Modern work keeps stretching in two directions at once: toward more productivity and toward more humanity. From Japan's four-day workweek experiment to the shifts remote work has brought to big cities, the conversation is moving from how much we work to how well we work. Because maybe the future of work isn't about doing more: it's about doing it better, and living better while we do. -Maja
When it comes to the future of work, Japan is caught in a tug-of-war. Tokyo officials are pushing for a four-day workweek, hoping a shorter schedule will ease the nation's notoriously punishing work culture and curb "karoshi" -which translates to death from overwork. With birthrates falling and burnout rising, many see the shift not as a perk, but a necessity for Japan's economic survival. But the country's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is signaling a very different approach.
There's one unifying reason why employees actually show up for work every single day. The pay. It's as simple as that. But is there such a thing as a job perk so good that it would make up for a pay cut from what you are currently earning? According to a survey conducted by Youngstown State University, of 1,000 employees in the U.S., there are actually two things that Americans would consider worthy of a pay cut: a remote or hybrid workplace or a four-day workweek.
Severance is the first hospital in South Korea to trial a four-day workweek, aiming to improve the work-life balance of its staff. Under the program, introduced in 2023 following an agreement between labour and management, some hospital employees are allowed to take three days off per week in exchange for a 10 percent reduction in salary. Staff take turns participating in six-month rotations, after which they return to a five-day week.
