What is the “2.5-day workweek” introduced at Cocone? Interview with HR & Labor Relations Manager

1. Introduction

Hello everyone,
My name is Sake, Cocone Recruitment and Public Relations intern.

To those of you who have been reading my articles for some time,
Do you notice any changes in me?

It’s a ～～～～!

Actually, I have been on a practical training since last month.
I was absent from my internship at Cocone for about a month.
Perhaps it was because I was exposed to the rough and tumble of society during my practical training,
I feel as if my body and mind have been peeled back.

The comparison is obvious.
Before my internship started, I was worried about taking a month off,
I was able to complete my training with peace of mind, having received proper rest from Cocone.
In this way, we at Cocone have seen a lot of flexibility in prioritizing the lives of our employees,
It is also guaranteed as a system, such as a childcare leave system.

I’ve written a lot about these aspects of Cocone’s benefits in past articles,
In fact, a new system has recently been introduced.

Its name is “2.5 days off per week.

Up until now, Cocone has had a “full two-day workweek,” with full days off on weekends,
With the introduction of this “2.5-day workweek,” the way Cocone employees work has begun to change dramatically.

So, this time, for those in human resources who are greatly involved in the working environment of their employees,
What exactly is the much-discussed “2.5-day workweek,” and why is it so important at Cocone?
We have asked how we can create an employee-first company!
This is a subject of great concern to me, as I am always thinking about the possibility of a seven-day workweek.
Here you go~~.

2. start of interview

We interviewed this person for this issue.

Takahisa Inaba
Position: Head of Corporate HR Labor Relations Team, Human Resources Department
Favorite food: Chinese food, especially Bean-curd soup with red bean paste. Pak choy

Q1. What does HR do?

Inaba:
I see the general framework as a job that makes work easy and rewarding.
In terms of ease of work, it could be benefits, paying a steady salary, or making sure you’re covered by social insurance and have the right procedures in place.
I believe that this will lead to a better work environment. In terms of satisfaction, it is the evaluation as a personnel system and the rewards that lead to it,
What kind of training and support can we provide for the careers you envision?
I believe that evaluation, compensation, and training are the three things that make a job worthwhile.
Human Resources is responsible for these tasks, isn’t it?

Other responsibilities include wellness and corporate recruiting.
I also analyze employee data through monthly surveys and other means.
It’s no exaggeration to say that everything about people is consolidated.”

Q2: What exactly is the “2.5-day workweek” introduced at Cocone?

Inaba:
” Apart from Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the idea is to have Wednesday afternoons off.

Specifically, Wednesday work hours are set until 1:30 p.m., and from there until 6:30 p.m., which is working hours.
We have introduced a 2.5-day workweek, which allows employees to take a day off as if they had worked.

Generally, companies operate in a pattern of either reducing pay for shorter work hours or lengthening work hours on other days.
It’s a lot, but at Cocone we’ re keeping the same pay and working fewer hours.”

Q3. Please tell us how and why you decided to introduce the “2.5-day workweek” system.

Inaba:
The Seoul office of Cocone has already introduced a 2.5-day workweek,
It was the chairman who suggested that Tokyo should also adopt such a style (2.5-day workweek).
One of our major goals is to give those who have made a lot of time for Cocone so far
more money as well as more time for themselves, so that they can lead a richer life.

Under the current circumstances where the business is expanding, the 2.5-day system was first introduced on a trial basis,
While discussing its effectiveness and sustainability, we hope to pave the way for the introduction of a three-day workweek in the future.”

Q4: Did you encounter any difficulties before introducing the “2.5-day workweek?
Did you have any problems after the introduction of the system?

Inaba:
As mentioned above, many companies either reduce your salary or offer a three-day workweek,
We operate by turning working hours into other days.

However, there is no precedent anywhere at Cocone to reduce the number of hours worked while maintaining the current salary,
It was difficult to create a correct answer when there was no correct answer. In fact, it was very difficult not to change.

Moreover, perhaps this could become a model for other companies, and it is important to consider this with that in mind.
Of course it was rewarding, but I think it was hard work.

Inaba:
‘This system began to be discussed in April of this year and was released in mid-May,
The schedule was to begin operation on June 1.

I was careful not to confuse the employees in this situation, but I still received many questions,
I think that during the month of June, there were some things that puzzled you. But in July, you asked almost no more questions.”

Q5. If you reduce only the working hours without lowering the salary,
Were there any significant disadvantages for the company?

Inaba:
I don’t think the monthly trend has changed that much.”
For example, designers can make Wednesdays a work-intensive day, and refrain from contacting clients unless it is important,
We are working to make each department as efficient as possible by devising ways to improve work efficiency.
On the other hand, I am sometimes asked by each department how to improve efficiency,
I tell them that this department seems to be doing things in this way.

In the beginning, some people stayed in the office past working hours, although now some stay until about 2:00 p.m,
Very few people stay until about 3 p.m.”

Q6: What is the reaction of your employees to the 2.5-day workweek?

Inaba:
You had both good and bad reactions.”
The good news is that Wednesday is still open for half a day, which allows me to spend time with my family and my hobbies.
The response was that it was very good.

On the other hand, as a negative, you would lose two working days in a month,
Some people actually reacted as if it would affect their performance or that they wouldn’t be able to take time off after all.
But now that it’s become more prevalent, you don’t hear those voices anymore.”

Q7. Why does Cocone aim so hard to create a good working environment for its employees?

Inaba:
The term ” work-life balance ” has taken root in the world, but it means balancing work and family life,
My interpretation is that work is the main thing after all.

Now I want to spread this word in Cocone,
The concept of “life includes work” or “work is a part of life.
Work is a part of life, so I want to create an environment where it is natural to work in one’s own way, without doing anything unnatural.

We have a variety of systems, including a 2.5-day workweek, but in order to be yourself
What you use and what you don’t use is up to you. So we aim to create lots of choices, and with the choices available,
each person can choose the system they need and work the way they want to work.”

Q8. I would like to see employees work in their own way.
What are the benefits of the company’s promotion?

Inaba:
In the case of Cocone, especially designers and engineers, many of them have accumulated experience that directly translates into business results.
Considering that those people would quit, it is not a disadvantage at all,
I don’t think it’s anything other than a benefit that they will produce results in the long term.

If we are talking about the short term, there may indeed be some disadvantages,
I think this is definitely an advantage for Cocone’s long-term growth.
We want to make this a company where people want to be active for the rest of their lives.”

Q9. What are your future plans and goals?

Inaba:
The HR department provides information about employees, their gender and age, as well as their salary, health checkups, and stress checks,
Because the department consolidates everything, including the results of monthly surveys, it’s easy to visualize what the person is going through.

Therefore, in the future, we will go one step further and say as a company, “This kind of support is good for this person,
I would like to provide personal, individualized and optimized support to each person in a sense.
For example, what kind of training should be given to this person who has a strong desire for career advancement so that he/she can be selected for the position?

Also, some people may be able to achieve better results with a two day weekend,
Or someone might prefer a four-day week.
Therefore, the way of working should be more individualized and optimized, so that we can look at up to four days off a week,
I would like to establish a system that will allow the company to achieve results without any pressure.”

3. at the end

So how was it, everyone?

Beginning with Cocone’s new way of working, a 2.5-day workweek,
We hope that we were able to convey the new way of working that Cocone is aiming for.

It was also a good opportunity for me to rethink my future work style!

In addition, Cocone is recruiting a large number of people to work with us!
If you would like to learn more, please visit this site.
[Employment: https://cocone.co.jp/recruit/]

Thank you for reading!

※This article is machine translated.