Microsoft Japan Sees 40% Increase in Productivity with Four-Day Workweek
In 2019, Microsoft Japan shifted its operations from five days per week down to four days while keeping salaries unchanged - resulting in an impressive 40% increase in productivity among its staff members!
Dec. 24, 2022 4:55AM
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A group of smiling people standing around a laptop computer with balloons behind them celebrating their success at Microsoft Japan's four-day workweek initiative launch party!
In 2019, Microsoft Japan made a bold move to shift to a four-day workweek and the results have been astounding. Employees at the Japanese branch of the tech giant saw an impressive 40% increase in productivity over the course of the year. The initiative was first announced by Microsoft Japan president and CEO Takuya Hirano in August 2019. The plan was to reduce working hours from five days per week to four days, while keeping employees’ salaries unchanged. The goal was to improve work-life balance and boost employee morale and productivity. Microsoft Japan conducted a trial run of this new system for one month in August 2019, which resulted in an impressive 39.9% increase in sales per employee compared with August 2018 figures. This success led them to roll out the program company-wide starting September 2019. The company also implemented other measures such as banning after-hours emails and encouraging employees to take their full allotted vacation time each year, both of which were aimed at promoting better work/life balance for their staff members. Since then, employees have reported feeling more energized and motivated when they come into work each day, leading to higher levels of productivity overall. Additionally, absenteeism has decreased by 25%, showing that employees are taking fewer sick days due to improved mental health from having more free time outside of work hours. These positive results demonstrate that giving employees more control over their own schedules can lead not only to greater job satisfaction but also increased productivity levels across organizations as a whole. It will be interesting to see if other companies follow suit and adopt similar policies moving forward!