Uniqlo is testing a four-day workweek schedule for its store associates in Japan in a bid to improve retention and support full-time employment.
The apparel retail giant told Bloomberg that many of its in-store workers work part-time primarily to spend time with families or care for their elderly parents. The program is particularly aimed at attracting and retaining talented women.
"We've got a big program at the moment, working towards empowering women in the workforce," a spokesman for Fast Retailing, the parent of Uniqlo, told NBC News. "The idea is that if you've got kids, it gives you a lot more flexibility."
In October, around 10,000 full-time employees in Uniqlo's Japan stores, roughly a fifth of its workforce, will be allowed to work four 10-hour days and gain an extra day off. Participants will have to work Saturday and/or Sunday to support peak hours.
The shorter workweek may be expanded to its headquarters and across more stores if successful.
Photo: Uniqlo
The move comes as Japanese businesses are rethinking long work hours. According to data compiled by the Japanese government and reported by the Guardian, about 22 percent of the country's employees spend more than 49 hours per week at work versus 16 percent in the U.S. and 11 percent in France and Germany.
According to a survey earlier this year from the Society for Human Resource Management, about 43 percent of U.S. companies, mostly smaller startups, offer at least some workers the option of a compressed workweek, although it's typically a perk for white-collar employees. Only 10 percent of those companies let all employees work a shortened schedule.
Beyond helping with children or elder care, four-day workweeks can help improve concentration with the longer periods of uninterrupted work on 10-hour days, according to advocates. Shorter weeks also promise to boost morale and productivity with employees coming back more refreshed over a longer weekend.
Challenges include the fact that many other businesses work on a five-day week and workflow and communication schedules have to be planned out ahead of time, according to a recent article on the trend by Fast Company. Some positions, such as receptionists or mail sorters, are needed every working day, and jealousies can arrive for those having to work traditional hours. At least in offices, many workers want to take off Monday or Fridays, leaving businesses understaffed on those days.
- Uniqlo to try out four-day work week - Bloomberg News/Financial Post
- Uniqlo to test four-day week for store workers in Japan - Mashable
- Clocking off: Japan calls time on long-hours work culture - The Guardian
- The 4-day workweek is real ... for employees at these companies - CNN Money
- How These Companies Have Made Four-Day Workweeks Feasible - Fast Company
- Uniqlo Offers Four-Day Work Week to Lure, Retain Talent - CNBC