Who would have thought that in Japan, a country famous for its grueling working hours, the short workweek could become a reality? The pioneer of this new awareness was Microsoft Japan introducing the short working week for one month (only four days in the office, Monday to Thursday, without reducing pay). An experiment a couple of years ago proved to be profitable with a huge leap in productivity: from the analysis of sales per employee, it turned out that workers were almost 40% more productive during the August of the short working weeks that in the same month of the previous year.
Panasonic, first in Japan
Recently even the hi-tech giant Panasonic has decided to embrace the cause by introducing for its employees (for now, for those of its Japanese offices) the optional four-day work week. An announcement motivated by the desire to guarantee more free time for workers, which could be used by employees to continue their studies, volunteer, pursue their hobbies and even pursue a second job. “We must support the well-being of our employees,” said Panasonic CEO Kusumi Yuki, shifting the bar of satisfaction: from the corporate one to the personal one of the employees.
A courageous act that of Panasonic, if we exclude the experimentation of Microsoft, the first in the Japanese country to introduce the short week following the recommendation of the Council for the economic and fiscal policy of the country, which in June 2021 in its annual guidelines stressed the need to introduce the short week by encouraging employers to experiment with the new model in the field.
Countries where the short week is a reality (and priority)
Starting from January 1st, the United Arab Emirates they have reduced the working week for public employees: it has gone from five days to four and a half. According to Wam, the official news agency, this is the first country in the world to make such a choice. A trend that other countries are also encouraging by allocating large funds. Finland, Scotland and Iceland, for example, are encouraging policies to reduce working hours. But also many companies, which independently are successfully experimenting with the short week mode, Buffer, which started the experimentation even in 2020 and Unilever which is carrying out it on 81 employees in New Zeland. In 2023, the list, which is constantly updated, will also be added Kickstarter.
A possible revolution
“A possible revolution,” said the Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin at the time of its inauguration in 2020, now two years ago.
Today the pandemic has led to an inevitable acceleration of flexibility in place – with it smart working – and highlighted the problems of stress and burnout caused by overwork and the need to find spaces of freedom for oneself and the family. For many, recovery from an unprecedented standstill and deep recession has thus become an opportunity for profound change that could otherwise take many more years. And it is in this wake that the four-day workweek may be the next “possible” revolution we really need.
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