While the five-day week is standard for most of us working stiffs, the idea of a four-day work week is so intriguing that it has its own Wikipedia page. While some companies have slowly moved towards a four-day week, five days remains the standard for most people.

The Japanese industrial and tech giant, which employs over a quarter of a million employees in all, has announced that it'll offer its employees in Japan the option of working just four days a week.

The Japanese government recommended in 2021 that private employers offer a shorter work week to their employees in an effort to curb burnout and increase productivity.

According to Nikkei Asia, eight percent of Japanese companies offer more than two guaranteed days off per week.

"We must support the well-being of our employees," said Panasonic's president and group CEO Yuki Kusumi told investors.

According to Nikkei Asia, Panasonic will encourage employees to pursue personal interests, including volunteering or side jobs.

While Panasonic is still working out the details of its shorter week, there's plenty of evidence to suggest that shorter weeks help to keep productivity high.

Back in 2019, Microsoft's Japanese division tried out a shorter work week, and productivity went up by 40 percent.

Numerous Japanese companies, along with various employers in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and other countries, have permanently instituted, or at least trialed, four-day work weeks.

Sadly for our American readers, this trend has yet to take hold in the United States.

It isn't quite as simple as getting an extra day off, although that's a big part of the appeal. Employers must figure out a way to keep things running while giving workers extra time off. This could mean asking them to work extra hours during the week, or hiring more employees.

This is certainly part of the stereotype, but Japanese employees actually have a good amount of time off. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Japan ranks 26th on the list of most hours worked by the average employee.

The U.S. sits at number 11 on this list.

Nikkei Asia's reporting says that "four-day work weeks are expected to be one of the keys to boosting productivity and improving work-life balance here. The government also said it will promote the concept under its latest guidelines for economic and fiscal policy, approved by the cabinet in June."

I think virtually everyone reading this would prefer to have longer weekends and shorter work weeks.

Let us know what you think of this story, and what you'd do with an extra day off every week, in the comments.