Ubisoft announced that its employees will have to return to the office three days a week in-person starting at a yet to be designated time.
There is no start date for the mandate yet because Ubisoft is informing employees — all 19,000 of them — for the first time and said it will be flexible, depending on areas of the world where they live and local requirements. It will also allow some exceptions on whether people will be forced to move or not.
But it will be a global policy for the first time requiring staff to return to a hybrid model of three days a week in office. About a third of team members are already doming into the office. And on average, teams spend 50% of time in the office now.
Marie-Sophie de Waubert, chief studios and portfolio officer, sent the message to employees.
In a statement, Ubisoft said, “We have adopted a hybrid work model globally over the last few years and gained valuable insights. We are now looking at refining it to better balance the benefits of remote and in-office work, targeting at least three days per week at the office. This adjustment would enhance creativity and teamwork by increasing our time together in the office, ensuring it supports our values and culture while respecting individual circumstances.”
In the company’s previous policy, for many of its studios or offices, employees are already working at this level with a third of the offices working three days or more and now it is aligning the rest of the company under a consistent global policy.
Asked about what the date will be, the company said it will take effect in the coming months. The company said it believes working together in person fosters creativity, strong relationships, mentoring and it gives newcomers a chance to learn from others.
Each division will implement the new policy on its own timetable. The company had been contemplating the move for months and it was deliberate about the decision.
As a contrast to Ubisoft’s policy, Amazon yesterday mandated that all employees would return to office five days a week, starting in January 2025. Before this change, Amazon employees were required to be in the office three days a week. SAP, AT&T, Dell, Disney, Goldman Sachs and others have rolled back their previously flexible policies that were created during the pandemic when work from home was encouraged.
Here’s a copy of the announcement to employees:
Hello Everyone,
Today I want to share the result of a collective reflection about how we work together at Ubisoft, and more precisely on our hybrid work model.
Over the last few years, we gathered useful insights and feedback on how to implement hybrid work in the best way for us.
We all appreciate the flexibility hybrid work offers and want to continue enjoying its advantages, including better work-life balance. That’s why we will not go back to a 100% office-based model.
However, we also confirmed all the positive energy and unique benefits that come from being together in person. These shared moments foster stronger collaboration and deeper connections.
We are a creative company, and creativity is boosted by in-person interactions, informal conversations, and collaborating around the same table. Being together in person also helps solve problems and make decisions more effectively. Increasing in-person time is key to learn from each other in an industry that’s constantly evolving. And this is even more important for newcomers who need to master our tools and understand our ways of doing things. Finally, it’s also essential to build mutual trust within and between teams, nurture a sense of belonging, and make the most of our culture.
Therefore, in consultation with the entire executive committee, and all entity, production zone and studio leaders, we want to evolve our hybrid work model, targeting a minimum of three days per week at the office. A third of our global teams are already following this model, and our objective is to now align the rest of the group.
This evolution might impact some of your routines and lives, so those who need it will have time to adjust. Your local management and HR team will be in touch very soon about next steps, and they are available to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you once again for your work and your commitment in a challenging period. Creating video games is a collective journey, and we are confident that this evolution is the best way to move forward as one team.
Marie-Sophie de Waubert