'This is an extremely difficult decision,' says CEO
Report to the office or get lost – that’s the message one CEO has for his workers.
Roblox workers must start working from the company’s headquarters in San Mateo by next summer and transition away from remote work, said David Baszucki, chief executive of the the online game platform.
Workers must be in the office from Tuesday to Thursday each week. Employees who are asked to begin working from the office will have until Jan. 16, 2024 to make that decision.
Office vacancies soared to a 20-year high in the U.S. and London in the third quarter of this year, according to a report from CoStar, which provides research on commercial real estate.
In making the decision to call workers back to the office, Baszucki had a pivotal moment when the company had its first post-quarantine, in-person group gathering.
“Within 45 minutes, I came away from three separate conversations with spontaneous to-dos and ideas to put in motion, something that hadn’t happened during the past few years of video meetings.”
He also claimed that “Zoom fatigue is real,” saying: “A three-hour Group Review in person is much less exhausting than over video and brainstorming sessions are more fluid and creative.”
Here’s how HR can help workers struggling with Zoom fatigue.
There will be some exemptions from Roblox’s call back to the office, including 1) teams and roles that are required to be remote (e.g., data centers, moderators, call centers, etc.), and 2) individuals who have niche skill sets or significant institutional knowledge (e.g., multi-disciplinary skills, deep expertise with Roblox systems, etc.).
However, those who are not exempt will have to return to the workplace, even if it means they have to relocate.
“This is an extremely difficult decision because where we live is a personal choice and it affects all aspects of our lives. We have done everything we can to make this process as systematic and fair as possible,” said Baszucki.
Employees who choose to relocate will begin working from the San Mateo offices by July 15, 2024, and the company will assist with relocation costs.
CEOs are considering linking rewards with in-office attendance as part of their latest push to get employees back on-site, according to the recent KPMG CEO Outlook.
“Unfortunately, I know that some employees will decide not to join us at headquarters,” said Baszucki.
Those who will decide not to head back to the office will just have to “transition out of their roles as full-time employees”. They can do that until April 15, 2024.
“Employees will continue to work during this time with no change to their compensation or vesting schedules. This means all employees, regardless of whether or not they chose to relocate, will receive both the November and February quarterly vestings, in addition to any other vestings they have during that time,” said Baszucki.
The company will also provide departing workers a severance package based on their individual level and term of service, along with six months of healthcare coverage for everyone on their policies.
“While we know this is the right decision for Roblox, we recognize that it may create challenges for some of our employees,” said the CEO. “Regardless of what our remote employees decide, please know that we deeply appreciate the hard work and impact each of you has had at Roblox.”
