JAPAN, the country that coined the word “karoshi,” or death by overwork, wants companies to let workers finish early on the last Friday of every month, go out and have fun.

    In an effort to curb excessive work hours and to spur consumption, the Japanese Government and business groups are launching a “Premium Friday” campaign, scheduled to start Feb. 24.

    Although it’s unknown how many companies will participate, the nation’s biggest business lobby, Keidanren, wrote to its more than 1,300 member companies, encouraging them to take part.

    One indication of just how tough it is to get change in Japan’s rigid work practices: the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), which is pushing the idea, hasn’t decided yet if its officials will get to join in. However, METI Minister Hiroshige Seko said: “I’m giving my secretaries a strict order not to put in any appointments after 3 p.m.” on the first Premium Friday.

    There’s a clear relationship between leisure time, holidays and spending, said Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute in Tokyo. If most workers, including those at small and medium-sized firms, participate, private consumption could rise by about 124 billion yen (US$1.6 billion) on each Premium Friday, according to his calculations.

    That may provide some boost to private consumption, which is about 60 percent of the Japanese economy.

    However, Nagahama said he’s concerned that workers at smaller firms may have difficulty leaving early, or that they’ll simply have to make the time up on other days, limiting the campaign’s impact. (SD-Agencies)