Japan proposes 4-day working week to improve work-life balance

Tokyo: The Japanese government recently released its annual economic policy guidelines, which include new recommendations that companies allow employees to work four days per week instead of the conventional five. 

The coronavirus pandemic has already caused major changes in the way Japanese firms conduct business, many of which are still conservative and traditional. 

However, as part of the government's drive to enhance the nation's work-life balance, Japan's famously hardworking workers will be urged to spend less time in the office environment. 

Political leaders now aim to influence top corporate executives that flexible working hours, remote employment, increased interconnection, and plenty of other changes might be useful even when the deadly crisis is over. 

Experts are split on whether the new programme, which aims to address the country's labour shortfall, will be universally embraced, with workers and management both expressing concerns about unforeseen effects. 

Employers should be aware that while persons working four days a week may become more motivated, their output may not increase enough to compensate for the lost workday. Employees, on the other hand, are concerned about salary cuts.