By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-12-04 08:51:16 | Updated at 2024-12-04 19:45:33
10 hours ago
Tokyo’s governor wants to introduce a four-day work week for government staffers in the capital as part of a nationwide push to encourage parenthood.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called Japan’s stubbornly low birth rate a “quiet emergency” and has pledged policies like flexible working hours.
The expectation that working mothers should still shoulder domestic burdens, raise children and care for relatives is believed to be a key factor behind the dearth of babies.
To make work-life balance easier for parents, Governor Yuriko Koike wants to offer civil servants employed by the Tokyo metropolitan government the option to work a truncated week beginning in April.
“Lagging behind in women’s empowerment is Japan’s long-standing issue, and overcoming the status quo and making society more diverse and prosperous is key for our bright future,” she said in a policy speech to the assembly.
“We will start with thorough support for work-life balance by introducing a more flexible working hour system, such as three holidays per week,” she added.
