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Roblox is ending a long-standing work-from-home policy and telling remote employees they must transition to its in-person workplace, potentially relocating, or face being fired.
In a memo sent on October 17 (via CNBC), Roblox CEO David Baszucki announced that a “number” of remote workers must join a three-day office schedule at the company’s headquarters in San Mateo or Roblox will fire them. Baszucki added that the company will provide a severance package for fired employees, and that every remote worker has been contacted with specific details of how the new policy will affect their position.
Affected employees have until January 16, 2024 to decide whether to remain at the company. Employees who refuse to relocate will have an additional three months to find new employment. The severance package will vary depending on each individual employee’s level and terms of service, but each package cover six months of healthcare for everyone on the specific employee’s plan. Not every remote worker is affected. According to the memo, some teams and roles–like data and call centers–are necessarily remote, while others have niche skill sets that can remain remote.
In the memo, also published as a blog post on the official Roblox site, Bazucki stated, “We did not make this decision lightly, as we understand that the decision to move is significant, both for our employees and for their families and loved ones…ultimately, Roblox is an innovation company and we needed to get back to working in person. We were also concerned about many cohorts, such as our new college graduates and people early in their careers, who typically learn through social contact and would miss out on this mentorship. And of course this requires the presence of senior employees to provide that mentorship.”
This policy is a change of course for the company, which told employees in May of last year that they could continue to work remotely. Roblox’s product also seeks to integrate real-life and digital workspaces. Roblox recently introduced an in-game recruitment center where potential employees could find out more about working at Roblox and potentially be interviewed for a position.
In September, a report claimed that Ubisoft Montreal also reversed course on a work-from-home policy, causing worker frustration and anger.
