Work after 8 pm banned at Japanese company and profits soar

Under the leadership of CEO Masahiro Okafuji, Itochu Corp., one of Japan's leading trading companies, has achieved great success in challenging the country's declining birth rate. This was possible by implementing innovative measures to balance personal and professional of employees and encourage them to have children.

Itochu's focus was on raising productivity, as well as promoting a better environment for the transformation achieved. By adopting policies that allow workers to have a more balanced life, the company was able to increase its profitability per employee.

Working late is prohibited!

In 2010, when Masahiro Okafuji took the helm at Itochu, he had an audacious vision of making it more competitive, even among bigger rivals on the Japanese scene. To achieve this goal, it adhered to an innovative and unconventional approach, focusing on the well-being of employees.

One of the most notable measures implemented by the CEO was to stop office work after 8 pm. This decision was taken in order to prioritize the mental and physical health of employees, ensuring that they had adequate time for rest and personal life.

Security guards and human resources staff have been given clear instructions: they must make sure that all employees leave the office at the stipulated time, encouraging a culture of respect for time guys.

For those who needed to complete pending tasks, a creative solution was realized. They were instructed to arrive early the next day and, in doing so, would receive extra pay in recognition of the extra effort.

The results of this change were truly amazing. Over the years, Itochu has witnessed an impressive more than fivefold increase in profit per employee, evidencing the positive impact of this approach in relation to the productivity and efficiency of the work.

In the Japanese professional scene, characterized by long hours and pressure to put tasks ahead of family life, many women chose to leave the labor market to dedicate themselves to caring for children.

However, Itochu found a different approach after the Covid-19 pandemic, applying measures that value the balance between personal and professional life.

In this case, one of the main changes promoted by Itochu was to offer remote work, giving employees the flexibility to do their homework.

In addition, the company decided to reduce business hours, reducing the workload per day from eight to six hours. This change allowed employees to leave the office at 3 pm.

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