Kazuhiko Moriyama is betting that well-rested workers are good for business. In fact, he’s placing real money on the wager.
Employees who sleep at least six hours a night, for at least five days a week, are awarded points by Crazy Inc., a wedding organizer in Japan.
The points can be exchanged for food in the company cafeteria worth as much as 64,000 yen ($570) per year. Nightly rest will be tracked using an app made by Airweave Inc., a mattress manufacturer. More than 92 percent of Japanese over the age of 20 say that they aren’t getting enough sleep, according to a survey by Fuji Ryoki, a health-products maker.
Thanks to a labor shortage and long-held cultural belief of noble sacrifice for the corporate good, Japan has become notorious for a phenomenon called death-from-overwork, which claimed the life of an ad agency employee in 2015.
Employees with happier lives will lead to better performance at the office, according to Moriyama. “You have to protect workers’ rights, otherwise the country itself will weaken,” Moriyama said. In addition to the sleep incentives, Crazy also promotes better nutrition, exercise and a more positive office environment.
Child support is available, as well the opportunity to take company vacations on regular business days. Recommended By Colombia There’s some evidence that more sleep will lead to improved business performance and higher economic growth. Insufficient sleep costs the U.S. economy as much as $411 billion a year, or 2.28 percent of GDP, according to a 2009 study by Rand Corp. For Japan, the loss is estimated to be $138 billion, or 2.92 percent of GDP.
Shalini Bharat succeeds S. Parasuraman as director-TISS
Professor Shalini Bharat is the new director of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). She had been the acting director since S. Parasuraman, her predecessor, resigned earlier this year.
Bharat has been working with TISS for more than three decades now. A gold medallist in MA and a PhD holder from Allahabad University, Bharat joined as a lecturer in 1984, and went on to become the first dean of the School of Health Systems Studies. Later, she was elevated to the role of deputy director (academic), and then given the additional charge of acting director in February.
A member of the governing body of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Bharat has also served as the National Coordinator of Global Fund Project – Saksham. She is also known for her association with the National Rural Health Mission and her presence on the governing board of the National Health Systems Resource Centre, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
S. Ramadorai, chairman of the governing board, TISS, said, “I am happy to welcome Prof. Bharat as director. As TISS gears up to cement its position as an institution of excellence in higher education, I am sure that Prof. Bharat, who brings with her a wealth of experience and vision, will take the initiative and ensure that TISS meets the challenges with passion and commitment.”
