TOP TECH FIRM TO SHUT DOWN HALF OF ITS OFFICES, ANNOUNCES PERMANENT WORK FROM HOME: REPORT  

Renowned technology firm Fujitsu has announced that it will reduce its office space in Japan by 50 percent. This decision is taken so that the company adapts to the "new normal" due the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a Business Standard report, the IT solutions company said its roughly 80,000 group employees in Japan would work flexible hours. While work-from-home would be standard wherever possible.

"We will overhaul our current work, allowance and welfare framework that is based on the assumption that employees commute to designated offices every day," Hiroki Hiramatsu, head of the human resources unit, said at a news briefing.

"After reducing office space, the company plans to launch satellite offices in areas where many employees reside and sign up with more shared workspace providers," Hiramatsu added. 

Meanwhile, in a statement sent to the BBC, Fujitsu said it "will introduce a new way of working that promises a more empowering, productive, and creative experience for employees that will boost innovation and deliver new value to its customers and society".

"Under the plan employees will begin to primarily work on a remote-basis to achieve a working style that allows them to flexibly use their time according to the contents of their work, business roles, and lifestyle," the statement added.

The company further states that the programme will allow staff to choose where they want to work, which is home, a major corporate hub or a satellite office.