Summertime Blues: Heat Affects Japanese Workers’ Motivation

This summer has been hot! In Japan, there have been daily heatstroke alerts and people told to refrain from going out unless necessary. And yet, with the COVID-19 pandemic now under control, more and more companies are shifting from full remote work to a more hybrid style with importance placed on getting employees back in the office.

In a survey conducted by Laibo, an overwhelming 88.8% of the 743 respondents aged from 20 to 59 said that the summer heat affected their work motivation. And 37.4% of the total said it “strongly” affected their motivation.

At 46.1%, summer was the season in which respondents’ motivation fell the most. Nearly 90% of those who chose summer cited the rise in temperatures.

When asked whether they would prefer to work from home or at the office during a hot summer, 66.3% were in favor of remote work. However, the reality was the opposite, with 68.6% going to their company. Moreover, nearly 40% were doing only work at the office, without any hybrid style that could include remote work.

Hot weather is forecast to continue through September.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)