Firms Trying to Boost Interactions among Workers for Revitalization

Tokyo, Oct. 25 (Jiji Press)--Companies in Japan are exercising their creativity to revitalize themselves by boosting interactions among employees, which have decreased amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Accounting software company Freee K.K. <4478>, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Growth market, has prepared office spaces that are attractive to its employees.

The Tokyo-based company moved into a new head office in August, which has conference rooms with unique designs based on ideas from employees. One of them looks like a "dagashiya" traditional Japanese candy store for children, and another is equipped with a full-fledged kitchen.

While the number of Freee's employees has roughly doubled from the 2019 level thanks to its business growth, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the company to fully shift to remote work, leaving employees with few opportunities to interact with each other in person.

"(For the company's further growth), we thought we should devise a system that can bring employees to the same place and help them meet and talk," Yuka Tsujimoto, who led Freee's head office relocation project, said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]