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VOA新闻杂志2024--Japan Considers Four-day Work Weeks

时间:2024-09-10 02:33:33

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(单词翻译)

Japan is a nation so hardworking that the Japanese language has a term for working oneself to death. Now, the government is trying to deal with a labor1 shortage2.

One solution is to get more people and companies to accept four-day workweeks. The Japanese government first supported a shorter working week in 2021. Few companies have signed on, however. The Ministry3 of Health, Labor and Welfare said only about eight percent of companies permit three days off a week, while seven percent give their workers the required one day off.

Hoping to get small and medium-sized businesses to change, the government started a "work style reform" campaign. It pushes shorter hours and other flexible plans for work along with paid time off and limits on overtime4. The labor ministry recently started offering free services and resources to help companies make the change.

'Innovating5 how we work'

A ministry website explains the "hatarakikata kaikaku" campaign, which means "innovating how we work." It says that when workers can choose how they work, they will have a better outlook on the future and the economy will grow.

The department handling the new support services for businesses says only about three companies have asked for their advice.

Such changes will not come easily in the Japanese culture, where being a "workaholic," or frequently working overtime, has long been highly valued. That is credited for the country's national recovery and fast economic growth after World War II.

There is great pressure to be the same as the others in one's work group. People usually take vacations at the same time of year as their co-workers. Although the law and labor agreements limit overtime, some work longer hours without pay.

Death from overwork

A recent government report dealt with "karoshi." That is the Japanese term meaning "death from overwork." The report said Japan has at least 54 such deaths a year, including from heart attacks.

Tim Craig wrote a book called Cool Japan: Case Studies from Japan's Cultural and Creative Industries.

"Work is a big deal here. It's not just a way to make money, although it is that, too," said Craig.

Some officials think it is time to change that way of thinking to save the workforce6. Japan's birth rate continues to fall, and the work culture is said to be one reason for that. Government reports expect that, at the current rate, the working age population will drop by 40 percent to 45 million by 2065.

Supporters of the three-days-off model say it helps people remain in the workforce longer. It would give them more time to raise children and care for older relatives. For retirees living on retirement7 pensions, it would provide additional income.

More time for family

Akiko Yokohama works at Spelldata, a technology company that lets employees work a four-day work week. She takes Wednesdays off along with Saturdays and Sundays. The extra day off allows her to get her hair done, go to other appointments or go shopping.

Her husband works in real estate. He also gets Wednesdays off but works weekends, which is common in his industry. Yokohama said that it lets her and her husband go on midweek family outings with their elementary-school age child.

But there are signs of change. A few companies, including Uniqlo, Ricoh and Hitachi have begun offering a four-day workweek.

A recent Gallup public opinion study measured employee engagement8. Gallup said Japan has among the least engaged workers of all nationalities it has studied. Only six percent of the Japanese who answered described themselves as engaged at work compared to the worldwide average of 23 percent.

That means relatively9 few Japanese workers felt happy and highly involved in their workplace. Most were putting in their hours without investing passion or energy.

Kanako Ogino is president of Tokyo-based NS Group. She thinks offering flexible hours is needed for filling jobs in the service industry, where women are most of the work force. The company offers 30 different scheduling patterns, including a four-day workweek, but also taking long periods off in between work.

To ensure none of the NS Group's workers feel out of place for choosing a different schedule, Ogino asks each of her 4,000 employees twice a year how they want to work. Voicing your own needs is disapproved10 in Japan, where you are expected to sacrifice for the common good.

"The view in Japan was: You are cool the more hours you work, putting in free overtime," Ogino said with a laugh. "But there is no dream in such a life."

Words in This Story

flexible - adj. easily changed

overtime - n. time spent working at your job that is in addition to your normal working hours

innovate11 - v. to do something in a new way

appointment -n. an activity that you need to go to at a certain time such as a visit to a doctor or dentist

engagement - n. the act or state of being involved with something

passion - n. a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something

schedule - v. to plan (something) at a certain time


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
2 shortage 1yrwh     
n.缺少,缺乏,不足
参考例句:
  • The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
  • The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。
3 ministry kD5x2     
n.(政府的)部;牧师
参考例句:
  • They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
  • We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。
4 overtime aKqxn     
adj.超时的,加班的;adv.加班地
参考例句:
  • They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
  • He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。
5 innovating b2cad8e47bea6ea9b59da5b70e544185     
v.改革,创新( innovate的现在分词 );引入(新事物、思想或方法),
参考例句:
  • In this new century, the company keeps innovating and developing new products. 新世纪伊始,公司全面实施形象工程及整合营销,不断改革创新,开发高新产品。 来自互联网
  • Beijing is backward most prime cause is innovating at system lack. 北京落后的最根本原因在于制度缺乏创新。 来自互联网
6 workforce workforce     
n.劳动大军,劳动力
参考例句:
  • A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
  • A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。
7 retirement TWoxH     
n.退休,退职
参考例句:
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。
8 engagement pZPzQ     
n.订婚,婚约,约定,约会
参考例句:
  • I can't see you on Monday because I have a previous engagement.星期一我不能见你,因为我有约在先。
  • It was my mother's very own engagement ring.这正是我母亲自己的订婚戒指。
9 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地,相对地
参考例句:
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
10 disapproved 3ee9b7bf3f16130a59cb22aafdea92d0     
v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 innovate p62xr     
v.革新,变革,创始
参考例句:
  • We must innovate in order to make progress.我们必须改革以便取得进步。
  • It is necessary to innovate and develop military theories.创新和发展军事理论是必要的。

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