It has been announced today that Bandai Namco mobile is soon going to test out a new four-day working week in the hopes that it can maximize productivity and how they operate as a studio. This is a concept that has been talked about for some time now, with some UK companies wanting to try this method out, as well as companies in the Philippines who expect it to battle “rising worker costs” that have befallen them in recent times.
What is the thought process behind Bandai Namco Mobile trialing this idea?
A spokesperson from Bandai Namco mobile had this to say recently about the four-day working week trial, “Work-life balance has always been one of our main priorities since the very beginning of our studio. We have empowered our teams to strike the perfect balance between their professional and personal lives based on their unique needs; this is down to unlimited holidays, hybrid working, and no set working hours.” The Barcelona-based studio that is an offshoot of their parent company clearly has their worker’s best interests at heart, and a four-day working week trial has been a popular hit in Spain in recent times.
The spokesperson went on to say, “Trialling the move to the four-day working week is the next logical step for us to continue to strive, and hopefully helps with people’s stress levels, an increase in creativity, and a reduction in mental health problems, something that is a huge priority for us as a company. Worker’s wellbeing is one of our key aspects, especially in this industry which is well-known to have problems with burn out.”
Bandai Namco mobile aims to set the trial over a six-month period – which kicked off earlier this month – and has designated Friday as the official “non-working day” for all their employees – there’s not much better than a Friday off work, or perhaps a Monday, or any… you get the picture. Let’s see what the outcome is at the end of the trial and if other companies follow suit at some point.
