Activision Workers Speak Out Against Return-To-Office Mandate That They See As ‘Soft Layoffs’

Late last month, Activision QA employees in three cities – Austin, Minneapolis, and El Segundo – received word that their days of working anywhere other than an office were numbered. The company informed them that in January, all employees would be expected to show up in person. No work-from-home days allowed. According to employees, this puts undue burden on disabled and medically vulnerable workers, as well as those in precarious financial situations. Some have come to view this uncompromising mandate as a means of quietly laying off scores of workers.

The ABK Workers Alliance – a group that formed in 2021 following allegations of widespread sexual misconduct at Activision Blizzard which has resulted in the company paying $54 million to settle a discrimination lawsuit – is speaking out against this change, which follows a switch from a pandemic-era work-from-home model to a hybrid setup of three in-office days earlier this year. 

“The job security of many QA employees was already on shaky ground due to the announcement of hybrid work earlier this year,” reads a statement from The ABK Workers Alliance. “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.”    

“This has resulted in many employees being forced out of the company in a soft layoff,” the statement continues. “It is our belief that the removal of hybrid work will result in many, many more employees being forced out of the company and into a desperate situation.”

Employees told Aftermath that Activision has justified the mandate by suggesting that teams perform better when they’re all in a building together. In an internal email shared with Aftermath, Activision president Rob Kostich specifically chalks this up to "commercial broadband speeds, in-person team engagement leading to faster alignment, and better access to hardware in the office.” 

Activision echoed this sentiment in a statement to Aftermath about the removal of the hybrid work option: “After returning to the office in April, we’ve learned a lot about how our teams can work best. 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.”

When asked about employees’ concerns that the mandate is effectively a round of soft layoffs, an Activision spokesperson said, "It's not a layoff. ... We're not pushing people out. It's the opposite: We're asking them to come in."

Some employees aren’t buying it. “And yet,” said Andrew Snell, a QA tester at Activision’s Minneapolis location, “we are also informed of how often we break sales records while under a hybrid work-from-home policy. I highly doubt they even considered how the decision would impact those that would be displaced by the decision.”  

"It's crucial to note that management has not shared the underlying metrics or data supporting this claim [that working from the office improves performance]," said a former employee who was granted anonymity out of concern over potential retaliation. "At the same time, it's noteworthy that management consistently emphasizes the positive aspects of the year, boasting about breaking the ceiling on product sales, profit, and player numbers."

Activision employees suffering from health issues are now weighing whether to stay or accept a severance package of 12-weeks pay and other benefits, which further drives home the feeling that Activision is doling out layoffs by another name.

“If I am forced to work on-site, it will exacerbate my medical conditions,” said one current Activision employee who was granted anonymity. “A few of my conditions have been symptom-free while I've been working remotely, so my health will take a sudden, sharp decline if I work on-site. A lot of people refer to the flexible hybrid or remote options as a benefit or perk, but for me, it's the only thing between me and burnout. If I start to get a migraine, I can turn off the lights without someone turning them back on and telling me it's a workplace hazard. If I forget to take my meds, they're within reach. If I need to stretch or burn some energy, I can do so without disrupting my colleagues. After three years of working remotely, working on-site would be as mentally taxing as starting a new job.”

Despite this, they said they’ve had no luck securing remote work accommodations from the company so far.

“Personally, I have had an open accommodations case for almost a year now, and no progress has been made,” the Activision employee said. “The accommodations team says they're only able to grant remote work on a temporary basis, so while the company hasn't taken a clear stance on how this all affects disabled and medically vulnerable workers, the way they have been handling the situation clearly contradicts their public stance on [diversity, equity, and inclusion].”

In a statement to Aftermath, Activision said it takes “our support for employees with disabilities, differing abilities, mental health requirements, and changing medical needs seriously” and added that “we thoroughly manage all requests and work with the individual confidentially to understand their medical needs and offer a variety of individualized solutions.”

Kate Anderson, a former Activision employee displaced by the prior switch to a hybrid model, doesn’t believe Activision’s response has been even remotely sufficient.

"I moved about an hour away [from Activision’s Minneapolis location] to be closer to family members with failing health. I myself have health issues that have been easier to deal with while working from home," Anderson said. "A one-size-fits-all mandate ensures that the needs of our most vulnerable employees are not met. Whether an employee works from home or returns to the office should be decided on an individual basis with consideration to the needs of each employee."

Activision’s return-to-office mandate follows similar – though less severe – edicts from companies like Roblox and Ubisoft Montreal, which still allowed employees to work remotely on some days. Some Ubisoft Montreal employees felt similarly to those now grappling with uncertain futures at Activision: that they’d effectively been laid off, but in a way that resulted in less negative publicity and didn’t force Ubisoft to pay out severance. Activision, at least, is offering the latter, but employees still feel like their concerns are falling on deaf ears.

"In every conversation I've had with my coworkers over the change, the overall impression is that this is a soft layoff," said Snell. "Especially when it has been phrased to us as a 'voluntary severance.'"

The current employee suggested that, in a grimly fitting twist, Activision is testing a potentially unpopular change on QA testers.

“Activision QA is often seen as entry level, low skill, and replaceable,” they said. “As such, people in other disciplines speculate that they test unpopular changes and decisions on our department. It's possible they're using us to estimate the level of pushback and number of resignations they can expect from the rest of the company since they feel we're easier to replace.”

An Activision spokesperson told Aftermath that while "we always examine and refine how we operate each unit, we have no current plans to roll this [return-to-office mandate] out more broadly at this time." 

But for many QA workers, the damage has already been done. 

“If they let me continue to work remotely temporarily or permanently as an accommodation for my disabilities, then I'll stay and continue to advocate for those who weren't as lucky,” said the current employee. “If we can't come to an agreement on effective accommodations, then I'll be forced to endure the negative impacts to my health until I find another job.”

Correction: An earlier version of this piece stated that Activision Blizzard recently settled a lawsuit involving sexual misconduct. However, the settlement only covers discrimination. We apologize for the error.