Staff at Activision's quality assurance studio in Eden Prarie, Minnesota, were told to return to the office full-time back in January, after years of remote or hybrid working. At the time,
the move was criticised by the company's biggest union as a "soft layoff". Nine months later, the row over this policy's effects rumbles on.
Last Friday, Eden Prarie staff members took strike action backed by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which claimed in a
statement that Call of Duty publisher Activision was "insisting workers must work in the office - even those with serious medical conditions and doctor's recommendations to work from home".
Ahead of the protest, Activision workers group ABetterABK issued a
statement saying the "unequal policy" had "unquestionably harmed disabled employees and employees in need of work from home accomodations", who it claims have been unfairly refused exception from return-to-office work in the months since the policy's introduction.
ABetterABK's statement also references employees being "disrespected" by a recent company email discussing this October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
"[The email] depicted a disabled person working from home while our coworkers in need are not allowed this essential tool for equal accessibility," the statement claimed. "[Activison] has been championing DE&I while they continually fail us."
Activision quality assurance staff who worked on the just-released Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 have walked out in protest…
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