Why Japan wants its citizens to try a 4-day workweek

The government launched a ‘work style reform’ campaign that promotes shorter hours and other flexible arrangements along with overtime limits and paid annual leave. Japan, a nation so hardworking its language has a term for literally working oneself to death, is trying to address a worrisome labor shortage by coaxing more people and companies to adopt four-day workweeks.The Japanese government first expressed support for a shorter working week in 2021, after lawmakers endorsed the idea. The concept has been slow to catch on, however; about 8% of companies in Japan allow employees to take three or more days off per week, while 7% give their workers the legally mandated one day off, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.Hoping to produce more takers, especially among small and medium-size businesses, the government launched a “work style reform” campaign that promotes shorter hours and other flexible arrangements along with overtime limits and paid annual leave. The labor ministry recently started offering free consulting, grants, and a growing library of success stories as further motivation.“By realizing a society in which workers can choose from a variety of working styles based on their circumstances, we aim to create a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution and enable each and every worker to have a better outlook for the future,” states a ministry website about the hatarakikata kaikaku campaign, which translates to “innovating how we work.”The... Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2024-09-02 14:15:57 UTC ]
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Chinese authorities ask booksellers to ban Japanese works

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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Play Books app arrives in Japan, adds translation, place info, highlighting and more

Not content at stopping with its recent European tour, Google Play Books has made the trip to Japan and brought back a handful of new features. In addition to support for reading Japanese books in a vertical, right-to left layout, Mountain view now lets users tap on names of geographical spots... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google upstages Amazon with Japan Nexus launch

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beijing ban on Japanese books 'may spread'

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rakuten beats Amazon to Japanese e-reader market

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EU-Japan deal may cut red tape, boost IP protection

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Japan primed for ebook rise

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo to launch in Japan

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo eReader Touch Edition packs bags for Japan, books flight for July

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[ Engadget | 2012-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Japan firms to use ebook tax loophole

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Japanese publishers invest in ebook initiative

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Japan's Rakuten to Acquire E-book Retailer Kobo

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[ PC World | 2011-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Japanese book trade facing worst crisis since WWII

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