Waiting for the Weekend
June 26, 2021 7:11 AM Subscribe
Japan proposes four-day working week to improve work-life balance - "The Japanese government has just unveiled its annual economic policy guidelines, which include new recommendations that companies permit their staff to opt to work four days a week instead of the typical five."[1,2,3]
Most importantly, authorities hope that an extra day off every week would encourage people to go out and spend, thereby boosting the economy.Japan Promotes Four-Day Working Week to Boost Productivity - "The new policy aims to prevent overworking and help improve work-life balance."
It is also anticipated that young people will have more time to meet, marry and have children, going some way to solving the worsening problem of a falling birth rate, an increasingly older national demographic and a contracting population.
In its economic policy finalized on Friday, June 18, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's cabinet is promoting a four-day workweek. Implementation of the policy by firms will give employees a choice between a five-day or four-day workweek. The policy aims to improve the work-life balance for employees who need to care for their families or are looking to learn skills for career development.The four-day work week is finally catching on - "Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform, is living up to its name. The tech company will launch a four-day work week next year, becoming one of the most prominent names in business to embrace the forward-looking practice as part of its post-pandemic reality."
A recently published study revealed that overworking is literally killing people around the world.[4] Published by the World Health Organization, the study reports that employees in Southeast Asia and Western Pacific are at most risk. The problems of karoshi - translated as 'death by overwork' are well documented in Japan. Unpaid overtime has been common in Japan. Officially, the government itself caps it at 100 hours every month. Previous attempts of encouraging employees to go home early or limiting overtime hours received poor implementation responses from employers.
Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that employees worked remotely, at their convenience, and companies saw an increase in productivity. Fujitsu has shrunk its Tokyo headquarters by 50% as it intends to retain remote working in the future, DW reported.
What makes the formula work for employees is pretty self-evident. Who isn’t exhausted by the pressure to fit family, friends, exercising, caregiving, and general life administration into the two days that currently serve as our standard weekend? Companies, however, may still need to be convinced of a compressed work week’s viability and necessity.Kill the 5-Day Workweek [ungated link] - "Reducing hours without reducing pay would reignite an essential but long-forgotten moral project: making American life less about work."
This is why 4 Day Week, an advocacy group whose US team includes Jon Leland, head of data and analytics at Kickstarter, is launching an online petition meant for employees at any company to express interest in making the switch.
When enough people at one employer sign the petition, members of 4 Day Week will get in touch with that company and offer its volunteer consulting services, which will include input from academics at Harvard Business School, the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University, Boston College, and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
The goal is to provide pragmatic advice, says entrepreneur Andrew Barnes, who started 4 Day Week Global in New Zealand, and is the self-declared architect of the four-day week movement. Even CEOs who are open to reducing working hours, as long as productivity is constant, need guidance on exactly how to do it, he explains.
Indeed, at the moment, the shorter workweek seems unreachable for the people who need it most—low-wage shift workers, working single parents, hourly workers. Instead, it appears to be most attainable for a group of disproportionately white, highly paid, well-educated workers upon whom the labor market already showers enviable work perks. If a four-day week gains popularity, there is a real risk that it would widen existing inequalities.Waiting for the Weekend [ungated link] - "A whole two days off from work, in which we can do what we please, has only recently become a near-universal right. What we choose to do looks increasingly like work, and idleness has acquired a bad name. Herein, a history of leisure."
Juliet Schor, a sociologist at Boston College and the author of The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure, sketches out a more equitable path. “This is the way a lot of these advances in labor will come. Maybe the small firms [have it first], but then you also get the big, wealthier firms on board,” Schor told me. “Gig workers, hourly workers, lower-paid workers—one would hope that if this really started to take hold, then you get legislation that rolls it out for everybody.”
There’s a question that comes up regularly in discussions of the four-day workweek. Proponents ask it enthusiastically, skeptics sarcastically: Is it possible to go even shorter? Why stop at four?[5]
I applaud these recommendations. Let's all trumpet them, worldwide.
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:25 AM on June 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:25 AM on June 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
(I also feel, deeply, the last section of this FPP - low wage workers need help too, and this wouldn't reach them. We need to keep fighting for fair wages and protections for them as well.)
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:27 AM on June 26, 2021 [15 favorites]
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:27 AM on June 26, 2021 [15 favorites]
I can't help but feeling this is about avoiding the reality of women's double workload, as more and more women "work" full time. Work in scare quotes because women have always worked full time in the household.
I mean, I am 100% for a 4 day workweek. It is just about what I can handle at this point in my life, as added to caring for my old mother, cleaning and cooking, and all the other emotional labour I do. And I am nowhere near some of my peers in family-related workload (though I was once, and now I am probably permanently exhausted by that period of my life).
We have built societies where families depend on double incomes, just to be able to pay the rent. And in many of those families, one person works much more than full time, all the time.
posted by mumimor at 7:33 AM on June 26, 2021 [24 favorites]
I mean, I am 100% for a 4 day workweek. It is just about what I can handle at this point in my life, as added to caring for my old mother, cleaning and cooking, and all the other emotional labour I do. And I am nowhere near some of my peers in family-related workload (though I was once, and now I am probably permanently exhausted by that period of my life).
We have built societies where families depend on double incomes, just to be able to pay the rent. And in many of those families, one person works much more than full time, all the time.
posted by mumimor at 7:33 AM on June 26, 2021 [24 favorites]
I'll believe it when I actually see it happen.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:27 AM on June 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:27 AM on June 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
Yeah, hourly workers have already achieved the four-day week (or three-day), since US employers do not want to give anyone full-time status. That would mean benefits! Yet they still want workers to be available any time for changing schedules, so good luck making a second job work. You can't make a living this way.
posted by Miss Cellania at 8:41 AM on June 26, 2021 [11 favorites]
posted by Miss Cellania at 8:41 AM on June 26, 2021 [11 favorites]
A thought experiment...the USA decides to shift to a 1950s level of wealth/consumption. How many hours would the average USAian need to work to maintain that level of affluence at a national level?
I mean, for example, smaller houses, fewer cars, less clothing consumption, less throwaway items or goods with engineered obsolescence. You can have a new phone, but it's going to last you 5-7 years.
posted by conifer at 10:59 AM on June 26, 2021 [8 favorites]
I mean, for example, smaller houses, fewer cars, less clothing consumption, less throwaway items or goods with engineered obsolescence. You can have a new phone, but it's going to last you 5-7 years.
posted by conifer at 10:59 AM on June 26, 2021 [8 favorites]
Previously in Japanese policy guidelines for office employment: Short-sleeved two-piece suits and business shorts.
posted by ardgedee at 11:06 AM on June 26, 2021
posted by ardgedee at 11:06 AM on June 26, 2021
yes please
You can have a new phone, but it's going to last you 5-7 years.
The computer I'm posting this on has a 12 year old motherboard. And it's not even slow.
(and yeah phones are different but they don't have to be)
posted by snuffleupagus at 11:42 AM on June 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
You can have a new phone, but it's going to last you 5-7 years.
The computer I'm posting this on has a 12 year old motherboard. And it's not even slow.
(and yeah phones are different but they don't have to be)
posted by snuffleupagus at 11:42 AM on June 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
I just watched an episode of the Cool Japan show about work culture where they asked people on the street if they took the paid vacations offered by their employer, & most people answered along the lines of "no, because other people have to work while I'd be gone, so I think we all know we're not really supposed to, right?"
hard to imagine a choice between a 4-day & 5-day workweek not shaking down the same way until you're able to sell Japanese people on the idea that society wants them to work less
(and yeah phones are different but they don't have to be)
my Samsung Galaxy S4 finally failed unfixably after 8 or 9 years & when I brought it in to replace it the employees were like "Holy crap is that an S4?" as though I'd brought in one of those wall-mounted phones from the 1940s; they all wanted to look at it
posted by taquito sunrise at 12:12 PM on June 26, 2021 [8 favorites]
hard to imagine a choice between a 4-day & 5-day workweek not shaking down the same way until you're able to sell Japanese people on the idea that society wants them to work less
(and yeah phones are different but they don't have to be)
my Samsung Galaxy S4 finally failed unfixably after 8 or 9 years & when I brought it in to replace it the employees were like "Holy crap is that an S4?" as though I'd brought in one of those wall-mounted phones from the 1940s; they all wanted to look at it
posted by taquito sunrise at 12:12 PM on June 26, 2021 [8 favorites]
which, I should mention, there was at least one company who was successful in basically forcing their employees into taking paid vacations, which were arranged group holidays with members of different departments, leading to a lot of great cross-departmental communication when they got back, & their metrics showed all of this was great for the company as well as the employees
so it's absolutely possible but looks like the companies themselves have to really give a shit
posted by taquito sunrise at 12:20 PM on June 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
so it's absolutely possible but looks like the companies themselves have to really give a shit
posted by taquito sunrise at 12:20 PM on June 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
Here in the US I've have two experiences with four-day workweeks, neither of them good.
When I worked in foodservice a four-day work week just meant that you weren't scheduled for enough hours to qualify for benefits. Oh, and don't expect to get three days off in a row either. At one point my schedule was Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. I frequently got called in on Saturdays, but would be sent home at the 39 hour mark to make sure I didn't get any overtime.
At one of my IT jobs, a four-day workweek meant that you worked four, eleven hour days. Ten hours for your shift, plus an hour lunch. Oh, and you were on salary so that it was kind of expected that you'd work a bit longer some days to "help out the team," wink wink nudge nudge.
If a four-day workweek meant four, eight hour days at the same pay for my current five-day week, I'd probably be interested. But I've got a white collar job that I can do at home, so I'm not really complaining about my current schedule. Let me know when foodservice and retail workers can get a four-day work week with full pay and benefits, and three days off in a row. That will actually mean something.
However, all of this would mean that somewhere a billionaire would lose a few pennies in profit, so yeah, this will never happen.
posted by ralan at 2:14 PM on June 26, 2021 [13 favorites]
When I worked in foodservice a four-day work week just meant that you weren't scheduled for enough hours to qualify for benefits. Oh, and don't expect to get three days off in a row either. At one point my schedule was Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. I frequently got called in on Saturdays, but would be sent home at the 39 hour mark to make sure I didn't get any overtime.
At one of my IT jobs, a four-day workweek meant that you worked four, eleven hour days. Ten hours for your shift, plus an hour lunch. Oh, and you were on salary so that it was kind of expected that you'd work a bit longer some days to "help out the team," wink wink nudge nudge.
If a four-day workweek meant four, eight hour days at the same pay for my current five-day week, I'd probably be interested. But I've got a white collar job that I can do at home, so I'm not really complaining about my current schedule. Let me know when foodservice and retail workers can get a four-day work week with full pay and benefits, and three days off in a row. That will actually mean something.
However, all of this would mean that somewhere a billionaire would lose a few pennies in profit, so yeah, this will never happen.
posted by ralan at 2:14 PM on June 26, 2021 [13 favorites]
which, I should mention, there was at least one company who was successful in basically forcing their employees into taking paid vacations, which were arranged group holidays with members of different departments, leading to a lot of great cross-departmental communication when they got back, & their metrics showed all of this was great for the company as well as the employees
I've been on one of those. It was at a UK company, so it was called a “company retreat”, and was on paid time with all expenses paid. Half the time was spent sitting through meetings about sales figures and targets, half the rest on activities such as archery or mountain biking, and the rest eating and drinking (mostly drinking). I imagine the Japanese company group holiday ended up looking a lot like that.
posted by acb at 3:36 PM on June 26, 2021 [7 favorites]
I've been on one of those. It was at a UK company, so it was called a “company retreat”, and was on paid time with all expenses paid. Half the time was spent sitting through meetings about sales figures and targets, half the rest on activities such as archery or mountain biking, and the rest eating and drinking (mostly drinking). I imagine the Japanese company group holiday ended up looking a lot like that.
posted by acb at 3:36 PM on June 26, 2021 [7 favorites]
Email sent: Friday 7:34pm
Good evening,
6 days of responsibility will now be expected in 4 days each week.
Thank you,
New Boss PhD
posted by 517 at 3:45 PM on June 26, 2021 [11 favorites]
Good evening,
6 days of responsibility will now be expected in 4 days each week.
Thank you,
New Boss PhD
posted by 517 at 3:45 PM on June 26, 2021 [11 favorites]
I work four days a week in a standard office job and it's freaking awesome (for me). The company survived just fine.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 4:45 PM on June 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 4:45 PM on June 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
arranged group holidays with members of different departments
that's... not a vacation.
posted by augustimagination at 5:04 PM on June 26, 2021 [14 favorites]
that's... not a vacation.
posted by augustimagination at 5:04 PM on June 26, 2021 [14 favorites]
that's... not a vacation.
no no it's completely different, you're being forced to drink with coworkers from different departments in Italy instead of being forced to drink with coworkers from your department in Japan
posted by taquito sunrise at 5:15 PM on June 26, 2021 [10 favorites]
no no it's completely different, you're being forced to drink with coworkers from different departments in Italy instead of being forced to drink with coworkers from your department in Japan
posted by taquito sunrise at 5:15 PM on June 26, 2021 [10 favorites]
Anyone born in the 70s might think phones lasted longer but also probably remember getting lined up at the time long-distance rates went down to shout “happy birthday” quickly to keep the call under 3 minutes. Or calling collect in the 80s with a quick “I’m arriving at the station at 4!” so they could refuse the charges.
Anyways I’m not sure reduced wages and reduced consumption meet the brief here since this sounds like a stimulus initiative. I think you would see purchase of things like music lessons go up.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:30 PM on June 26, 2021 [2 favorites]
Anyways I’m not sure reduced wages and reduced consumption meet the brief here since this sounds like a stimulus initiative. I think you would see purchase of things like music lessons go up.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:30 PM on June 26, 2021 [2 favorites]
Your phone lasted longer but your car sure didn’t.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:35 PM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:35 PM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
it is bizarre to me how we all internalized that long-distance calls were something that cost a lot of money until suddenly they didn't & we re-internalized that they were free
like what else is that going to happen with? (I hope insulin)
posted by taquito sunrise at 5:57 PM on June 26, 2021 [13 favorites]
like what else is that going to happen with? (I hope insulin)
posted by taquito sunrise at 5:57 PM on June 26, 2021 [13 favorites]
first off, can we skip the phone conspiracy theories please? Most phone failures are due to battery failures. Rechargeable batteries last about a thousand charges. One charge a day is about two years and nine months. Chemistry, not conspiracy.
second, yeah, I kind of don't really see this going anywhere in Japan — does anyone else remember "premium fridays" where the government recommended working one half-day Friday per month, and then nothing happened? Anecdotally, too, my experience with trying to take vacation time while working for a Japanese company is very American-style "please be on call while you're on vacation, just in case" (including when visiting family in the US once a year)
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:43 PM on June 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
second, yeah, I kind of don't really see this going anywhere in Japan — does anyone else remember "premium fridays" where the government recommended working one half-day Friday per month, and then nothing happened? Anecdotally, too, my experience with trying to take vacation time while working for a Japanese company is very American-style "please be on call while you're on vacation, just in case" (including when visiting family in the US once a year)
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:43 PM on June 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
Yeah, hourly workers have already achieved the four-day week (or three-day), since US employers do not want to give anyone full-time status. That would mean benefits! Yet they still want workers to be available any time for changing schedules, so good luck making a second job work. You can't make a living this way.
I’m really surprised that this isn’t a legislative priority for the Democrats. Schedule stability and eliminating pseudo “part time” jobs might be more important than increasing the minimum wage.
posted by mr_roboto at 6:59 PM on June 26, 2021
I’m really surprised that this isn’t a legislative priority for the Democrats. Schedule stability and eliminating pseudo “part time” jobs might be more important than increasing the minimum wage.
posted by mr_roboto at 6:59 PM on June 26, 2021
Sorry, but I used to be Working for the Weekend...
Waiting as well, but, Loverboy
posted by Windopaene at 9:39 PM on June 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
Waiting as well, but, Loverboy
posted by Windopaene at 9:39 PM on June 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
Was in a multi-national, and several of us had multi-month absences related to burnout after being given a hand grenade of a project by a boss who quit and a CTO who was insulated from his decisions, while also having to keep the legacy system alive. HR suggested I come back on a three or four day week and my response was "that sounds good, but even reducing it to a six day week would be a good start".
posted by kersplunk at 6:09 AM on June 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by kersplunk at 6:09 AM on June 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
haha, kersplunk, I was in a very similar situation. At my first session with the company-funded stress counselor, I proudly said I was almost then at a 50-hour week, down from 60. I literally thought 47 hours a week was the societal norm.
posted by mumimor at 6:40 AM on June 27, 2021
posted by mumimor at 6:40 AM on June 27, 2021
first off, can we skip the phone conspiracy theories please? Most phone failures are due to battery failures. Rechargeable batteries last about a thousand charges. One charge a day is about two years and nine months. Chemistry, not conspiracy.Among other things, there was a time when phone batteries were user-replaceable parts.
posted by Juffo-Wup at 2:32 PM on June 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
Hell, when they were NiCad's you'd carry around spare battery packs. The MicroTAC flip phone was mostly battery pack.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:11 AM on June 30, 2021
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:11 AM on June 30, 2021
Iceland Finds 'Major Success' Moving To Shorter Workweek
posted by kliuless at 10:04 PM on July 7, 2021
posted by kliuless at 10:04 PM on July 7, 2021
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The government here makes suggestions and requests and that’s usually about the end of it. Looking to Japan to suddenly lead the way on labor reforms is probably not the way to go.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:23 AM on June 26, 2021 [28 favorites]