Roblox CEO David Baszucki has announced in an open letter to remote employees that they will need to return to the company offices in San Mateo, California and work there for a minimum of three days a week. If not, employees will have to take a severance package and will be made redundant.

According to the open letter (thanks Eurogamer), remote employees being asked to return to the office will have three months - up until January 16, 2024 - to make their decision, with Roblox itself offering to assist with relocation costs. Those who aren't able to relocate and opt to take the severance package instead are being given an additional three months to "transition out of their roles as full time employees", and will officially leave the company on April 15, 2024.

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It was also made clear that new roles will not be offered up to those that wish to keep working remotely. Those that do decide to leave the company will be given a package "based on their individual level and term of service", as well as six months worth of healthcare coverage .

If you're confused at to why Roblox is making the sudden shift, Baszucki has claimed that remote work negatively affects people early on in their careers who "typically learn through social contact", and that they're being deprived of "mentorship". Baszucki also states that Roblox being "an innovation company" is another reason for the change, as well as "Zoom fatigue", which is apparently stifling creativity and fluidity during brainstorming sessions.

There are some exceptions, as employees who are required to work remotely - such as moderators and those that work in data and call centers - will not be asked to relocate or return to the office. Roblox is also allowing those who possess "niche skill sets or significant institutional knowledge" to continue working remotely as well.

It's a little difficult to see why people can't continue working remotely, especially as many other developers much smaller than Roblox have managed offer employees that choice after the chaos caused by the pandemic. Bungie and BioWare are two examples of studios that have managed to take into account its new remote staff, and it seems like it's exclusively the big publishers out there that have been forcing its staff back to the office.

In any case, Roblox says that it recognizes these changes may cause difficulties for some employees, and "deeply appreciates the hard work and impact" of all of its workers, regardless of their decision.

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