Tokyo's four-day workweek aims to boost the birth rate
Tokyo is implementing a four-day workweek for its employees to support young families and increase the birth rate. The changes will take effect in April. Japan is facing a demographic crisis.
Tokyo plans to introduce a four-day workweek for its employees to support young families and improve the country’s low birth rate. NBC News reports that employees can enjoy three days off a week starting in April.
Tokyo tackles the demographic crisis
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced that the new work rules aim to offer a flexible lifestyle approach so that no one has to give up their career due to life events such as childbirth or childcare. Last year, the birth rate in Japan fell to 1.2 children per woman, one of the lowest in the world.
Additionally, the new policy allows parents of elementary school children to finish work early in exchange for a portion of their salary.
The introduction of a four-day workweek aims to improve the work-life balance, as confirmed by global studies from 2022, in which participants reported improvements in physical and mental health and greater life satisfaction.
