Microsoft Japan Adopts 4-Day Workweek, Sees 40% Productivity Increase

• Microsoft Japan decided to conduct an experiment where employees only had to come in for four days every week.
• The workforce was given Fridays off, which means a longer weekend.
• Not surprisingly, the shorter workweek resulted in a 40% increase in overall productivity.

There is little doubt that work takes up a lot of our time. But what if the entire workweek gets shortened? Microsoft Japan conducted an experiment where employees got a shorter, 4-day workweek for a full month. Amazingly, the reduced hours actually led to a 40% increase in productivity.

Back in August, Microsoft Japan decided to see if a shorter workweek would have any effect on its employees. The experiment called ‘Work-Life Choice Challenge Summer 2019’, imposed a 4-day workweek for five weeks where employees only came in from Monday to Thursday. In addition to that, there was no reduction in their salary. The result: the workers appreciated the long weekend and became more productive at work.

Although their workweek was reduced, employees still enjoyed the same benefits.

At the end of the experiment, Microsoft Japan confirmed that productivity had increased by 40%. This was because the employees took less time off. In addition to that, people seemed more eager to get things done ahead of their long weekend.

Employees were not the only ones who enjoyed the benefits of the shorter workweek. The company also reported that the use of electricity was cut down by 23.1 percent and fewer pages were printed out throughout the five weeks. This means that the company was using fewer resources, which is extremely beneficial for the environment.

The employees were obviously happier with the reduced hours at the office.

For now, it is unclear if Microsoft Japan will permanently adopt the 4-day workweek. However, the amazing results of the experiment could ultimately push the company to make it a regular thing.

Hopefully, more companies will realize that happy, healthy employees are the best way to increase productivity in the office.