Blizzard employees being forced to remind their leadership that they are valid and deserving of respect has become a typical Thursday nowadays. News broke recently that the company is ending most of its remote work policies in the next few months, requiring their employees to return to the office for at least three days out of the week. Blizzard employees have now taken to Twitter to justifiably voice their disappointment in frustrating decisions by leadership that lower worker morale, and we can’t seem to shake away the Déjà vu.
The news must have been discussed internally and defended by leadership to workers, as many employees have weighed in on the move towards returning to the office and expressed disgust with those in charge. The bombshell was originally detailed by a developer at Blizzard under the Twitter handle LeastMyHairIsOk before being confirmed this week.
Activision Blizzard employees argue that ending remote work policies will have a drastic effect on retention and recruitment for the company. During the pandemic, it was established that most of the gaming giant’s workforce would move towards working from home, and employees have no interest in transitioning back to commuting to their studios.
Workers are justifiably upset, as there are many reasons that they wish to remain remote, including rising costs of living and the prevailing presence of Covid-19. Some employees have even relocated further away from the office after the policies were established and blended into normal practice.
Activision Blizzard has seen quite a bit of success over the past several years during the duration of remote employment. World of Warcraft has released a positively-received expansion and WoW: Classic also launched Wrath of the Lich King Classic. Overwatch was able to churn out a hit sequel, and Call of Duty impressed the masses with a new title.
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Blizzard has publicly stated that they wish to focus on creating a positive work environment for their employees after it was revealed that a toxic environment festered in their culture for years. Employees are loud and clear about their thoughts on the matter, and leadership would do well to listen to what they have to say. Employees that don’t feel valued or respected will likely not put up with it, especially after everything else they have had to endure over the years.
Even people no longer associated with the company have come to the defense of their former coworkers. The ball is in Blizzard’s court now, and they can choose to compromise, or show how little that they have learned.
