January 21, 2010
(Mainichi Japan)
At 10 p.m. at the head office of Japan's leading cosmetics maker Shiseido Co. in Tokyo's Ginza district, all the lights are switched off.
The system was introduced in April last year as part of the company's efforts to reduce excessive overtime. Employees will be stopped by security guards and required to give their names and departments if they fail to leave the office before the lights-out time. The same rule has been applied to four other branch offices, including those in the Shiodome and Gotanda districts.
"Staff members tend to feel uncomfortable about leaving the office when their colleagues are still working and stay late. We felt it was necessary to introduce some kind of forcible measures to end the bad practice," said Yuki Honda, an advisor to the human resources department.
Those who fail to comply with the rule will have to submit a written apology to their superiors, explaining the reason why they had to stay at the office until late. The number of violations by each department will be reported during a monthly managers' meeting, allowing each other to compare and evaluate working hours.
Only those employees who are engaged in certain tasks, such as system checking and overseas operations, that need to be done at certain periods of time, will be allowed to stay after 10 p.m. with prior notice.
The company hopes that the strict time limit will encourage its employees to use their time efficiently. When the system was first introduced, many employees failed to finish their work by the set time. However, now that they are accustomed to it, few workers break the rules.
During its "work-life balance week" last November, the cosmetics maker set the finishing time at 8 p.m. on a trial basis.
"Some apparel makers and securities firms close their office at 7 p.m., and we are far behind them," said Honda.
Under the leadership of President Shinzo Maeda, Shiseido has also engaged in promoting a working environment in which female workers can strike a balance between career and family life. In 2007, the company introduced its "kangaroo staff" system, in which part-timers take over the work of Shiseido beauty attendants with children to make it easier for them to take maternity leave. The initiative contributed to reducing the number of child-care-related resignations to almost none. The company further aims to improve its support system for elderly care.
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