The Japanese capital is set to introduce a four-day work week for government employees in the latest initiative aimed at helping working mothers and boosting the record low birth rate.
The Tokyo government says the new system, which will come into effect in April, will allow employees to take three days off a week. In addition, the government announced another policy that will allow parents of children aged 6 to 12 in primary school to give up part of their salary in exchange for being able to leave work earlier.
“We will review working styles … with flexibility in mind so that no one will have to give up a career because of life events such as child birth or child care,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said as she unveiled the plan in a keynote speech Wednesday.
“Now is the time for Tokyo to take the lead in protecting and improving the lives, working conditions and economy of our people in these challenging times for the country,” she also added.
Japan’s birth rate, which has been plummeting for years, hit another record low in June despite the government stepping up efforts to encourage young people to marry and start families. Just 727,277 births were registered last year, and the fertility rate – the number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime – fell to a new low of 1.2, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. For the population to remain stable, the fertility rate must be 2.1.
Demographic crisis
The Japanese government is pushing for “now or never” policies to address the demographic crisis, including parental leave for men, while other local governments have also introduced measures to improve working conditions.
Many sociologists attribute the ever-declining birth rate to Japan’s ruthless work culture and the rising cost of living. Gruelling working hours have long been a problem in corporate Japan, where workers often suffer from health problems and, in extreme cases, ‘karoshi,’ a term meaning death from overwork. As in other countries, women are often pressured to choose between career and family, but Japan’s unique overtime culture makes pregnancy and parenting particularly challenging.
In fact, the country’s gender gap in labour force participation, which stood at 55% for women and 72% for men last year, is higher than in other high-income countries, according to the World Bank.
The move to a four-day working week has sparked growing interest in the West, where some companies are beginning to use shorter hours as a way to attract talent seeking a better work-life balance. Some studies have shown that it improves worker well-being and productivity.
But the idea still seems radical to Japanese companies, which often equate time spent at work with loyalty to the company.
Tokyo is not the only place in Asia where more family-friendly policies are being introduced. Earlier this year, Singapore introduced new rules requiring all companies to consider employee requests for flexible working hours. This could include a four-day working week or a flexible schedule.
