UPDATE 19/12/23: Activision has today provided Eurogamer with a statement discussing the end of hybrid working for the company’s QA testing teams – which it says work better together in person – as well a statement discussing the company’s support for accomodating employee needs.
“After returning to the office in April, we’ve learned a lot about how our teams can work best,” an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said. “In particular, we saw our QA team in Minneapolis, Austin and El Segundo work more effectively and efficiently in person, thanks to improved broadband speeds, seamless team coordination, and better hardware access. As a result, we’ve made the decision to move from a hybrid work schedule to a full-time, in-office working model for Activision QA in Minneapolis, Austin and El Segundo to foster a best-in-class QA function and best deliver for our players.”We take our support for employees with disabilities, differing abilities, mental health requirements, and changing medical needs seriously,” the spokesperson continued. “We are focused on finding appropriate, reasonable accommodations for team members who experience barriers to performing their essential job functions. We thoroughly manage all requests and work with the individual confidentially to understand their medical needs and offer a variety of individualised solutions.”
ORIGINAL STORY 18/12/23:Activision Blizzard is ending hybrid working for its QA testers in January, meaning employees are expected to work full-time in offices.
The impact of this decision has been highlighted by the ABK Workers Alliance in a new statement shared with Eurogamer.
QA employees in Minneapolis, Austin, and El Segundo are affected, with “many employees being forced out of the company in a soft layoff”.
“The job security of many QA employees was already on shaky ground due to the announcement of hybrid work earlier this year,” reads the ABK Workers Alliance statement.
“Since then, hundreds of employees have been in correspondence with the Accommodations team to try to receive a permanent work from home arrangement due to disability, financial issues, or other factors. Many of these requests have been outright denied and many more have been offered in-office accommodations that do not adequately meet the needs of employees.