Japan launches "telework" campaign to ease congestion, reform work culture
24/07/2017 06:41
TOKYO, July 24 (Reuters) - Japan on Monday launched a scheme
to promote "telework", or working from home, in an effort to
ease congestion when Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympics, as well as
soften a notoriously rigid work culture.
Almost 930 companies, including Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd
2587.T , Ajinomoto Co 2802.T , and Tokyu Construction Co
1720.T are participating in "Telework Day," to be held on July
24 each year from now until the Olympics opening ceremony set
for July 24, 2020.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has introduced
policies to shorten working hours, raise contract workers' pay,
and curb abuse of labour laws. Telework could be another way to
reform working practices that some say are behind the times.
"Once the Olympics start it will be hard to get to work, so
we are doing this as an experiment," said Takashi Kozu, 61,
president of the Ricoh Institute of Sustainability and Business.
"The lifestyles of younger generations are changing, so
firms should offer alternative work styles to maintain
employees' incentive."
Kozu said he worked from home on Monday morning, planned to
attend an off-site meeting in the afternoon and would not show
up in the office until early evening.
Telework is more common in other countries, especially in
the information technology sector, where employees regularly use
teleconferencing or log on from the neighbourhood cafe.
But it has been slow to catch on in other industries in
Japan, partly because firms have put a lot of emphasis on being
physically present at the office, often for 12 hours or more.
But Japan, Inc. is starting to change its ways and introduce
more flexible work hours. As the population ages, the labour
force is shrinking at an alarming rate, and a hard-driving work
culture makes it difficult to attract and retain workers.
Some companies are starting to realise that long, inflexible
hours of work actually keep labour productivity low.
In some cases Japan's working culture can be fatal, and it
is not uncommon for workers to commit suicide or suffer a stroke
because of excessive hours. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1KB38A
"We are doing this for the Olympics, but the long-term goal
is to have more humane working conditions," said Hiroshi
Ohnishi, a planner at the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and
Industry, which is promoting "Telework Day."
"In the past, working long hours was considered a virtue,
but this thinking will not hold up in the future."
(Reporting by Stanley White; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
((stanley.white@thomsonreuters.com; +81 3 6441 1984
twitter.com/stanleywhite1; Reuters Messaging:
stanley.white.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: JAPAN ECONOMY/TELEWORK