In a significant move aimed at addressing Japan’s declining fertility rates, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has announced the introduction of a four-day workweek for its employees, set to begin in April. The initiative is part of a broader effort to support working families, particularly parents, and improve the nation’s low birth rate.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike unveiled the new policy in a speech at the fourth regular session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, stating that starting in April, all Tokyo Metropolitan Government employees will be allowed to enjoy three days off each week. This change is expected to provide greater flexibility for employees to manage their personal and professional lives.
“Our goal is to ensure that no one has to choose between their career and life events like childbirth or childcare,” Governor Koike emphasized. The policy is designed to help young families balance work and family responsibilities, offering an incentive to raise children amid Japan’s ongoing fertility crisis.
Japan’s fertility rate is currently at a historic low, with the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare reporting that the average number of children per woman dropped to just 1.2 last year, far below the replacement level of 2.1 needed for a stable population. The government has been making continuous efforts to encourage young couples to have children, but the nation still faces significant challenges in this area.
Koike’s plan also includes a policy for parents with primary school-aged children, allowing them to exchange part of their salary for the opportunity to leave work earlier to spend time with their families. This move aims to provide more time for parents to care for their children, making it easier for them to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
This new policy also addresses Japan’s well-documented issues with overwork. The country has long struggled with a culture of overtime work, often leaving individuals, particularly women, with limited time to raise children. The introduction of the four-day workweek aims to combat this by giving employees more time for personal and family life, potentially alleviating some of the pressures women face in balancing careers and childcare.
The new workweek arrangement will apply to more than 160,000 employees of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, giving them Fridays off each week. This initiative is part of a broader effort to create more family-friendly work environments and reduce the gender disparity in the workforce. The World Bank has noted that gender participation in Japan’s labor force is notably lower for women, with 72% of men participating compared to just 55% of women, a gap that the government aims to address.
Additionally, a pilot program conducted in 2022 by various businesses, as part of a global trial organized by the NGO 4 Day Week Global, revealed that over 90% of employees involved in the trial wished to continue with a four-day workweek. The trial showed significant improvements in employees’ happiness, work-life balance, and overall mental and physical well-being.
With these steps, Tokyo’s new initiative aims to be a catalyst for positive change in Japan’s labor market, offering hope to working parents and contributing to the nation’s ongoing efforts to address its fertility crisis.
Sources By Agencies
