Thursday, July 13, 2017, 15:00 - 16:00
"Preparing Japan's Workplace of the Future"
Language: The Speech and Q&A will be in Japanese with English interpretation
Despite all efforts at work reform, Japanese employees still toil some of the longest hours in the world. Over one in four Japanese companies admitted in a government survey last year that some workers clock in for 80 hours overtime a month. More than one million Japanese employees regularly put in at least 100 hours monthly overtime.
A government labor reform panel in March recommended revised labor laws to cap overtime at 100 hours a month and improve conditions for non-regular workers. Some companies say the proposals, which may come into effect from 2019, are unworkable. Reformists on the other hand say the proposals exempt the worst corporate offenders and don't go far enough.
Can Japan get to grips with one of its most pressing problems? As a profound labor crunch deepens, many companies are asking their workers to do more, not less. The lifetime employment system, which disproportionately rewards middle-aged male workers, has long resisted reform. The nation's powerful business lobby may fight deep changes. Women are still second-tier workers.
Touko Shirakawa is perhaps uniquely qualified to discuss these issues. In addition to being a member of the cabinet office's panel on work-style reform, she also joined a government taskforce to tackle Japan's declining birthrate. In 2013, she was a member of METI's "Research Group on Society Where Women Can Shine." She majored in Sociology at Keio University and worked for Sumitomo Corporation and Lehman Brothers before becoming a professional writer, focusing on women's issues.
Please reserve in advance, 3211-3161 or on the website (still & TV cameras inclusive). Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation.
Professional Activities Committee
