Game Freak is a development studio extremely well known to Nintendo fans, with Pocket Card Jockey on 3DS being a particular standout. Yes, ok, there’s also all of those hugely successful Pokémon games, too.
It’s a company with an important place in the industry, then, and it’s also exceptionally busy with consistent Pokémon main series releases. Game Freak has confirmed, however, that it’s introducing an optional four day working week for its staff, in order to support those that need more flexible arrangements.
The scheme is applied monthly (allowing for short-term or long-term flexibility), in which employees can choose to make a weekday an additional Holiday. In the press release (Japanese) it is emphasized that this is primarily for “full-time employees who are raising children under elementary school age or who need family care and nursing”.
It offers welcome flexibility, though taking up the option of a shorter working week will reduce salary and bonuses when applied – a working week of 32 hours (8 hours x 4 days) will lead to 80% of total pay. It’s a pro-rata compromise that some may decide better fits their lifestyle or family demands.
At present there are a range of shifts and new options being utilised throughout the gaming industry and broader workplaces, with flexible hours, work-from-home and hybrid working all becoming more common.
[source prtimes.jp, via twitter.com]