Four-day work week: An idea whose time is all but sure to come

In the old days, when a formal job usually meant a sarkari one, work flexibility meant something else. This week, the administration of Tokyo said that from April next year, it would give its staff the option of a four-day work week, with a full three days off. “We will review work styles," said the city’s governor Yuriko Koike, “with flexibility, ensuring no one has to give up their career due to life events such as childbirth or child care." Not only does the participation of women in Japan’s workforce lag that of other developed economies, the country’s low fertility rate—at 1.2 children per woman—and ageing society have spelt a shrinking population. Given a choice, most folks would jump to grab a four-day work week, whose popularity has been confirmed by several surveys.