QA department employees of Activision in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, organized a strike with the support of the American union CWA. The main reason is the complete cancellation of remote and hybrid work formats.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
The CWA previously labeled such company policy as "soft layoffs" because not everyone can afford to return to the office after several years of remote work.
The union emphasized that Activision refuses to provide the option to work from home even for employees with medical conditions. An Activision employee initiative group called ABetterABK also reported discrimination by management towards workers with disabilities.
The strike began on Friday, with about 30 employees participating. Many of them worked as testers for the recently released Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
It is unclear if the protests will lead to changes. In a comment to the media, Activision representatives stated that the company respects the employees' right to express their views, and management has been negotiating a new policy for several months.
Earlier this month, over 700 employees from Ubisoft's French offices went on strike for a similar reason—the cancellation of remote work, which had been in effect for five years.