TOKYO: Japan’s Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. group plans to allow about 30,000 domestic employees to work fully remotely, including from home, in principle from July, it was learned Saturday.

When they need to come to the office, the visits will be treated as business trips, and all transportation costs, including airfares, will be covered with company funds with no ceiling to be set for the amount, informed sources said.

The NTT group, which has some 180,000 domestic employees, aims to secure excellent human resources by making possible various ways of work that eliminate the need for commuting.

Last year, the major telecommunications group announced a plan to basically shift to the remote work system in order to eliminate transfers, including those not accompanied by family members, that employees do not want.

The new system will basically allow employees to work from home or satellite offices, with no limit set on places of residence as long as they live in Japan, according to the sources.

The new work system will begin with departments where remote work is possible at major group companies such as regional telecommunications units NTT East Corp. and NTT West Corp., and mobile phone carrier NTT Docomo Inc.

The group plans to increase the number of employees eligible for the system in stages after examining hurdles.

Among other major Japanese companies, Yahoo Japan Corp. introduced in April a work system that allows employees to live anywhere in the country.

The number of companies adopting remote work systems is increasing, prompted by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

JIJI Press