'Premium Friday' highlights gap between large, small offices

The government-led "Premium Friday" initiative, which encourages workers to end work at 3 p.m. on the last Friday of each month, received mixed responses as it was launched on Feb. 24.

In Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district and at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, some workers were seen leaving their offices earlier than usual, but others were as busy as on any other day. Non-regular workers and operators of small- and mid-sized companies also snubbed the initiative, as fewer working hours would mean lower wages for those paid by the hour.

At the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which advocated the "Premium Friday" initiative, Economy Minister Hiroshige Seko called on employees to call it a day early through an in-house announcement shortly past 2 p.m. At the Electric Power Safety Division, employees rushed to leave the office at the ring of the 3 p.m. chime. Many other workers, however, stayed on. "I have work to finish today," one of them explained.

The public relations section of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said the ministry encouraged its employees to leave the office at around 3 p.m. through an in-house announcement. But it said, "We don't know the percentage of workers who actually took part in the move."

One employee complained, "Departments staffed with many workers may be able to let their workers leave at 3 p.m., but those with fewer staff can't do the same. We would receive complaints if the phones at government offices weren't answered after 3 p.m. I hope the initiative will take root in the private sector first."

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government also urged its employees to take time off on the Premium Friday if they could. However, as the regular session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly is underway, some metropolitan bureaucrats were busy coordinating agendas with the assembly late into the night.

A 57-year-old senior official commented, "It's wrong to set the Premium Friday on the last Friday of the month, when workers are very busy. Next month, the Premium Friday will fall on the 31st, which happens to be the last day of this fiscal year. I assume it will be difficult to benefit from the Premium Friday, not only at government offices but also at private companies."

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, as of Feb. 23 only 130 companies had encouraged their employees to leave their offices early on the Premium Friday.

Tatsuya Sekiguchi, secretary-general of the Tokyo Union, a union dedicated to supporting dispatched workers, said, "I feel there's a gap between large companies that can let their workers leave at 3 p.m. and smaller companies that can't.

"I'm concerned that the workloads at subcontractors could increase because workers at larger companies are leaving at 3 p.m. It's going about things the wrong way round if an increased number of workers are forced to bring their tasks home as a result of the initiative," he said. Noting that non-regular workers are paid by the hour, he added, "Fewer working hours would mean they earn less. They wouldn't be happy if they were told to leave at 3 p.m."