Roblox Corp (NYSE:RBLX) has told almost all of its staff they have to return to the office next year or find a job somewhere else.
In a memo to employees, the online game developer’s founder and chief executive Dave Baszucki said staff will be asked if they are willing to return to its base in San Mateo, California for a minimum of three days a week by the summer.
“We did not make this decision lightly, as we understand that the decision to move is significant, both for our employees and for their families and loved ones,” he said.
Employees who opt to leave will receive a severance package and be paid until April to help them find new jobs, said the memo.
Staff will be paid relocation expenses if necessary, it added.
Roblox’s move marks almost a complete U-turn from its position last year when it gave people the option to work remotely and meet every quarter.
Baszucki now said that working in an office strengthens the company culture and results in "more innovative and productive employees".
Some key staff with "niche skill sets and significant institutional knowledge" will be allowed to carry on working from home.
“This is an extremely difficult decision because where we live is a personal choice and it affects all aspects of our lives,” Baszucki wrote.
“We have done everything we can to make this process as systematic and fair as possible. Unfortunately, I know that some employees will decide not to join us at headquarters.”
Working from home has become an increasingly contentious issue for businesses, especially in IT and banking.
In June, Google began tracking staff’s office attendance and issuing warnings to those working from home too much.
Office attendance is being logged based on badge taps when entering Google buildings, the firm’s chief people officer Fiona Cicconi revealed.
JP Morgan Chase told employees to return to offices in April, with absence potentially prompting unspecified “corrective action” from managers.