In the present day I shared an replace with our staff about the way forward for how we work collectively at Roblox.
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Pricey Roblox Workers,
In the present day we can be asking quite a few our distant staff to start working from our headquarters in San Mateo by subsequent summer time and transitioning away from distant work at Roblox. We didn’t make this determination flippantly, as we perceive that the choice to maneuver is critical, each for our staff and for his or her households and family members. All distant staff will obtain an e-mail throughout the subsequent hour with particulars concerning the impression of this determination on the situation of their roles.
I wish to clarify our rationale for this determination and supply extra particulars on logistics. I bear in mind clearly the beginning of the pandemic. I used to be planning a world journey and watched, day-to-day, because the probability of any kind of journey diminished. In fact, the journey by no means occurred and Roblox transitioned to a very distant workforce in March 2020. What we initially thought could be a number of weeks became a number of years, and I used to be impressed with how a lot we have been in a position to get executed underneath actually extraordinary circumstances.
Because the pandemic stretched on, a number of firms introduced that they’d help one hundred pc distant work for everybody, perpetually. Throughout this time we had quite a few deep discussions and we saved coming again to the notion that, finally, Roblox is an innovation firm and we would have liked to get again to working in individual. We have been additionally involved about many cohorts, corresponding to our new school graduates and other people early of their careers, who usually be taught by way of social contact and would miss out on this mentorship. And naturally this requires the presence of senior staff to supply that mentorship.
I personally hoped that for our tradition and our sort of labor, it is perhaps potential to think about a closely hybrid distant tradition. However there was a pivotal second for me after we had our first post-quarantine, in-person group gathering. Inside 45 minutes I got here away from three separate conversations with spontaneous to do’s and concepts to place in movement, one thing that hadn’t occurred through the previous few years of video conferences.
Now, almost a 12 months after most of us have returned to our headquarters in San Mateo, we’ve seen how a lot we are able to accomplish, how far we are able to push innovation, and the way being collectively strengthens our tradition. For many people, “Zoom fatigue” is actual. A 3-hour Group Overview in individual is way much less exhausting than over video and brainstorming periods are extra fluid and artistic. Whereas I’m assured we’ll get to some extent the place digital workspaces are as participating, collaborative, and productive as bodily areas, we aren’t there but.
That is an especially tough determination as a result of the place we dwell is a private alternative and it impacts all facets of our lives. Now we have executed all the things we are able to to make this course of as systematic and truthful as potential. Sadly, I do know that some staff will determine to not be part of us at headquarters.
There can be some distant staff who will not be requested to return, particularly 1) groups and roles which are required to be distant (e.g., knowledge facilities, moderators, name facilities, and so forth.), and a couple of) people who’ve area of interest ability units or important institutional information (e.g., multi-disciplinary expertise, deep experience with Roblox methods, and so forth.). At the moment, we won’t be extending new presents to distant staff, past the exceptions outlined above. For the distant staff whom we’re asking to maneuver to in-office roles, we’ll present the choice to affix our three-day, in-office schedule (Tues.-Thurs.) or take a severance bundle.
Our highest and most instant precedence is supporting our distant staff whom now we have requested to start working from our workplaces, no matter determination they make, and making certain that our groups have what they should proceed to fulfill our aggressive objectives for this 12 months and subsequent. For managers of distant staff who select to not transfer, I perceive the burden this may occasionally placed on you and your groups.
Now we have put plans in place to ensure we’re supporting our groups and particular person staff. Right here’s a excessive degree overview of how this can work:
- Workers who’re requested to start working from the workplace could have three months, till January sixteenth, 2024, to make that call.
- Workers who will not be in a position to relocate could have a further three months, till April fifteenth, 2024, to transition out of their roles as full time staff. Workers will proceed to work throughout this time with no change to their compensation or vesting schedules. This implies all staff, no matter whether or not or not they selected to relocate, will obtain each the November and February quarterly vestings, along with every other vestings they’ve throughout that point.
- Workers who’re departing Roblox will obtain a severance bundle primarily based on their particular person degree and time period of service, together with six months of healthcare protection for everybody on their insurance policies.
- For workers who select to relocate, we’re asking them to start working from our San Mateo workplaces by July fifteenth 2024, and we’ll help with relocation prices.
Whereas we all know that is the suitable determination for Roblox, we acknowledge that it could create challenges for a few of our staff. No matter what our distant staff determine, please know that we deeply recognize the onerous work and impression every of you has had at Roblox.
Dave