Microsoft launched a four-day workweek experiment earlier this year in one of the most unlikely places: Japan. But in a country known for its culture of extreme overwork, the shorter week had a big boost in productivity, the company’s business unit said in a post on its website, The Washington Post reports.
The test run, which took place in August and gave employees five consecutive Fridays off, boosted sales per employee by 40%, compared with the same month a year earlier, according to the post. The number of pages printed in the office fell by 59%, electricity consumption dropped 23%, and 94% of employees were satisfied with the program.
The month-long test is the latest example of a growing global movement to experiment with the concept of a four-day workweek as tight labor market conditions continue, technology offers increased flexibility, and reports proliferate that some workplaces have seen beneficial results from working four days and taking off three.
However, the idea has not gotten much traction in the U.S, according to a July report in The Washington Post. Although the burger chain Shake Shack said it was trying the idea, few large companies have followed suit. As of last summer, none of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates had embraced the four-day workweek, either, even though they have backed other ambitious ideas, such as universal basic income or a federal jobs guarantee.
At Microsoft Japan, the project gave employees special paid leave, closing offices for each Friday in August. The idea was to promote more efficient work in less time, urging workers to “work in a short time, take a rest, and learn well” to improve productivity and creativity, according to a translated version of a company post on its website. Read the full story.
