Microsoft’s Productivity Increased 40% By Opting 4-Day Work Week! Can This Happen In India?

We are not strangers to Monday Blues, and we’re sure that most of us would agree to hating the poor first day of the week. If only there was proof that working 4 days a week is much better than working 5 days a week.

Well, we got it for you! Microsoft has actually implemented the 4 working days a week theory at their office in Japan, and found a whopping 40% boost in productivity!

Microsoft’s office in Japan kept its premises closed on Fridays during August. 

Find out how the 4-day working week happened and what results it brought, right here!

Microsoft Japan Implements 4 Day Working Week: Finds 40% Boost In Productivity

There was a report, ‘Work Life Choice Challenge 2019 Summer’ which studied the balance between work and life. This study was conducted with the intention to increase productivity and creativity by making the work hours of employees flexible. 

Microsoft decided to implement this in their office located in Japan, and found miraculous results! The three day weekend and four-day working week brought about a huge increase in productivity of employees – as high as 40%!

As per reports, the rate of employees asking for leaves went down by 25% during the month. Also, 23% lesser electricity was used. But the most important factor wherein change was expected, and received in huge amounts, was the company’s productivity, which went up by 40%. 

Most people believe that meetings that are held at workplaces are more often than not, time-wasting. This also produced a running joke – Like I’ve always said, most meetings could have been e-mails. Proving this true was Microsoft Japan’s 4-day working week formula. Apparently, the meetings held over this period were shorter and many of them were conducted virtually. 

4 Day Working Week: Will This Come To India? 

It was September 2018 when the United Kingdom strongly argued for a 4 day working week plan. It was put forth by the Trades Union Congress, which is a group of some of the biggest employee unions in the UK. 

They argued that the advancements in technology and sciences should relieve the stress on humans and their working hours should be reduced. 

However, India seems very far from implementing it, as the Government has very recently revealed their plans of making a 9-hour working day for all. Not only that, but to introduce a 4-day working week in a developing country doesn’t sound very profitable. 

Given that leading IT companies, such as Accenture and Cognizant have cases filed against them for irrationally long work hours and their leave policy, a 4-day working week in India seems like a distant dream. 

Do you think there should be a 4-day working week in India? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section!