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Japanese employees to be asked to work from home during 2020 Olympics

Thousands of fans will be travelling to the new National Stadium during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Thousands of fans will be travelling to the new National Stadium during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. (Credit: Getty Images)

Tokyo based companies are set to ask employees to work from home during the 2020 Olympics as a means of easing congestion in the city during the Games.

With the Games running from July 24th to August 9th, followed by the Paralympics from August 25th to September 6th, an estimated 650,000 spectators and tourists are set to add to the eight million people who commute into Tokyo on a daily basis.

In an attempt to help ease pressure on transport services, the government and Olympic organising committee are promoting the ‘telework’ scheme, which will see a number of companies trial home working for hundreds of thousands of employees.

More than 50,000 Fujitsu employees and 34,000 workers of NEC Corp will reportedly take part in the trial, with Toyota allowing 1,600 of its Tokyo-based employees to work from home during the Games.

Millions of people use Japan's transport system every day. (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)
Millions of people use Japan's transport system every day. (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

Ricoh will reportedly close its Tokyo office, saving around 2,000 staffers from traveling to work, while Asahi Breweries said last month it will operate 30% of its trucks during off-peak hours.

A further 600,000 employees from 3,000 other companies who will work from home over the weeks the Games will take place.

Railway and metro operators in the area plan on extending operating hours during the games to try to ease congestion and prevent problems at train stations.

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