Key recommendations
- Ubisoft employees in France are being urged to go on strike over a new back-to-the-office policy.
- A French union of video game workers is criticizing Ubisoft's proposed hybrid model, fearing job losses and psychosocial risks.
- Demands include a formal telecommuting agreement, increased pay and better social dialogue.
All Ubisoft employees in France have been called to join a multi-day strike after the company recently announced a new back-to-the-office policy. Ubisoft has 1,000 workers in its Paris office alone, which it claims is the largest video game studio in all of France.
In September, VentureBeat reported that Ubisoft notified employees of planned company-wide changes to work settings. Ubisoft, probably best known for its popularity assassin's creed games, said in an email signed by Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer Marie-Sophie de Waubert that it aims to adopt a hybrid model for all its teams, aiming for at least three days of office work per week. A French union has since criticized the policy, arguing it would do more harm than good to employees.
Le Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV), a French union of workers in the video game industry, has called on all Ubisoft employees in France to express their anger at the company's recently announced hybrid setup by going on strike between 15 October and October. 17. Many in Ubisoft's Montreal office became angry following the implementation of a similar back-to-office mandate last year. They have supposedly been assured in the past that work could remain completely remote for a long time. According to STJV, many people have already been working effectively for years in the implementation of the current remote working model and cannot return to their previous working conditions.
Ubisoft France strike October 2024
The global rollout of Ubisoft's hybrid model could lead to job losses, the disorganization of game projects and an increase in psychosocial risks for employees who decide to stay at Ubisoft, STJV claims. In his email, de Waubert also acknowledged that the announced changes would likely impact the routines and lives of some employees. The statement, which was sent to employees shortly after Ubisoft's share price began to suffer in early September, noted that workers will have time to adjust to the new setup.
The STJV presented three demands, namely the establishment of a formal agreement between management and unions on remote work, an immediate increase in all wages to compensate for the decline in living standards over the years, and the facilitation of a social dialogue. which would amplify employee voices. The upcoming STJV strike was announced shortly after profit-sharing negotiations between Ubisoft and its employees broke down.
Following a Sept. 25 conference call with investors, Ubisoft announced that it will conduct an internal review in an effort to improve its operations. Ubisoft also revealed the softer than expected launch Star Wars Outlaws and the postponement of Assassin's Creed Shadows' launch by February 14, 2025.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a well-known video game developer and publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé, France. Current CEO Yves Guillemot leads a number of teams responsible for some of the most iconic and well-known series in video games, with franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Farcry, The Crew, Just Dance and many more. Ubisoft also acts as the parent company for a number of other video game developers, including names like Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft Paris, Blue Mammoth Games, Red Storm Entertainment and more.
- Date of establishment
- March 28, 1986
- OFFICE
- Saint Mande, France
- CEO
- Yves Guillemot
