日本力推每周四天事情制,以应对劳动力欠缺挑战
Japan is a so hardworking the Japanese has a term for working oneself to death.
日本以其勤劳著称，这种文化深深植根于其社会与经济生涯中 。在日本，太过事情甚至有了一个专门的词汇——“过劳死”，反应出该国对事情的高度重视 。
Now, the is trying to deal with a labor shortage.
现在，政府正在起劲解决劳动力欠缺问题 。
One is to get more people and companies to four-day workweeks.
一个解决计划是让更多的人和公司接受四天事情制 。
The Japanese government first supported a shorter working week in 2021.
日本政府于2021年首次支持缩短事情周 。
Few companies have signed on, however.
然而，很少有公司签约 。
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said only about of companies permit three days off a week,
厚生劳动省体现，只有约8%的公司允许每周休息三天，
while seven percent give their workers the required one day off.
而7%的公司给员工划定的休息一天 。
Hoping to get and medium-sized businesses to change, the government started a “work reform” campaign.
为了让中小企业有所改变，政府启动了一场“作风刷新”运动 。
It pushes shorter hours and other flexible plans for work along with paid time off and limits on overtime.
它推动缩短事情时间和其他无邪的事情妄想，以及带薪休假和限制加班 。
The labor ministry started offering free services and resources to help companies make the change.
劳动部最近最先提供免费效劳和资源来资助企业做出改变 。
A ministry website explains the “hatarakikata kaikaku” campaign, which means “innovating how we work.”
一个部分网站诠释了“hatarakikata kaikaku”运动，意思是“立异我们的事情方法” 。
It says that when workers can how they work, they will have a better outlook on the future and the will grow.
它说，当工人可以选择事情方法时，他们将对未来有更好的展望，经济也将增添 。
The handling the new services for businesses says only about three companies have asked for their advice.
认真为企业提供新支持效劳的部分体现，只有约莫三家公司征求了他们的建议 。
Such changes will not come easily in the Japanese culture, where being a “workaholic,” or frequently working overtime, has long been highly valued.
在日本文化中，这样的转变不会容易爆发，恒久以来，“事情狂”或经常加班一直受到高度重视 。
That is credited for the country’s national and fast after World War II.
这被以为是该国在二战后国家苏醒和经济快速增添的缘故原由 。
There is great to be the same as the others in one’s work group.
与事情组中的其他人坚持相同的压力很大 。
People usually take vacations at the same time of year as their co-workers.
人们通常和同事在一年中的统一时间度假 。
Although the and labor agreements overtime, some work longer hours without pay.
只管执法和劳动协议限制加班，但有些人在没有人为的情形下事情时间更长 。
A recent government report dealt with “karoshi.”
最近的一份政府报告涉及“过劳死” 。
That is the Japanese term meaning “death from overwork.”
这是日语术语的意思，意思是“太过劳累而殒命” 。
The report said Japan has at least 54 such deaths a year, from heart attacks.
报告称，日本每年至少有54人殒命，其中包括心脏病爆发 。
Tim Craig wrote a called Cool Japan: Case Studies from Japan’s Cultural and Industries.
蒂姆·克雷格写了一本书，名为《酷日本：日本文化和创意工业的案例研究》 。
“Work is a big deal here.
“事情在这里是一件大事 。
It’s not just a way to make money, although it is that, too,” said Craig.
这不但仅是一种赚钱的方法，只管它也是云云，”克雷格说 。
Some officials think it is time to change that way of thinking to save the workforce.
一些官员以为是时间改变这种头脑方法来拯救劳动力了 。
Japan’s birth rate continues to fall, and the work culture is said to be one reason for that.
日本的出生率一连下降，听说事情文化是缘故原由之一 。
Government reports expect that, at the rate, the working age will drop by 40 percent to 45 by 2065.
政府报告预计，凭证现在的速率，到2065年岁情年岁生齿将下降40%，抵达4500万 。
Supporters of the three-days-off model say it helps people in the workforce longer.
三天休息模式的支持者体现，它有助于人们在劳动力市场停留更长时间 。
It give more time to children and care for older relatives.
这将让他们有更多的时间抚育孩子和照顾年长的亲戚 。
For retirees living on retirement pensions, it would additional income.
关于靠退休养老金生涯的退休职员来说，这将提供特另外收入 。
Akiko Yokohama works at Spelldata, a that lets employees work a four-day work week.
横滨秋子在Spelldata事情，这是一家允许员工每周事情四天的手艺公司 。
She takes Wednesdays off along with Saturdays and Sundays.
她每周三、周六和周日休息 。
The day off allows her to get her hair done, go to other appointments or go shopping.
特另外一天假期让她可以做头发、去其他约会或去购物 。
Her husband works in real estate.
她的丈夫从事房地产事情 。
He also gets Wednesdays off but works weekends, which is in his industry.
他周三也休息，但周末事情，这在他的行业中很常见 。
Yokohama said that it lets her and her husband go on midweek family outings with their elementary-school age child.
横滨说，这让她和丈夫可以在周中带着他们小学年岁的孩子一起出去远足 。
But there are signs of change.
但也有转变的迹象 。
A few companies, including Uniqlo, Ricoh and Hitachi have begun offering a four-day workweek.
包括优衣库、理光和日立在内的几家公司已经最先实验每周四天的事情制 。
A recent Gallup public opinion measured employee engagement.
盖洛普最近的一项民意研究权衡了员工的敬业度 。
Gallup said Japan has among the least engaged workers of all nationalities it has studied.
盖洛普体现，在其研究的所有国籍中，日本工人是最不敬业的工人之一 。
Only six percent of the Japanese who answered described themselves as engaged at work compared to the worldwide of 23 percent.
在回覆问题的日自己中，只有6%的人体现自己专注于事情，而全球平均水平为23% 。
That means relatively few Japanese workers felt and highly involved in their workplace.
这意味着相对较少的日本工人感应快乐并高度加入事情 。
Most were putting in their hours without investing passion or energy.
大大都人投入时间却没有投入热情或精神 。
Kanako Ogino is of Tokyo-based NS Group.
小野香子是总部位于东京的NS Group的总裁 。
She thinks offering flexible hours is needed for filling jobs in the industry, where women are most of the work force.
她以为，为填补效劳业的事情岗位，需要提供无邪的事情时间，而女性占劳动力的大部分 。
The company offers 30 different scheduling patterns, including a four-day workweek, but also taking long periods off in between work.
该公司提供30种差别的日程安排模式，包括每周事情四天，但也会在事情间隙长时间休假 。
To none of the NS Group’s workers feel out of place for choosing a different schedule,
为了确保NS集团的员工不会因选择差别的时间表而感应不对适，
Ogino asks each of her 4,000 employees twice a year how they want to work.
小野每年两次询问她的4000名员工中的每小我私人想要怎样事情 。
Voicing your own needs is disapproved in Japan, where you are to sacrifice for the common good.
在日本，表达自己的需求是不被允许的，由于在日本，你应该为配合利益做出牺牲 。
“The view in Japan was: You are cool the more hours you work, putting in free overtime,” Ogino said with a laugh.
“日本的看法是：事情时间越多，你就越酷，免费加班 。”小野笑着说 。
“But there is no dream in such a life.”
“但这样的生涯没有梦想 。”
I’m Jill Robbins.
我是吉尔·罗宾斯 。
And I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.
我是小马里奥·里特 。
重点词汇
hardworking 起劲的 ; 勤劳的
a term 术语 ; 学期
deal with 处理，应付 ; 涉及 ; 讨论 ; 与…打交道 ; 叙述 ; 榨取 ; 与…做生意 ; 和…有生意往来 ; 冷静面临
labor shortage 劳动力欠缺 ; 用工荒 ; 劳工欠缺 ; 劳动力缺乏
get more 更多 ; 获得更多 ; 获取更多
working week 事情周 ; 一周的事情时间
Ministry of Health 卫生部 ; 国家卫生部 ; 康健部 ; 省卫生厅
a week 一周;一星期
one day 一天;一日
