新奇事件簿 微软试行四天工作周（在线收听）

The technology company Microsoft has said it successfully trialed a four-day working week in Japan, which saw improvements in workers' productivity and job satisfaction. The trial took place over the summer at the tech giant's headquarters in Tokyo. Employees were given every Friday off as paid leave in August. The company monitored the effects a three-day weekend would have on workers' performance. Company executives said the shorter working week resulted in additional benefits. Productivity rose by 40 per cent and 92 per cent of employees expressed their satisfaction with the scheme. The trial could lead to a change in Japan's infamous workplace practices of long hours and lots of overtime.

科技公司微软称，他们已经成功地在日本试行了四天工作周，员工的工作效率以及对工作的满意度都有所提高。今年夏季，该科技巨头位于东京的总部试行了该方案。8月，员工们每周五都可带薪休假。该公司监测了为期三天的周末对员工工作表现的影响。公司高管层表示每周工作时间的缩短带来了额外的好处。效率提高了40%，并且92%的员工对该计划表示满意。这次试行方案可能会改变日本长时间加班的工作方式。

Microsoft called the trial the Work-Life Choice Challenge. The company said it aimed, "to create an environment where each employee can choose a diverse and flexible way of working according to the circumstances of their work and life". Other aspects of the trial included shortening the length of meetings to a maximum of 30 minutes and encouraging workers to choose online chats over face-to-face ones. There were additional advantages to the trial. Microsoft said that 23 per cent less electricity was consumed and 59 per cent fewer pages were printed compared with August 2018. Microsoft will conduct another experiment in Japan later this year and has asked employees for their input.

微软将该方案成为“Work-Life Choice Challenge”。公司表示该方案的目标是，“创造这样一种工作环境—每位员工可以根据自己工作和生活情况，选择一个多样且灵活的工作方式”。该试行方案的其他方面包括缩短会议时间，最长不超过30分钟并鼓励员工选择在线交谈而不是面对面交谈。该方案还有额外的好处。微软表示与2018年8月相比，公司电力节省了23%并且打印纸张节省了59%。微软将于今年年末在日本试行另一种方案并已经征求了员工的意见。