Electronic Arts has sent employees a notice that it’s scaling back remote working, implementing a new hybrid policy of three days a week in the office.
According to IGN, an email sent around the company by EA CEO Andrew Wilson said that employees will spend a “minimum of three days a week in [their] local office”, with “offsite local roles” steadily being phased out.
Wilson’s justification is that in-office work generates “a kinetic energy that fuels creativity, innovation, and connection, often resulting in unexpected breakthroughs that lead to incredible experiences for our players.”
A follow-up by EA Entertainment president Laura Miele explained that the changes will not take place immediately, with ‘work model transitions’ having a minimum 12-week notice period. The timing on this will apparently vary by location.
A notion of a 30 mile/48kilometre ‘radius’ was also outlined in the email. Employees living within that distance of a local office will move to the new hybrid model.
Employees outside that radius will be considered remote, “unless their role is designated as On Site or Hybrid”.
“Any work model exception and future Remote hires will require a CEO Direct’s /my approval [sic].”
GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to EA to confirm the email is genuine, but understands employees in the UK have received the same notice.
After gaining momentum during the pandemic as a recruitment incentive, remote work has gradually been scaled back across the industry.
Companies like Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft Montreal, and Rockstar Games have changed to either hybrid or in-office models in recent years.