Square Enix will be rolling out a permanent work-from-home program to all “executive officers and employees” from December 1, 2020, according to a press release from the Japanese studio.
At this time, Square Enix staff work from home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but by next week, they intend to create a “flexible and diverse working environment,” and “further bolster productivity and help employees achieve the optimal work-life balance.
Square Enix adds that the program will also enable them to “recruit more diverse human resources, as well as establish an organization capable of adapting to unexpected developments such as disasters and changes in employment models.”
The benefits of such a program, Square Enix says, will “enable employees to unleash even greater creativity as it continues to provide its customers around the world with content and services that fulfill their expectations.”
So, how does this work in practice? Well, all employees will be designated as either “home based” (meaning they’ll be working an average of three days a week from home) or “office based” (working up to three days at the office). Depending on the type of work each employee is involved in, the designations will vary, Square Enix says.
The status of an employee’s designation will change monthly, “depending upon the intensity of an employee’s duties.” From December, Square Enix anticipates up to 80% of the team will be working from home.
Previously in October, Microsoft announced their own guidelines on work flexibility during the pandemic. In an official announcement, Microsoft understood that “there is no one-size-fits-all solution given the variety of roles, work requirements and business needs we have at Microsoft.”
Their guidance includes information on hours to location, and believe working from home part-time is now “standard”. Microsoft did however state they feel it can be beneficial in certain roles to have staff together in the office.
