Covid-19 has taken its toll on the entire world. The economy of countries worldwide has been in turmoil and is slowly showing signs of improvements. With companies like Microsoft and Facebook already allowing their employees to work from home, it seems like it is becoming our new norm.
Recently, Square Enix, the studio behind games like the Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Tomb Raider games, has stated that it’ll allow most of its employees to permanently work from home. The policy will come into effect from December 1st. according to sources, the policy will make the employees designated as either “home-based” or “office-based.” According to sources, Square Enix expects 80 percent of its employees to be designated as home-based from December.
The company aims to create a “flexible and diverse working environment, helping employees achieve the optimal work-life balance and bolster productivity.” The policy is design to help the company better adapt in the future, whether it’s to disasters or just new employment models.
The home-based employee will work from home for at least three days a week on average, or vice versa for office-based workers. They are, however, able to change their status every month. Some employees will need to be based in an office, depending on the work they’re doing, Square Enix says.
The company first implemented its work-from-home policy in February in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then it also introduced other initiatives like staggered working hours and online conferencing. It adds that 80 percent of its employees said they had a positive view of working from home when surveyed.
The company is a major game development firm. It contributes to an expanding list of companies that have pledged to continue to allow their employees to work from home even after it’s no longer necessary on health grounds.