ⓘ Ubisoft
Employees at Ubisoft Paris plan to walk off the job if CEO Yves Guillemot enters the office.
Following recent turmoil, tensions at Ubisoft Paris are escalating. Several trade unions have threatened to walk out if CEO Yves Guillemot visits the studio.
Ubisoft already has a shaky reputation when it comes to employee satisfaction, but the current situation appears to mark a new low. The company recently announced an internal restructuring that requires staff to return to the office – rolling back previously introduced remote work options in a move that has reportedly been met with strong resistance from employees. The situation worsened further when one worker publicly criticized the decision and was allegedly suspended for three days without pay.
Tensions are now reaching a breaking point. The latest conflict was triggered by a proposal from Ubisoft management for a voluntary redundancy plan. According to trade unions, the plan could result in up to 200 job losses at the Ubisoft Paris studio. In response, several French unions have called for a walkout should Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot visit the studio.
The response stems from an internal letter written by the trade unions, which was obtained and published by the French newspaper Le Figaro. In the letter, the unions state that if Yves Guillemot visits the studio, employees will leave their desks and gather in front of the building to protest. According to internal documents, the move is intended to send a clear message to the Ubisoft CEO – that he is not welcome as long as he continues to mistreat his workforce.
Yves Guillemot reportedly planned to visit Ubisoft Paris in the week following January 28, though it remains unclear whether the visit will go ahead. The company has so far not responded publicly to the threatened walkout. On Reddit, many users view the planned protest as a justified reaction to what they describe as years of questionable management decisions.
As a child in the 90s, my Gameboy was my steady companion. After school, the PlayStation was fired up. When I finally got my first PC, I was completely hooked. My passion for gaming has never waned since. For me, writing for Notebookcheck means reporting on topics that are really close to my heart – in addition to gaming, I also like to write about e-mobility, photovoltaics and innovative gadgets. When I’m not sitting at my computer, I’m probably on water rescue duty on the Baltic coast or trying to counteract the downsides of my geek life – namely sitting for long periods – at the local swimming pool.