OAN Staff James Myers
3:43 PM – Monday, December 9, 2024
The Tokyo government reportedly plans to introduce four-day working weeks for staff in a bid to support young families and boost record-low birth rates across island nation Japan.
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Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced that starting in April, Tokyo Metropolitan Government employees will be given the option of taking three days off a week.
In his policy speech at the 4th regular session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, he said, “We will flexibly review work styles so that no one has to give up on their career due to life events such as childbirth or childcare.''
Japan's birth rate is in a downward spiral at an all-time low of 1.2, and a birth rate of 2.1 is needed to stabilize the population. In 2023, the government looked for ways to support families. CNN Reported.
Meanwhile, Governor Koike announced an additional policy that would allow parents of elementary school children to pay a portion of their salary in exchange for the option of leaving school early.
“Now is the time for Tokyo to take the lead in protecting and improving the lives, livelihoods and economy of its people during this difficult time for this country,” she said.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, there were only 727,277 births in Japan last year. Experts believe the low numbers may be due to Japan's heavy overtime culture, which forces many women to choose between a career and a family. The country's “gender gap” in labor force participation is higher than in other high-income countries, at 55% for women and 72% for men last year, according to the World Bank.
However, some blame Japan's overall dating culture for its low infertility rates.
About the episode CNN's The 2019 documentary series “Sex & Love Around the World” focused on specific dating habits in Japan. Many of the Japanese women interviewed on the program admitted that they had never had intimate relationships with their husbands, and some admitted that they preferred to cheat, seeking sexual satisfaction and intimacy elsewhere. On the other hand, many Japanese men, married or single, watch pornography in public, use sex dolls, and go to “soaplands” and “love hotels,” which are essentially brothels. I think it's perfectly normal to go there. CNN An interviewee explained.
Supporters of the four-day workday also argue that shortening the work week gives civil servants more time to raise children, potentially bringing them closer to their spouses in the process. There is.
“I think it would benefit the people and the country as a whole if everyone could take more vacations,” said one X user.
In 2022, we participated in a four-day work week pilot program in a series of global trials conducted by nonprofit organization 4 Day Week Global. Nine out of 10 employees who participated in the program wanted to continue working four days a week. They claimed it improved their mental and physical health.
Earlier this year, Singapore introduced new guidelines requiring all companies to consider employees' requests for flexible working arrangements, including a four-day week.
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