\n<\/p>\n
Forget about the meetings and the deadlines. Pick up a gaming controller instead.<\/p>\n
A day spent playing video games usually means taking time away from work. Now at Logitech, that time away is company-approved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The $14 billion<\/a> tech company is giving its entire workforce a flexible day off to play video games, including the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI<\/em>, which comes out on November 19.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Logitech\u2019s new initiative is called \u201cLogi Game Day,\u201d and it gives every employee, including interns, the chance to take one paid day off to play a game. Workers can choose a day that works best for them, from now until this time next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The initiative marks the first gaming day in the company\u2019s history, per a company press release<\/a>. It saves employees the hassle of using a sick day for gaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s time to retire the stereotype that gaming is a waste of time,\u201d Hanneke Faber, Logitech\u2019s CEO, said in the release. \u201cAs a company designing products for work and play, we see every day how engagement in one sphere supports performance in the other. \u201d<\/p>\n Employees can even play video games in the office. Logitech\u2019s gaming brand, Logitech G, revealed this week that it will launch a streaming event to celebrate Game Day. The event will take place at the company\u2019s Americas headquarters in San Jose on November 19. Robin Piispanen, Logitech G\u2019s general manager and a former competitive gamer, will act as the event host.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhether diving into a game like GTA VI<\/em> or Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4<\/em>, shaving seconds off lap times in Forza<\/em>, or teaming up in an online battle, Game Day gives our team a shared purpose,\u201d Piispanen said in a press release statement. \u201cWe see firsthand how Logitech employees who sharpen their skills in-game translate directly back to work and problem-solving.\u201d<\/p>\n Faber herself plans to play Grand Theft Auto VI<\/em> when it comes out. She will head into Logitech headquarters, which will transform into a fully equipped gaming lounge that day.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready for some fun and (friendly) competition,\u201d she said in an interview with Fortune<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Other executives celebrated the decision to offer a day off for gaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPlay is not the opposite of work,\u201d Elaine Laird, Logitech\u2019s chief people officer, said in a press release. \u201cWhen people have dedicated time to log off, decompress and immerse themselves in play, they return with clearer focus, renewed energy and fresh approaches to complex challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n Research conducted by the company backs up these claims. In Logitech\u2019s recent Ctrl Tomorrow<\/a> study, 81% of gamers said playing helps build real-world confidence and improve work performance. A separate study<\/a> conducted by the company in August found that 98.8% of respondents said gaming skills had a direct connection to workplace abilities like problem-solving.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Forget about the meetings and the deadlines. Pick up a gaming controller instead.<\/p>\n A day spent playing video games usually means taking time away from work. Now at Logitech, that time away is company-approved.\u00a0<\/p>\nCelebrating Game Day in the office<\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
\n