Balancing Work and Play
By CHRISTINE CUNANAN-NOMURA
|
|
仕事と娯楽のバランス
仕事と娯楽のバランス
家族と過ごしたり、趣味に費やす時間を犠牲にして
仕事をしても、それに見合った評価がなされず、
働く意欲をなくす日本人はいまだに多いようだ。
海外では、従業員のやる気を起こさせるために
思い切った対策を実行して成功した企業もある。
それらの例は日本でも参考になるのではないか。
|
The Japanese are known as tireless workaholics who devote most of their
lives to their companies. Many foreigners in Japan have heard about
employees who miss their children's birthdays regularly, or their own
wedding anniversaries, because of work.
In fact, last week a Japanese friend whose father had been assigned to
the United States for many years told me that he had not been allowed to
return to Japan to attend his own father's funeral because his bosses
thought the trip would take too much time away from work.
And many foreigners seem to believe that Japanese would not prefer their lives any other way. Upon making Japanese friends, however, I realized that —
as individuals — many Japanese are dissatisfied with a work environment
that makes it difficult for employees to have a life outside of their
companies. Unfortunately, group pressures force these people to follow the status quo or risk being ostracized.
Admittedly, Japanese corporate environments today are much freer than
10 or 15 years ago. However, my Japanese friends say that pressures to
conform still do exist and that these often make them feel depressed and unmotivated.
Many non-Japanese companies realize that employees are a valuable resource
only as long as they remain motivated to work and feel adequately compensated and appreciated.
These firms know that to keep working at peak level, employees must be
happy about the balance between work and their private lives.
Here are some winning companies that have found ways to successfully help
employees balance their lives. Personally, I hope some Japanese managers who
read this column will realize that balancing personal life and work can be
done, and can even be better for the company.
The San Francisco-based biotechnology company Genentech offers a program
called "Date Night." It gives employees a chance to leave their children
periodically at the company day care center until 10 p.m. so that they can
take their spouses to dinner. The company day care center is the largest in
the United States, with 70 staff members.
A systems engineering consulting firm in California called Scitor has a
campaign called "Be our Guest," which is its way of saying to employees:
"Thanks for the great job — now have a night out on the town ... on us!"
Employees are encouraged to give bonuses ranging from $100 to $800 (¥10,700 to ¥85,600) to fellow employees who have done extra work or made more
efforts than expected.
These employees are authorized to enjoy an evening out and charge the
amount of the bonus to the company. Employees who are praised by their
clients for good work also receive bonuses of up to $1,500 (¥160,500). Last
year, one-third of Scitor employees received such bonuses, costing the
company $7 million (¥749 million) — an amount Scitor considers very well spent.
A U.S. investment company called American Century helps employees pay for
activities that will improve their personal development, such as guitar
lessons. Many foreign firms also allow their employees to take their spouses
along on business trips and to extend their business trips into holidays
afterward to save time and airfare.
Such benefits go a long way in motivating people to do their best at work.
Shukan ST: March 17, 2000
(C) All rights reserved
|