Logitech Gives All 7,000 Employees a Paid Day Off to Play Video Games

Logitech, valued at $14 billion, is giving its entire workforce of 7,000 employees a paid day off to play video games. The initiative, called "Logi Game Day," is the first gaming day in the company's history, according to a company press release.

Every employee can take part — full-time staff and interns alike. Each worker gets one flexible paid day off to play a game of their choosing, usable any time from now until this time next year. The move also spares employees the awkward workaround of burning a sick day for gaming.

What did the CEO say?

Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber used the announcement to attack a long-standing workplace assumption. "It's time to retire the stereotype that gaming is a waste of time," Faber said in the release. "As a company designing products for work and play, we see every day how engagement in one sphere supports performance in the other."

Faber plans to practice what she preaches. She intends to play Grand Theft Auto VI — the highly anticipated title launching November 19 — and will do it at Logitech headquarters, which will convert into a fully equipped gaming lounge that day.

"I'm ready for some fun and (friendly) competition," Faber told Fortune.

What happens on November 19?

Logitech's gaming brand, Logitech G, will mark the occasion with a streaming event at the company's Americas headquarters in San Jose on November 19 — the same day GTA VI hits shelves. Robin Piispanen, Logitech G's general manager and a former competitive gamer, will host.

Piispanen framed the day as a team-building exercise rather than a perk. "Whether diving into a game like GTA VI or Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4, shaving seconds off lap times in Forza, or teaming up in an online battle, Game Day gives our team a shared purpose," he said in a press release statement. "We see firsthand how Logitech employees who sharpen their skills in-game translate directly back to work and problem-solving."

Employees don't have to stay home, either. The company says workers can play in the office, turning headquarters into a gaming space for the day.

Does gaming actually help work performance?

Logitech's own research says yes. The company's recent Ctrl Tomorrow study found that 81% of gamers believe playing helps build real-world confidence and improves work performance. A separate Logitech study conducted in August went further: 98.8% of respondents said gaming skills connect directly to workplace abilities such as problem-solving.

Chief People Officer Elaine Laird echoed the data in her own defense of the day off. "Play is not the opposite of work," Laird said in a press release. "When 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."

Why does this matter?

The move positions Logitech — a company that sells gaming peripherals — as a test case for treating play as a performance tool rather than a productivity drain. With GTA VI's November 19 release shaping up as one of the biggest entertainment launches of the year, Logitech is betting that a workforce fluent in its own products is a competitive advantage.