He demographic aging In Japan he is forcing to make deep changes in their work culture in order to improve employee working conditions to improve their productivity Without exhausting employees. Japanese employees have been forced to choose between have more social life or a successful work career and the data suggests that there is already a winner.
According to published The Japan Timesa survey revealed that an increasing number of young people from generation Z has opted for the “Silent resignation“: Do the minimum to meet the schedule and requirements of your work, but showing an absolute lack of commitment to the company.
A cultural change. According to data from a survey conducted to 3,000 employees by the Professional Race Research Laboratory of the Mynavi Employment Search Platform, 46.7% of employees between 20 and 59 years claimed to have opted for the “silent resignation”. More than 70% of employees who claimed to find themselves in this situation admitted that they had no plan to adopt a change in attitude.
“We observe that the ‘silent resignation’ is becoming the new standard. As the values diversify, it is important that companies accept the diversity of people’s values and offer flexible work styles that adapt to them,” explained to the Japanese environment Akari Asahina, one of the authors of the study.
Less motivated workforce. This high percentage is indicative of a demotivated workforce that no longer obeys a work culture based on loyalty and the benefit for the company, as has happened for decades in Japan, but is more concerned about balance Between work and personal life.
According to the data of a 2024 Mynavi survey that publicby the Japanese medium Mainichi53.6% of respondents were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their current use. 49.2% of respondents claimed that their dissatisfaction was due to salary And, among them, the most dissatisfied were young people between 20 and 30 years old. 35.2% of them assured that had changed jobs For this reason.
“In the past, an employer paid a fair salary and provided benefits for people to remain in the same company until retire in statements to DW.
Generation Z wants more personal life. Among the youth of generation Z is also imposed by the desire for greater conciliation between personal and professional life. “Many young people saw their parents sacrifice their lives for a company, doing many extra hours and, in practice, renouncing their private life. They have realized that this is not what they want,” said Professor Kawakami.
“I do not hate my work and I know that I have to work to pay the rent and invoices, but I prefer to meet with my friends, travel or listen to live music. I know that my grandfather and even the generation of my parents thought that they had no choice but to work hard and earn more money, but I do not understand that way of thinking,” Issei explained, a 26 -year -old boy to DW.
“Quiet ambition” arrives in Japan. According to what was published by The Japan Timesthe authors of the survey have detected that one of the consequences of that lack of commitment of the workers coincides with the symptoms of the call “Quiet ambition“Or silent ambition.
This phenomenon, especially present among the members of generation Z consists in the lack of interest of the youngest to ascend, since that is a minimal economic reward in exchange for a considerable increase in responsibilities and workload.
In other cases, on the other hand, it is not an active negative to ascend, but rather the lack of opportunities to advance in the professional career which causes employees to give up and stop striving more than strictly necessary to fulfill their contract.
More time to create a family. Japan is taking measures to encourage birth, making sure that its workforce has time outside work to socialize and reconcile working life with family care. These policies are beginning to permeate in generation Z that no longer sees work as their grandparents or parents do.
SCMP It echoed of the effective work hours of Japan in November 2024. According to Takashi Sakamoto, Analyst of the Recruit Works Institute, the annual work hours in Japan They had been reduced 11.6% in the last two decades, from 1,839 hours from 2000 to 1,626 hours worked a year in 2022. The largest decrease occurred in the strip of workers between 20 and 29 years.
“Many young people saw their parents sacrifice their lives for a company, doing many extra hours and, in practice, renouncing their private life. They have realized that this is not what they want,” Professor Kawakami explained to DW.
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