Japan's JR West to have 1,000 employees take leave as travel demand sags

West Japan Railway Co. said Wednesday it will place part of its workforce on temporary leave in February, targeting 27,500 employees to cope with a slump in travel demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.The company known as JR West, which operates shinkansen bullet train services in some areas, said about 1,000 employees a day will be on leave between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28. The measure is the second of its kind for the Osaka-based train operator and the number of workers affected will be larger than the last time when about 18,000 were targeted.The train operator said it is seeking to maintain…READ FULL ARTICLE