EA is bringing employees back to the office three days per week
EA is asking employees to return to the office for three days per week under a hybrid model – and it sounds like the company will be significantly reducing remote hiring. CEO Andrew Wilson and president of EA Entertainment and technology Laura Miele sent emails to staff about the change, IGN reports. Kotaku’s Ethan Gach also reported on Wilson’s email.
Corporate communications VP Justin Higgs confirmed the new hybrid model to The Verge. “We’ve adopted a globally consistent hybrid work model to bring teams together with greater clarity and intent – enabling faster decisions, sharper execution, and stronger connection to one another,” Higgs says. Hybrid roles will spend “at least three days a week in the office,” though there will be “flexibility” on other roles.
Miele’s email details how EA locations will have a 30-mile radius around them to help determine if an employee falls under the on site, hybrid, or remote model for work, IGN reports. Here’s what Miele says, per IGN:
- Employees who live within 30-miles/48-km of an EA location will transition to a Hybrid work model.
- Employees who live outside the 30-mile/48-km radius will be considered remote unless their role is designated as On Site or Hybrid.
The “offsite local” work model is going to be sunset within 3 to 24 months. In addition, “any work model exception and future Remote hires will require a CEO Direct’s /my approval,” Miele’s email says, according to IGN.
The changes to EA’s policies follow recent layoffs of between 300 and 400 people, layoffs at BioWare announced in January, and a layoff of about 5 percent of its staff early last year.
Update, May 14th: Noted that Ethan Gach also reported on Wilson’s email.