Updated: Ubisoft contradicts its employees and they claim they have taken action against harassment

Employees respond to Yves Guillemot’s statement and call his words “hypocritical”.

Updated (12:50): Ubisoft employees have responded to the statement from Yves Guillemot, president of the company, calling his words “hypocritical” and criticizing that Ubisoft “has omitted most of our demands.” This is what they say in new statements to Games Industry : “We are aware that the company has made some improvements and we are happy to hear that Yves and the management agree that they are not enough. However, Ubisoft continues to protect and promote culprits acquaintances and their allies. We see that the board continues to sidestep this problem. “

We cannot be happy or satisfied with this hypocrisyUbisoft employees“And it is also worth mentioning that an invitation to speak with the directive personally is not the same as having a seat at the table as a group,” they add. Ubisoft workers expect “a comprehensive answer” in the future that truly addresses the real issues and demands they raised a day ago, including the need for industry-wide initiatives to determine how to deal with these cases. “We want to see real, foundational changes within Ubisoft and across the industry.”

Along with the new statement, a representative of the Ubisoft workers’ collective affirms that, although it is true that there have been changes, “it is hypocritical on the part of the management to say that they are working on them while they are still housing, protecting, enabling and redistributing to other positions of power to people who are known to be toxic and abusive. Morale and confidence are low . It is exhausting, it is frustrating and it contradicts the message they give us. We cannot be happy or satisfied with this hypocrisy . For every person who has signed [the letter] there are countless others who were just terrified. Do better or you will continue to lose good people. “

Noticia original (10:30): The last week has been quite turbulent in the video game industry. The lawsuit of the state of California against Activision Blizzard for alleged cases of harassment, sexual abuse and discrimination against women has been the trigger for protests in the sector. And while Activision Blizzard workers have declared open revolt against their company , those of other companies such as Ubisoft have shown their solidarity with the fight, in addition to harshly criticizing their company’s inaction a year after similar cases came to light. in their offices. Well, the CEO of Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot, has responded to his workers .

We take seriously the problems mentioned [in the letter]Yves guillemotRecall that yesterday’s letter from Ubisoft employees, already signed by more than 1,000 individuals , called the company’s measures “a year of kind words, empty promises, and an inability to fire the culprits. We no longer trust you. commitment “. Well, in an internal statement that has reached Axios, Yves Guillemot assures that the company has taken real actions , they have made progress, and makes it clear that they are listening to their employees. Quite simply, Guillemot argues, changes take time .

We have made significant progress in the last yearYves guillemot“The letter [from the employees] shows strong support for the developers at Activision Blizzard and called for large-scale changes within our industry,” begins the CEO of Ubisoft. “He also expressed concern for Ubisoft and our culture. We have reviewed this board of directors and we take the issues it raises seriously. For this reason, I personally want to reiterate our commitment to creating real and lasting change at Ubisoft.” Yves Guillemot then states that “we have made significant progress in the last year”. That they have implemented anonymous complaint tools, that they have revamped all HR procedures. HH., Imposed new codes of conduct and training courses, created internal teams and renewed the management of their studies and departments.

“These are important steps for the future, but this is a long process and there is still more work to be done, ” continues Guillemot. “Yesterday’s letter shows the concerns of some employees who want to make Ubisoft a better place. We have heard clearly in this letter that not everyone trusts the processes that have been put in place to handle reports of misconduct.” which adds that the company is going to prioritize that the processes are “robust and independent” and that they are looking for new executives to expand their efforts in the field of human resources.

We are committed to creating a better UbisoftYves guillemot“I have always valued free speech at Ubisoft , and I firmly believe that it is key for us,” continues Guillemot. “That is why last year we conducted more than 300 listening sessions with more than 1,500 team members, as well as a company-wide survey and global audit. Feedback from these initiatives has been vital in driving our business forward. plans, and we will offer new sessions. ” Ubisoft promises to launch a new internal survey on company culture later this year and strengthen its internal network of employees to ” create more visibility and show support from the board to bring more new ideas to the table.”

Yves Guillemot concludes the statement by promising to offer more information on the measures implemented in the third quarter of the year, and encourages workers to continue sharing their opinion. “I myself, and the entire management team, are committed to creating a better Ubisoft for all of us.” This response comes days after Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick released a statement of his own promising to listen to his employees and take action . A message that did not convince his workers, who responded in turn with a second statement promising to continue the fight . Will the same happen at Ubisoft?