Microsoft carried out a test of a four-day workweek this summer at its subsidiary in Japan, and found the startling result that it led to a 40 percent boost in productivity, the company announced last week. Microsoft Japan kept its offices closed every Friday in August during the trial, which was part of Microsoft’s “Work-Life Choice Challenge,” a summer project that looked at work-life balance and aimed at helping improve creativity and productivity by giving employees more flexible working hours.
Full-time employees were given paid leave for the closed-office days. Microsoft also found during the test that it saved on electricity and office resources, with the number of pages printed down by nearly 60 percent and electricity use down by close to one-quarter.
