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26 Jan, 2015

Four-day workweek, zero meetings help Japanese firms boost productivity, sales

Aki is unusual not only for its products — it operates under a four-day workweek system. The company’s 13 employees work 10 hours a day from Monday through Thursday. Company meetings, which were considered a waste of time, were abolished, resulting in a boost in employee motivation.

Since the introduction of the four-day workweek in June 2013, the company’s sales have risen nearly 30 per cent. “If we worked under the same sense of time as that in urban areas, we couldn’t make a living in a provincial area,” Matsuoka said. “I have tried to improve productivity and shorten work hours so my employees can use the spare time for local community activities and raising their children.”

One company even encourages its workers to take outside jobs, although most companies prohibit dual employment. The company is En Factory Inc, an internet-related service firm based in Tokyo.

Read the rest: Flexible work hours can be an aid to motivation | GulfNews.com.