The Japan work rules debate sounds boring until one comprehends the implications involved in this controversy. These regulations may appear to be just a matter of bureaucratic procedures or legal terms. However, it is more than that. It is a choice between having a progressive labor market and just improving the justification of old-fashioned policies. By urging the acceleration of the review of discretionary work systems and working-hour rules, PM Sanae Takaichi opened a discourse touching upon a number of crucial issues in Japan, such as poor productivity, labor shortages, stagnation of corporate culture, and the same age-old inability to distinguish between dedication and exhaustion. Thus, one cannot doubt the validity of the attention Japanese media is paying to this topic.
This Debate Is About More Than Workdays
As reported by The Japan Times Sanae Takaichi gave an instruction to the relevant ministers to speed up the review of discretionary labor systems. At first glance, this instruction may seem insignificant. However, being implemented in Japan, this issue acquires political importance, especially considering the ongoing reforms concerning work and pay rules. As per The Japan Times, the discretionary work system implies flexible terms for performing job-related activities. In this case, the calculation of labor hours assumes certain hypothetical values instead of actual ones.
So the question is obvious.
What if those presumptions of working hours are lower than the actual hours spent in the process?
Indeed, the Japan Labor Ministry survey reported on February 6 that in Japan the actual hours of work exceed the presumed hours by about 50 minutes per day on average. Obviously, the system that aimed to ensure flexibility and efficiency can become a tool for hiding employees’ overwork quite easily. Thus, the present Japan labor reform debate is important because this procedure allows relaxing or amending rules regarding working hours, which implies increasing productivity by all possible means.
That is why this issue matters.
Japan Is Seeking Growth Through Higher Productivity
As noted by Mainichi on April 21, the government plans to boost labor productivity by 15% within five years to improve its growth potential. It seems evident that this target is driven by the realization of the necessity to find other ways for economic growth, as there are no prospects of achieving it due to a low birth rate. Thus, the government now has to find a way to increase the effectiveness of Japanese workers.
Unfortunately, it appears impossible to satisfy the interests of all stakeholders at once. The government’s desire to raise productivity is opposed to the demand for flexibility from employers and the need for comfortable conditions for workers. The Japan Times on March 8 notes that, according to the report of the labor ministry, 10.5% of respondents were ready to work additional hours. Meanwhile, 30.0% preferred reduced working days, and 59.5% were satisfied with the existing regime.
Indeed, there was no unanimous desire for fewer workdays among workers.
However, despite these nuances, the primary issue remains unchanged. There is still a necessity to protect employees from excessive workdays in Japan, with its specific work-related tradition. Thus, one can say that Japan faces the need to achieve balance in a highly problematic labor environment.
Productivity Is What Japan Needs, but Its Working Environment Is an Obstacle
It seems evident that Japan is suffering not from a lack, but from an abundance of diligence and effort. For many decades, long workdays in the country served as evidence of dedication regardless of the actual outcomes produced by employees. Therefore, one should consider the contemporary labor reform debate in Japan as crucial as ever to break the vicious circle of excessive workload caused by inappropriate cultural norms.
According to the information provided by Mainichi, the Japanese government considers labor reforms in terms of productivity gains as the solution for boosting growth. It looks like they have the right approach to the issue. However, instead of improving the working environment in order to enhance productivity, Japanese policymakers try to change rules in terms of the hours worked. It can hardly be considered a good idea.
That is the problem.
On the contrary, one can speak about the necessity for companies to use new technologies and provide better assessment and evaluation of employees’ performance. In this regard, one needs to refer to the Japan Times article on discretionary work systems published on February 6, stating that actual hours of employees exceed the presumed ones on average. Thus, the system turns into a mechanism of inefficiency and deception.
One can see two alternatives here: to establish a new effective labor system or to continue justifying the status quo in the Japanese labor environment.
The Implications of the Choice Will Be Vast
One can hardly claim that this debate is not interesting enough for the media of Japan. This is a wide-ranging question involving a number of aspects, from salary regulation and family life to labor shortages and the credibility of the government’s intentions. If Japan fails to make the right decision, it will only increase the skepticism of its citizens in regard to governmental reforms. Moreover, the current discourse can contribute to a perception that any talk of flexible and convenient working conditions will be replaced with an obligation to perform for free.
On the other hand, Japan stands a chance of establishing a new efficient labor system that would be associated with higher salaries, healthier and more productive employees, and more accurate measurement of actual labor output. That is why this case is quite interesting, as it can show how the country is going to solve one of its biggest challenges.
Japan is not simply discussing work rules.
It is deciding what kind of labor system it wants to defend.
Sources
Mainichi on Japan’s plan to raise labor productivity by 15% in five years
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