Uniqlo Offers Four-Day Work Week to Lure, Retain Talent

Employees choosing to work four days a week will work 10 hours per day so they can earn the same level of wages they earn for working eight hours per day for five days a week, the sources said.

Many have made the case for more flexibility in hours for workers across industries, but it’s unlikely that the four-day workweek will become commonplace soon.

If the trial goes well, it will consider expanding the program to its corporate headquarters and more stores. Yet Fast Retailing is offering the perk to its in-store employees with the hope of retaining full-time talent, who often cut down to part time to be with their families or care for elderly parents, the company says. While the perk is more likely to be found at smaller companies such as tech startups, global giants and government offices-the consultancy KPMG and the US Government Accountability Office among them-offer the option. “We recognise it’s a win-win for the company and the employees”, KPMG director of workplace solutions Barbara Wankoff told CNN.

Fast Retailing has been on a tear as the purveyor of fast fashion expands around the globe and shoppers flock to Uniqlo‘s colorful, affordable basics.

Uniqlo has come under heavy criticism in the past for the working conditions in its Chinese factories as revealed in detail in journalist Masuo Yokota’s 2011 book The Glory and Disgrace of Uniqlo.

Hong Kong UNIQLO staff take note: the Japanese clothing retailer is planning to give employees three days off a week in a bid to win their loyalty as the sector is hit by labor shortages. “If people are happy, the retention rate is high”, Uniqlo USA Chief Executive Larry Meyer told Bloomberg in March.