Activision's Quality Assurance Team Protests New Mandate, Cites 'Soft Layoff' Concerns

Microsoft Corp.'s MSFT Quality Assurance (QA) workers within Activision are protesting a new return-to-office mandate, labeling it a "soft layoff" and fearing it will force many employees out of the company.

What Happened: The ABK Workers Alliance opposes this mandate, per IGN.

The group takes issue with the shift to mandatory in-office work for QA employees in Minneapolis, Austin, and El Segundo primarily focused on "Call of Duty" development.

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Activision is offering severance packages to those leaving due to this directive.

The company claims improved efficiency in in-person workdays for the QA team, citing reasons like enhanced broadband speeds and better hardware access.

However, employees seeking remote work due to disabilities or personal circumstances have allegedly faced denials or inadequate accommodations.

The ABK Workers Alliance argues that these changes disregard the needs of vulnerable employees and unfairly force individuals out, likening it to a 'soft layoff.'

"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," the ABK Workers Alliance said in a statement. See below.

On November 30th, Activision QA employees in Minneapolis, Austin, and El Segundo received an email announcing that hybrid work will be ended in January for QA employees.

Below is our statement regarding this decision. pic.twitter.com/UKyRH2BggH

— ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) December 18, 2023

This conflict is part of ongoing tensions between Activision Blizzard and its employees, dating back to a discrimination lawsuit in 2021. The ABK Workers Alliance emerged in response to this, engaging in protests and supporting unionization efforts.

"A one-size-fits-all mandate harms us all," ABK Workers Alliance concluded. "Everyone loses: the company, the products, the players, and, most of all, the employees. We stand firm in our resolve that the decision to WFH or RTO should be made on an individual basis with consideration to the needs of each employee."

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Image credits: Eric Broder Van Dyke on Shutterstock.