The employees of Electronic Arts – the ones still remaining after recent mass layoffs, anyway – are facing another problem from the developer and publisher: a return-to-office mandate that has caused upset and confusion thanks to some mixed signals in official messaging.
The original emailed order from CEO Andrew Wilson states that hybrid work models will require a minimum of three days a week at local offices while “offsite local roles” would be gradually phased out. “[I]n-person work results in a kinetic energy that fuels creativity, innovation, and connection, often resulting in unexpected breakthroughs that lead to incredible experiences for our players,” Wilson argues in the email.
A follow-up email from EA Entertainment president Laura Miele has only muddied the waters. In her message, she explains that employees within a 30-mile/48-km radius will transition to the defined hybrid work requirement, while those outside of that area will be “considered remote unless their role is designated as On Site or Hybrid.”
Anonymous employees speaking with IGN have expressed their frustration at the mandate, with two employees claiming that existing remote workers would have their RTO exemptions “sunset” sometime in the next 3 to 24 months, while many others point out childcare needs, medical conditions, and hours-long commutes that they were now having to account for to determine whether they stay employed or not.
This is just the latest in a series of company demands to bring game devs back to the physical office, which have frequently ended up turning into a round of soft layoffs, including Activision-Blizzard, Ubisoft, Rockstar, and CIG.
