Microsoft Tried 4 Day Work Week For Their Employees And Productivity Jumped By 40%
Microsoft’s Japan offices recently tested out a four-day workweek and found that employees were both happier and more productive during the trial. They called the temporary experimental policy “Work-Life Choice Challenge Summer 2019,” and it was in effect throughout the month of August.
In the experiment, Microsoft Japan’s 2,300 employees were given five Fridays in a row off work, without any changes being made to their pay.
In a statement discussing the experiment, Microsoft Japan president and CEO Takuya Hirano said that the company also promised to give employees roughly $1000 for a family summer vacation.
“Work a short time, rest well and learn a lot. I want employees to think about and experience how they can achieve the same results with 20% less working time,” Hirano said, according to the Guardian.
Oddly enough, despite the fact that the employees were clocking fewer hours, more work ended up getting done. The statement noted that the workers were actually more productive, probably because they were much happier and could more easily focus on their work. There were also some additional benefits to the company, like a significant reduction in electricity costs and less printer paper being used.
The trial run was a success, but it was only temporary, and it is not clear if or when it will become an official policy.