiated with labour unions and detailed in contracts. But some Japanese do “service overtime,” meaning it’s unreported and performed without compensation.
Some officials consider changing that mindset as crucial to maintaining a viable work force amid Japan’s nosediving birth rate. At the current rate, which is partly attributed to the country’s job-focused culture, the working age population is expected to decline 40% to 45 million people in 2065, from the current 74 million, according to government data.
Her husband, a real estate broker, also gets Wednesdays off but works weekends, which is common in his industry. Yokohama said that allows the couple to go on mid-week family outings with their elementary-school age child.
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