Microsoft Japan Tries 4-Day Workweek & Result is Awesomely Productive

How often do you think working days in the office should be no more than four days? Several times, right!

Let’s admit it, we wait for the Friday to come and weekends not to end. Working 9 to 5, from Monday to Friday, sucks. As a fact, Friday is my second favorite word! It also happens sometimes that the boss calls you on weekends to complete the urgent project.

To make you forget your Monday blues and the hectic schedule, Microsoft Japan has come up with a solution to encourage you at work.

Microsoft Japan Introduced Work-Life Challenge Summer 2019 in August

Source = Guim

In August this year, the company introduced this challenge under the Working Reform Project and tried four days a week at its workplace. The result of a three-day weekend was awesome. It increased productivity by 40%, and also employees took fewer leaves. During the working days, a few virtual meetings were conducted. Also, employees and office became eco-friendly, as they used less electricity and less paper were printed.

Every Friday, the office was closed in August, and employees were given three days off. The results declared that work productivity is increased by 40% and also changed employees’ behavior. The company allowed its 2300 employees to work four days a week.

Is there anyone who thinks that four days working or three days’ weekend is not a great idea? I guess every employee needs this.

This is not the first time the report is published regarding four days of work. Earlier also, a popular journal revealed the reasons why working four days can double companies’ profit.

The Concept was Introduced in 1950 by Walter Reuther

Source = Britannica

Employees are forced to believe that working hard results in better achievement. But can you believe working less can also be the key to success? This four days’ working concept is not new but was introduced in 1950 by American labor leader and civil rights activist Walter Reuther. It took some time for companies to follow this concept, but now it seems that MNC companies are finding it good for their growth.

Google Co-Founder Larry Page said-

“The idea that everyone needs to work frantically is "just not true." Interestingly, polls show that 70 percent of millionaires think the four-day work-week is a “valid idea.”

Microsoft Japan’s team found that four days a week concept resulted in positive results. This made employees creative and happier. Also, they get more time to spend with family. Apart from work, they get more involved in their hobbies and interest. This boosts their working ratio.

Also, spending 8-9 hours in the office may cause joint pain and other diseases. More energy and better performance need a relaxing mind and fewer hours of work. Improvement in employees’ work will increase companies’ profit. It is high time that every company should follow or at least try this concept for a month to see the results.

The company in a statement said-

“The results were promising: While the amount of time spent at work was cut dramatically, productivity — measured by sales per employee — went up by almost 40% compared to the same period the previous year.”

Some companies have begun offering flexibility and comfortability to employees by allowing them to leave early on the last Friday of the month.

With over 90% of employees supporting this idea, Japan is planning to implement this working concept in the future. Also, the company will implement another idea later this year. It will ask employees to come up with ideas about how they can improve their work-life balance.

Final Words

Almost every Japanese company requires its employees to work over 80 hours of overtime a month. Japanese also have the term Karoshi which means death by overwork.

For those who dream of having a shorter workweek, your dream can come true, ONLY if you can talk to your boss. Are you ready to talk to your boss about not coming on Fridays?

Do you find this experiment by Microsoft Japan at the workplace amazing? What are your thoughts on it? Call your boss and share this news if he/she hasn’t read it yet.