Patch 10.0.5 Hotfixes - February 15, 2023, Activision Blizzard Ends Work-From-Home

[Yakut]

Just because someone shows up at the office doesn't mean they actually work all that time. Especially in game development.

I don't work in development, but I tend to agree with you. I actually got less done in the office than I do from home. In the office, I had people constantly at my desk (at nearly 5 minute intervals without exaggeration) asking me questions. At home, they do so a couple times a day. Easier access to me meant I got nothing done.

Fortunately, at my present company, the job is and has always been (prior to Covid) 100% WFH. I would say that when we hire the stereotypical "lazy" employee, they don't last long (usually a couple weeks) before it is very clear they're a waste of time and are let go. The productive employees are always productive.

I'm a Security Architect and I work for a cyber security consulting company. Effectively, I tell people (in and out of our company) how to securely do things to meet compliance frameworks and I don't need an office to do my work. Technically, I suppose, I haven't ever needed an office. It's always been that one manager at previous companies that felt he needed to "see" people to trust them. And our CEO doesn't have that same issue. It works just fine with the right management.

[Twdft]

So companies are supposed to just let their employees lazily work at home putting in half the amount of effort because they aren't being supervised... forever?

Seeing this argument from time to time and can't understand it. You give an employee a work load to do and check if they have done it at the end of the day... what exactly is the difference if they do the load in an office or at home? The only reason to oversee them in an office would be if they are so clueless that you have to tell them to breathe in and out to not suffocate.

How can they get the same amount of work done at home with half the amount of effort?

[dbd_rage]

Seeing this argument from time to time and can't understand it. You give an employee a work load to do and check if they have done it at the end of the day... what exactly is the difference if they do the load in an office or at home? The only reason to oversee them in an office would be if they are so clueless that you have to tell them to breathe in and out to not suffocate.

How can they get the same amount of work done at home with half the amount of effort?

I have been working from home for well over 15 years. My experience is most people that work from home tend to work harder and longer hours because they don’t leave work…it’s always there…checking emails, working on documentation all happens before or after work..

[Musta]

way to lose some more talent.

[HatsHatsHats]

Back to prison to be lorded over by the jailers and sexually harassed by the upper management

Good luck to those poor devs being worked and driven by those slave drivers!!

[The Oblivion]

good way to lose anyone skilled. lmfao

[cozzri]

Its harder to harass your employees and union busting when your people are at home.

[HatsHatsHats]

Its harder to harass your employees and union busting when your people are at home.

You really can't form a union unless you know your coworkers to be fair

[Ringthane]

It's amazing how many of you have such strong opinions about something that will never involve you in any way, shape, or form. I've been in the office, every day, since the pandemic started. Working from home was never an option for me. And I really don't care what Blizzard, or any other company, does. I don't work for Blizzard. I'm never going to work for Blizzard. I just shut up and do my job. Would be nice if more people tried that, actually.

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Back to prison to be lorded over by the jailers and sexually harassed by the upper management

Good luck to those poor devs being worked and driven by those slave drivers!!

Well, we've found Mr. Never Worked a Day in His Life, everyone. Only someone who fits that description could come up with such a ridiculous, overblown take on the situation.

[cordrann]

It's amazing how many of you have such strong opinions about something that will never involve you in any way, shape, or form. I've been in the office, every day, since the pandemic started. Working from home was never an option for me. And I really don't care what Blizzard, or any other company, does. I don't work for Blizzard. I'm never going to work for Blizzard. I just shut up and do my job. Would be nice if more people tried that, actually.

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Well, we've found Mr. Never Worked a Day in His Life, everyone. Only someone who fits that description could come up with such a ridiculous, overblown take on the situation.

I agree, it doesn't make any sense to have opinions and talk about things not directly related to yourself. OH WAIT... that's exactly what you are doing in this post...

[sweatshopkids]

I work in highly skilled IT work.

No you really don't.

[fwc577]

No you really don't.

I work software quality assurance / automation for an ERP software company used primarily by government contractors. So yes, I really do.

[Masser]

Working from home should be the standard.

[HatsHatsHats]

Working from home should be the standard.

Tell that to warehouse workers and Uber drivers lol

[OrangeJuice]

Good. I hope they all get a 50% pay cut too. Fucking games are all shit and they can't even complete a remaster without a colossal fuckup.

[SniperCT]

A lot of people where i am are of a similar opinion.
I have yet to meet someone though who categorically NEVER wants to set foot in the office again and likewise never wants to WFH again.
What they want is the freedom to choose what works best for them, their family situation and their close colleagues and in that order. What the execs want is irrelevant.

*raises hand* If I never have to work in the office again, it's too soon. I save so much money on gas, I don't have random co-workers trying to talk to me, it's great. I actually did WFH for a few years before I moved cross country, was in the office maybe once per month and always hated it.

After I moved (same company, but moved to a different area), they didn't do WFH there, but when the pandemic started they transitioned all of us to WfH. You now have a choice to to all WFH, hybrid, and work from office and they've committed to offering all three options. I'm pretty sure WFH saves them a LOT of money on office space.

A bit early? So companies are supposed to just let their employees lazily work at home putting in half the amount of effort because they aren't being supervised... forever?
I PROMISE you, all those people working at home for safety reasons cause of covid...actively go out EVERY weekend to the bar and party without a face mask. If you are so afraid of covid you can't go INTO work to work, then you shouldn't be allowed to have a social life because both are the exact same thing. If you aren't afraid to hang out with your friends or go to a bar then you can go into work.

Just typical liberal americans trying to take advantage of the system just like food stamps.

Regardless Blizzard could care less this has nothing to do with Covid, this is about Blizzard wanting to lay people off without having to pay for it...or be seen as the villain for it.

Lol, productivity went up, all our stats went up. Most of us enjoy the flexibility working from home gives us and I know maybe 2 out of 10 people on my team who prefer office work.

I do the exact same work at home that I did in the office but my work->life balance is WAY better.

Regained 5-6 hours per week in commute time
Don't have to spend time meal-prepping lunches or going out to lunch and can eat at home

Right? 90 minute round trip to the office, 32 miles one way. Four days a week (I work 4x10), that's 6 hours on commute.

I do not miss that time, nor do I miss spending $30-40 /week on gas (which would be much higher now adays)

The only times I've been in the office the past 3 years have all been due to needing to replace/repair work equipment.

Tell that to warehouse workers and Uber drivers lol

I would assume they mean office related work should be WFH standard, which I'd agree with. Especially most things tech related. I don't need to be in the office to do anything my job requires.

What's funny is for most of my life my dad was a field tech repairing vending machines overnight, so he actually spent a lot of time at home waiting for calls to go out. They eventually made him come into the office at a set time and go out from there. Ended up being kind of a wash I think. He hated it because there was less to do to entertain himself when he wasn't out driving places.

[sylenna]

It's amazing how many of you have such strong opinions about something that will never involve you in any way, shape, or form. I've been in the office, every day, since the pandemic started. Working from home was never an option for me. And I really don't care what Blizzard, or any other company, does. I don't work for Blizzard. I'm never going to work for Blizzard. I just shut up and do my job. Would be nice if more people tried that, actually.

if i would only stick to what my life is about and if every person would do this, we as a society would cease to exist since there wouldn't be any society left.

Tell that to warehouse workers and Uber drivers lol

not everyone has to work from home, wants to work from home or does better/worse work from home.

but what about traffic if everyone who is able and willing to work from home? backed up with some tax returns since you save your company money and offload that to your place.

[Nzx]

Can I report a main-page post on this website? How is this "ending work from home policies" when they're literally allowing most employees to work from home two days a week, and presumably the remainder of the minority to work 3+ days from home? This isn't even news, it's the most 'industry standard' of 'industry standard' things for a company to do and it's front page here as if it's abusive.

[THC BANDIT]

Back to prison to be lorded over by the jailers and sexually harassed by the upper management

Good luck to those poor devs being worked and driven by those slave drivers!!

You are part of the problem.

[ZazuuPriest]

Tell that to warehouse workers and Uber drivers lol

We dont need to tell warehouse workers and uber drivers anything. They work those jobs because they have to not because they want to. So they effectively dont get a say and their opinions dont matter because they are unskilled. Better stay in school kids.