The developer behind the PlayStation 5 launch title Bugsnax as well as Octodad, Young Horses, has implemented a four-day workweek at their company. This is in hopes of helping their employees strike a better balance between work and home life. According to Axios, the policy was implemented after a unanimous vote in the studio to begin a trial run back in July.
Young Horses co-founder and president Phil Tibitoski stated that previously full-time employees were only expected to work a 35-hour workweek. This means that the transition to a 32-hour workweek should not be too jarring. He stated:
We know what we have to get done and by when, or we’re making our own schedule entirely and things get done when they get done. So we might as well give people the peace of mind that they can relax doing their own thing on their own time than have someone feel guilty for doing it at work.
Tibitoski also conceded that the change was easier to implement due to the companies modest size, stating:
Measuring our small team’s output is simple relative to those bigger studios, so our trial period and decision-making is faster than a studio who has to get buy-in from so many departments and investors.
Before continuing:
There are people who will always want more, who are never satisfied with what they have, and who will sacrifice the well-being of their employees to get there. but If we’re all happier to be at work because we’re well-rested, I think we’re going to be better off in the long run.
Tibitoski also said that he believes these kinds of workplace restructurings are possible at larger studios as well. They would involve a change in thinking that goes top-down, with studios rethinking how they can ultimately achieve their goals.
