Ubisoft staff have criticised a statement released by CEO Yves Guillemot this week regarding the treatment of employees at the company, stating that the “majority of our demands were sidelined and few of our points seem to have been addressed.”
Over 1,000 employees signed an open letter that criticises the “systemic discrimination, harassment and bullying” at Ubisoft. This was soon followed by a company-wide email from Guillemot, which claimed that while the studio had made “important progress over the past year, there is still more work to be done.” The employees who signed the original letter have now issues a second statement, stating that “we are aware that the company has made some improvements, and we are happy to hear that Yves and the leadership team agree that it is not enough. However, Ubisoft continues to protect and promote known offenders and their allies. We see management continuing to avoid this issue.”
The employees also feel that the suggestion to speak to their managers regarding feedback wasn’t fair, and that “an invitation to reach out to company management personally is not the same as having a collective seat at the table.” They went on to state that “Ubisoft has the opportunity to be at the forefront of creating a better future for the games industry. We demand that this work be done in collaboration with employees at all levels. We want to see real, fundamental change within Ubisoft and across the industry, for the sake of our members.”
According to GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft still employes a number of people accused of harassment in senior positions, and that generally “morale and trust” at the company is at an all-time low. “For one person who signed there are countless others who simply were too terrified. Do better or keep losing good people.”
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