Activision Blizzard will end hybrid working for QA testers in January, so employees will be expected to work in the office full-time.
The impact of this decision is highlighted in a new statement shared with Eurogamer by the ABK Workers Alliance.
QA employees in Minneapolis, Austin, and El Segundo were affected, and “many employees will be forced out of the company in soft layoffs.”
“With the announcement of hybrid working earlier this year, the job security of many QA employees was already in a precarious situation,” a statement from the ABK Workers Alliance said.
“Since then, hundreds of employees have contacted our accommodation team in an attempt to obtain permanent work-from-home arrangements due to disability, financial difficulties or other factors. Many of these requests were completely denied and further requests were provided for “in-office accommodations that did not adequately meet the needs of the employees.”
“As a result, many employees have been forced out of the company through soft layoffs, and we believe that with the end of hybrid working, even more employees will be forced out of the company and will find themselves in a desperate situation. There is.”
The Alliance says the decision to return to the office will affect vulnerable employees, “particularly disabled and immunocompromised employees, many of whom have had their requests for work-from-home accommodations denied for inappropriate reasons.” It pointed out.
“It is also important for us to recognize the economic impact this decision will have on our employees,” the statement continued. “Many employees who were hired during the heyday of telecommuting live a significant distance from their offices. Affected employees who remain with their companies often commute significant distances to their offices. But these long commutes also result in a poor work-life balance for affected employees, who spend most of their time commuting and working, leaving their families and loved ones alone. It means spending less time with people and other aspects of life. ”
On November 30th, Activision QA employees in Minneapolis, Austin, and El Segundo received an email notifying them that hybrid work for QA employees will end in January.
Below is our statement regarding this decision. pic.twitter.com/UKyRH2BggH
— ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) December 18, 2023
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Finally, the statement addressed how employees who remain with the company will be affected by increased workload, stress and reduced product quality.
“A one-size-fits-all mandate harms us all. We all lose, our company, our products, our athletes, and most of all our employees. We are determined that the work-from-home decision is made,” the Alliance said. I will stick to it,” he concluded. or RTO should be determined individually taking into account the needs of each employee. ”
Eurogamer has reached out to Activision Blizzard for comment.
This is the latest controversy between Activision Blizzard and its QA team.
Back in March, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) sued the company for violating several workplace laws in connection with the firing of two QA testers.
Meanwhile, in late May, Raven Software’s QA testers received a vote to unionize.