Go Home and Procreate

[Jill Jusko]

I read this at CNN.com today and found it very interesting.

According to the article, long workdays have helped create Japan's low birthrate, which at 1.34 is well below what is needed to maintain the country's population. Canon, for one, is trying to help fix that. Here's how: "In a country where 12-hour workdays are common, the electronics giant has taken to letting its employees leave early twice a week for a rather unusual reason: to encourage them to have more babies."

Japan's larget business group is urging its members to do the same.

As the article goes on to say: "It also has an added benefit: Amid the global economic downturn the company can slash overtime across the board twice a week."

[rbrooku]

Gawd, that's sexy! No Japanese couple will be able to resist making babies if the Company cuts their overtime pay and tells them to! Brilliant!

[industrialuser]

Given when the first story about this news was posted, we should soon be learning whether Canon's efforts to help boost Japan's birthrate are bearing any fruit (so to speak).