働(はたら)き方(かた)

A compound of 働(はたら)く (to work) and 方(かた) (way, manner). This word gained enormous prominence in Japan with the government's 働(はたら)き方(かた)改革(かいかく) (Work Style Reform) initiative launched in 2018, which addressed long working hours, non-regular employment, and work-life balance.

Common collocations

• 働(はたら)き方(かた)改革(かいかく): work style reform
• 新(あたら)しい働(はたら)き方(かた): new way of working
• 多様(たよう)な働(はたら)き方(かた): diverse work styles
• 柔軟(じゅうなん)な働(はたら)き方(かた): flexible work style
• 働(はたら)き方(かた)を変(か)える: to change one's work style

Cultural note

Japan's Work Style Reform Act (働(はたら)き方(かた)改革(かいかく)関連(かんれん)法(ほう)) was a landmark labor reform that introduced caps on overtime, mandated paid leave, and promoted equal pay for equal work. The term 働(はたら)き方(かた) now carries strong connotations of modernization and flexibility in the Japanese workplace.

Similar words

• 勤務(きんむ)形態(けいたい): employment format — more formal, refers to the structural type of employment
• 就業(しゅうぎょう)スタイル: work style — a newer loanword-based expression with similar meaning