After offering to its Japan-based worker an option to work for only four days a week, Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo plans to make available the same benefit to its workers based in the U.S.
That means the staff work 10 hours a day for four days a week. However, they may be asked to work part of the four days on weekends and during holidays, as a trade-off. The policy aims to retain valued workers especially women, reports ABC.
A spokesman of Uniqlo explains, "We've got a big program at the moment, working towards empowering women in the workforce. The idea is that if you've got kids, it gives you a lot more flexibility."
CNBC reports that the policy, which Uniqlo will introduce in the U.S. by October, would benefit 10,000 employees in Japan, including workers of Theory and J Brand, owned by Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo. However, the three days off may not necessarily be consecutive.
Uniqlo joins a growing number of companies that put in place innovative work-life balance policies. In the early part of August, Netflix, an online video streaming company, allowed unlimited maternity leave to its female workers and one-year paternity leave for male employees. Software giant Microsoft also enhanced its parental leave policy and other employee benefits.
But on the other hand, online retail giant Amazon was the subject of criticism after the New York Times published an article about the company's failure to accommodate the personal lives of workers because of the "harsh, grueling and competitive work environment."