Japanese companies are paying older workers to sit by a window and do nothing—while Western CEOs demand super-AI productivity just to keep your job

In Japan, companies are quietly paying older employees to sit at desks near windows with minimal work, while Western CEOs push for maximum AI productivity to retain staff. Known as "madogiwazoku," these workers—typically Gen X and baby boomer men in their late 50s and 60s—were hired under the promise of lifetime employment but now have little to do.

They answer emails, shuffle documents, and sort paperwork, all while earning comfortable salaries. This practice, not new to Japan, is gaining attention online as Western executives demand more efficiency and AI implementation.

A 74-year-old Japanese influencer on TikTok explained that in Japan, instead of firing underperforming staff, companies quietly assign them to window jobs to avoid confrontation. These workers are often loyal, non-confrontational, and have been displaced by changing technology or strategy. Japan boasts one of the highest rates of senior employment globally, with over a quarter of people aged 65 and above still working in 2022.

The government supports this trend through subsidies and laws to keep older workers employed until age 70.

However, younger workers in Japan are growing impatient with these "old guy who doesn't work" employees, who are often blamed for reduced morale, increased workload, and higher labor costs. Despite this, Japan's "window tribe" offers psychological safety, reduces fear of job loss, and preserves valuable experience for mentoring and training. In a world where companies are cutting staff to stay efficient, Japan's approach to retaining older workers provides a sense of job security amid corporate changes.