Following news that Rockstar Games is enforcing a return-to-offie mandate, a number of employees at the Grand Theft Auto 6 developer have criticised the studio’s decision to have its workforce return to the office full-time.
Rockstar‘s decision has been criticised by the Independent Workers’ union of Great Britain, stating that the decision to withdraw remote working provisions for staff is the latest in a long line of broken promises from the developer.
This is despite the fact Rockstar had reportedly stated in an email that “no one wants to go back to the old way of working.” Previously, unionised Rockstar employees had submitted a 175 signature-strong petition calling for continued remote work options, which came in response to a mandatory transition to three-day office week.
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The following are statements from Rockstar employees, who are understandably not happy with the company’s decision:
Working from home has been a lifeline for many of us at Rockstar, allowing us to balance care responsibilities, manage disabilities, and relocate as we need. Now, Rockstar is snatching away that lifeline without a second thought for the workers who’ll be impacted most. After so many broken promises we now fear management may even be paving the way for a return to toxic ‘crunch’ practices. Senior leadership need to rethink their reckless decision making and engage with their staff to find an arrangement that works for everyone.
As usual, there has been zero consultation with us: the people who these policy changes most affect. Just one of my concerns is being forced to work late hours in the office to maintain contact with global teams when before we could log on from home to attend late meetings. This will mean missing out on spending time with our families. I am also aware of colleagues who have health issues preventing full time office work who are now left in limbo.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently in development for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S and is slated for release in 2025.
[Source – VGC]