Square Enix will allow most employees to work from home permanently
The new policy goes into effect starting in December.
Game developer and publisher Square Enix says it will allow the majority of its employees to work from home on a permanent basis. Starting on December 1st, the company will designate each individual worker as either home- or office-based. In both cases, those individuals will work an average of at least three days from their respective locations.
Provided their position allows for it, they’ll have the flexibility to change their designation on a month to month basis. Square Enix expects about 80 percent of its employees will end up working from home once the program starts next month. Depending on an employee’s role, their job may require them to work out of one of the company’s offices — though it says the majority of eligible employees will get the chance to work from home if they wish.
Square says it’s implementing a permanent work-from-home program for several reasons. To start, it expects the program will lead to greater productivity, and help its employees achieve an improved work-life balance. The company also sees the initiative as a way to attract more diverse talent, as well as make itself more resilient to unexpected events like natural disasters.
Square Enix isn’t the first tech company to announce it will allow its employees to work from home beyond the end of the coronavirus pandemic. For example, Microsoft recently said it would allow its employees to work less than 50 percent of their workweek remotely. However, we’ve seen far fewer game publishers and developers do the same.
