Square Enix, the video game company behind Final Fantasy VII Remake and Marvel's Avengers, has given all of its employees the option to work-from-home permanently starting on Dec. 1.
A press release from Square Enix announced the work-from-home decision and rollout, which looks to "strike balance between flexibility and manageability."
"Rather than utilizing work from home solely as a means of preventing infections during the current pandemic, the Company will establish it as a permanent and core program among the working styles it accommodates," the statement reads. "In so doing, the Company hopes not only to create a flexible and diverse working environment, but also to further bolster productivity and help employees achieve the optimal work-life balance."
Square Enix also noted that the new program allows the company to "recruit more diverse human resources, as well as to establish an organization capable of adapting to unexpected developments such as disasters and changes in employment models." The work-from-home program will combine "home-based" and "office-based" models, with "home-based" working an average of at least three days per week from home, and "office-based" working an average of at least three days per week from the office. However, all eligible employees will have the "home based" designation.
Changes to an employee's status will be allowed on a monthly basis, with Square Enix expecting approximately 80 percent of employees to be based at home in December.
"The Company had for some time been exploring options for enabling greater flexibility in working styles when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred. In response, the Company implemented a series of measures starting in February 2020 that included enabling work from home, staggered working hours, and online conferencing," Square Enix explained for the reason behind implementing the new work program. "Following a sustained period with these measures in place, the Company conducted a survey in June that demonstrated that roughly 80% of employees had a positive view of work from home. The Company also carefully considered a wide range of opinions from businesses as diverse as games, publication, and music regarding the practicality of work from home. This program was finalized based on those considerations. By enabling the option of monthly status changes rather than establishing blanket rules regarding who works from home and who from the office, the Company has designed a program that should be highly satisfactory both to those performing duties and those managing them."
Source: Square Enix