Revisions planned for government's flextime system to allow extra day off weekly
Employees of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government may soon enjoy a four-day workweek under a new plan announced by Governor Yuriko Koike, according to reports.
Koike unveiled on Tuesday the plan to introduce revisions to the government's flextime system, which currently allows its staff to add one extra day off every four weeks, The Mainichi reported.
The change will revise this to enable employees to get an extra day off per week instead, paving the way for a four-day work week.
Koike announced the plan during the opening of the fourth regular session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, noting that it would start in April next year.
"We'll keep reviewing our work styles flexibly so that nobody has to give up their careers due to life events such as childbirth and childcare," the governor said as quoted by The Mainichi.
Koike's announcement on the four-day work week plans adds the metropolitan government to the growing list of governments implementing similar initiatives.
Ibaraki Prefecture introduced a selective four-day workweek in April for most employees, The Japan Times reported. Miyagi Prefecture is also expanding its four-day work week arrangement to all prefectural staff by fiscal 2026.
Chiba Prefecture is expanding its four-day work week policy in June. Kuji City, in Iwate Prefecture, is also eyeing the full implementation of a four-day work week there after trialling it in May.
Japan's Parliament in May passed revisions mandating organisations to offer flexible work options for employees with young children, which will take effect in April.
Meanwhile, Koike also announced plans to introduce a new "childcare partial leave" system, which will enable employees to reduce their working hours by up to two hours daily.
The governor unveiled the plans as she pointed out that women's empowerment is a "long-standing issue" in Japan, The Japan Times reported.
She noted that overcoming the situation is key to creating a future where both men and women can thrive.
Japan has been taking steps to improve work-life balance and gender equality in workplaces. It is encouraging more fathers to take up paternity leave, while also asking firms to reveal their women's management ratios.
