Remote working times are over, and Rockstar wants their employees to be in the office ASAP.
The global pandemic that hit us back in 2020 really changed the way we work. For some, working from home does not alter the work style at all, in fact, some of the big companies changed their work style to be half commute and half remote.
The gaming industry, which also benefits from the change, also had a working structure during the pandemic era, albeit some files require transferring and meetings still need to be held. Now that the wears of the pandemic have started to heal, most companies request their employees to return to their so-called habitats.
Strangely enough, one of them is the Rockstar, who is currently working on making the deadline of their highly anticipated title; Grand Theft Auto VI. Since the 2025 deadline is closing in, Rockstar has spread the information that by April 15, 2024, all employees must return back to their office environment to keep developing the upcoming title. Just a quick reminder, Rockstar has a hybrid work system, where employees are asked to be in the office for at least two to three days a week.
So, changing from full two days a week to five days a week at the office could potentially screw up some of the employee’s schedule. What makes workers miffed about the change is, not because the whole week is required to be in the office, but rather Rockstar’s promise to keep the hybrid system intact for the people who can’t make it to the office every day. After receiving the mail for an update on the work system, the employees dubbed it as a “reckless decision”.
175 of the employees signed a petition to not change the work plan and forwarded their concerns to The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which might take the matter to court. According to the senior and management staff, who have been working with Rockstar for a long time despite the change due to not having time to spend with their families, not taking care of their sick parents, and not being able to get outside because of their conditions, presumably related to illness.
April 15 is still a long way away, maybe Rockstar will change its mind once it realizes how efficient the hybrid work plan is. We are just glad that Rockstar isn’t one of the companies that decided to fire a huge chunk of the workforce for profit instead.
