Fujitsu to shut down half of its offices in Japan by FY22
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Fujitsu has announced it will reduce its office space in Japan by 50% and switch completely to a hot desk system by the end of the fiscal year 2022.
Fujitsu said the new plans are part of what the company has dubbed as its "work life shift" campaign that is aiming to introduce new flexible working arrangements for staff.
Aside from the office space changes, approximately 80,000 Japan-based Fujitsu employees will also begin to primarily work remotely, and flexible working hours will be expanded to all Japan-based employees.
Fujitsu will also change the support it usually provides employees in the form of commuting expenses to offering additional support for remote work environments.
Fujitsu touted the new working style will mark the end of the "conventional notion" of working in fixed offices, and enable employees to "freely choose the place they want to work, including from home, hub, or satellite offices, depending on the type of work they do".
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"Work Life Shift is not only a concept of 'work' but represents a comprehensive initiative to realise employee wellbeing by shifting pre-existing notions of 'life' and 'work' through digital innovation," the company said on Monday.
"This concept demonstrates Fujitsu's leadership in driving the digital transformation of working culture and spaces in Japan, where many companies have yet to fully embrace the potential of digital technologies to maximise efficiency and creativity in the workplace."
Additionally, Fujitsu said an office hub will be set up in different areas of the country, where each office will have a defined function, such as demonstrating its IT systems or collaborating with customers.
At the same time, the company plans to expand its satellite office in September 2021 by setting up the infrastructure to be the equivalent of what is found at its hub office, including multisite video conference capabilities.
The company added it anticipates the new changes will improve productivity but also enhance employee work-life balance.
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