Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft intends to implement more flexible working arrangements post-pandemic.
In an email published by the company, the recently appointed chief people officer Anika Grant said the majority of Ubisoft staff will be given the opportunity to balance home and office work via a hybrid system.
The company said its new framework is based on learnings from the past year and feedback from employees, and indicated it’s willing to refine its current approach using a ‘test and learn’ strategy.
“In the future we will embrace a hybrid and tailored approach to work arrangements. This means many of you will be able to balance in-office work with work from home,” explained Grant, who indicated the company is keen to avoid “a one-size-fits-all” system.
With that in mind, Grant noted that jobs incompatible with remote working due to technical restraints will remain fully office based, but suggested that a small number of roles and individuals may be eligible for full-time remote work.
“This approach allows us to account for the variety of job families, locations, and preferences that make up our more than 20,000-person strong global company,” she continued. “We recognize that a production team about to ship a project versus a global IT support team or a digital marketing team, for example, all have very different needs.”
Grant said the company will also work to empower its local leaders “to make the best decisions for their teams” with a view to boosting productivity, quality, and ensuring everybody is happy and healthy.
It’s a pledge that comes after Ubisoft was accused of enabling a culture of abuse and control by several current and former employees in July last year, before more allegations surfaced months later as part of a Gamasutra investigation that indicated the cycle of misconduct runs deep at the French company.
Responding to those allegations, Ubisoft outlined a five pronged plan to address its toxic workplace culture, with CEO Yves Guillemot later saying the company undertook “profound actions” to address those concerns.
Moving forward, Grant claims the company is now starting a journey that will “define the future of work for Ubisoft.” You can hear more from the chief people officer by reading the full email.