2y ago

TIL: Microsoft tried a 4-day workweek in Japan as part of a "Work Life Choice Challenge" by shutting down offices every Friday. Productivity, measured by sales per employee, increased by almost 40% co

www.cnn.com

Microsoft tried a 4-day workweek in Japan. Productivity jumped 40% | CNN Business

A growing number of smaller companies are adopting a four-day workweek. Now the results of a recent trial at Microsoft suggest it could work even for the biggest businesses.

27 comments

It turns out if you stop making people pretend to work, they work! What a concept.
Anybody else find it a bit gross that with an already productive workforce, the 'issue' of the 4 day work week needs to be framed like this...instead of it being about giving people their time and lives back without a reduction in pay?
- But they need da moneey
Cool, nice to see so many places taking this more seriously recently.
As someone who's working 3 days a week (à 8h), I approve this. 😎
- Would you mind sharing what you do for work? That's a dream schedule.
  
  Software Engineer. IT "consultant" (actually just engineering). Company is quite goodwilled and they value sustainability (economic, social and environmental).
  On one hand, I was lucky. On the other hand it was important to me, so I asked after 1.5 years there to reduce to 60%.
still waiting for this to happen in the global scale! One can hope for it
There's been lots of research on this before; nearly universally productivity goes up when companies move to a 4 day week.
The problem is that this would lessen corporate control on people because they'd get one extra day off, and that's not acceptable to conservatives. It's the same as with demaning people not work remotely; it's all about power
- Yep. People are being pushed back to work in offices even though studies indicate most office workers are more productive when they work from home. I saw someone on Mastodon sum it up as "people are getting paid for attendance" and that's absolutely correct.
  
  Nice profile pic 🌹
Did they switch to 4x10 or to a 4x8?
I was lying in bed last night thinking about how great a 4 day work week would be and how it would allow me to actually accomplish things that I can't today because Saturday becomes the day to do all the errands I can't do during the work week and Sunday is a hybrid of chores, socializing, and relaxing... assuming I don't have training or maintenance scheduled at my volunteer gig. Having a day where I can focus on a hobby or interest in a relaxing manner without other obligations lurking would be so delightful!
And while I recognize that people manage to do all those things and don't have an issue with it, that's great for them! I struggle thanks to being neurodivergent and that additional day not working each week would drastically improve my quality of life. I know this because when I take a Friday or Monday off, I'm able to do all the things I need and get the me time I also need to be a happy, healthy human.
- My workplace implemented Summer Hours. I'm remote as is, but being remote and only doing 4 days a week? My friend I feel like I finally have time to do what neuro-typical do. Although I'm still not satisfied with 40 hour work weeks, this finally feels like what people described living to feel like. No more task initiation problems, less piling backlog of health things I never have the time or availability to schedule for. Glorious
  
  That sounds delightful and I'm so glad it's helped you! Agree on the 40 hours - it should be 32 hours max.
Microsoft, for its part, says it will conduct another experiment in Japan later this year.
Cool.
So this from 2019, I wonder did they keep this up and did productivity stay at this level. I'm guessing there would be at least a slight dip after the initial enthusiasm but who knows.

27 comments