Ubisoft Montreal workers launch petition to preserve hybrid work schedule

Ubisoft Montreal employees have launched a petition to preserve hybrid work arrangements at the studio, marking the first public action by the Ubisoft Workers of Montreal union.

The petition has gathered more than 300 signatures as of Wednesday, according to a statement posted by GWU Montreal on social media. Many signatures were collected in person, the union said. "Every Ubisoft Montreal employee is invited to sign the petition and every supporter encouraged to reach out to their network to encourage them to sign," GWU posted.

The campaign responds to Ubisoft's January announcement requiring all employees to return to the office five days per week. That same announcement included layoffs, project delays, and studio closures as part of what the company called a "rightsizing" effort. Ubisoft had just secured a $1.25 billion investment from Tencent at the time. The company stated the return-to-office policy was intended to encourage collaboration and help the studio "reclaim creative leadership, regain agility and drive sharp rebound."

The policy has sparked resistance across Ubisoft's offices. Ubisoft's Paris-based employees went on strike shortly after the announcement to protest the mandate. In Montreal, veteran team lead David Michaud-Cromp was placed on unpaid leave after publicly commenting on the policy and suggesting layoffs may have motivations beyond productivity concerns. He was fired one week later.

Ubisoft stated to Game Developer that "sharing feedback or opinions respectfully does not lead to a dismissal" and cited its Code of Conduct as the basis for personnel decisions. The company said that when conduct breaches occur, "our established procedures apply, including an escalation of measures depending on the nature, severity and repetition of the breach."

GWU Montreal is organizing in-person sign-ups for interested employees, instructing workers to meet colleagues during break hours to participate in the petition drive.