"We’ll Take Holidays Off": Toyota Overhauls Its Work Schedule for the First Time in 50 Years

[Financial News, Tokyo = Correspondent Seo Hye-jin] Nikkei, Inc. reported on the 10th that Toyota Motor Corporation is moving to revise its long-standing independent work system, known as the Toyota Calendar, which has been in place for more than half a century. The goal is to reduce work on public holidays, expand consecutive days off, improve working conditions, and strengthen its ability to attract talent.
According to The Nikkei, the Toyota labor union is considering a plan to keep weekdays during Golden Week, which runs from late April to early May, as regular workdays starting next year, while converting some public holidays into days off to expand three-day weekends. The move is in line with revisions to the standard work calendar of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).
It is also pushing a plan to increase annual holidays on the premise of improved productivity. The final plan is expected to be decided by the end of this year.
The Toyota Calendar is Toyota Motor Corporation's proprietary work system, which has been in operation since the 1970s. During Golden Week and the year-end and New Year holidays, the company has taken extended breaks, but on public holidays it has kept production lines running to inspect equipment and improve manufacturing efficiency.
However, as more households have become dual-income families and parents raising children, dissatisfaction has grown over the auto industry's practice of working even on public holidays. In particular, factory workers have said that when production lines are running on holidays, it is effectively impossible to take time off, making it difficult to spend time with their families.
The Toyota labor union is seeking to replace weekday work during Golden Week with three-day weekends by linking those days to Monday holidays in other months. Labor and management plan to begin talks this summer, go through union approval procedures, and reach an agreement within the year.
The schedule change is also expected to affect local communities. Restaurants and childcare facilities near factories, including those in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, have long operated in line with the Toyota Calendar.
The Nikkei said Toyota expects the revision to help with talent recruitment as well. The company remains highly competitive in hiring in the Tokai region, but nationwide, its image as a company that does not rest even on public holidays has been a burden for young job seekers.
The automotive industry is one of Japan's key sectors, employing about 5.5 million people. As Toyota pushes ahead with its transition from a manufacturer to a mobility company, it expects that aligning its work system with other industries will also improve collaboration efficiency.
Annual holidays in Japan's auto industry currently stand at around 121 days, fewer than the 126 days in the electronics industry. Toyota plans to expand holidays while improving productivity, but The Nikkei said coordination between labor and management will be a key challenge, given concerns over lower output and delivery delays.


[email protected] Seo Hye-jin Reporter