The Future of How We Work Together at Roblox

Today I shared an replace with our staff concerning the future of how we work collectively at Roblox.

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Dear Roblox Employees,

Today we can be asking a quantity of our distant staff to start working from our headquarters in San Mateo by subsequent summer season and transitioning away from distant work at Roblox. We didn’t make this resolution frivolously, 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 resolution on the situation of their roles. 

I want to clarify our rationale for this resolution and supply extra particulars on logistics. I keep in mind clearly the beginning of the pandemic. I used to be planning a world journey and watched, daily, because the chance of any type of journey diminished. Of course, the journey by no means occurred and Roblox transitioned to a totally distant workforce in March 2020. What we initially thought can be a couple of weeks became a couple of years, and I used to be impressed with how a lot we have been capable of get accomplished underneath actually extraordinary circumstances.

As the pandemic stretched on, a number of firms introduced that they might assist 100% distant work for everybody, perpetually. During 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 wanted to get again to working in individual. We have been additionally involved about many cohorts, equivalent to our new school graduates and other people early of their careers, who sometimes be taught by means of social contact and would miss out on this mentorship. And of course this requires the presence of senior staff to offer that mentorship.

I personally hoped that for our tradition and our kind of work, it may be potential to think about a closely hybrid distant tradition. But there was a pivotal second for me once we had our first post-quarantine, in-person group gathering. Within 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 in the course of 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 will accomplish, how far we will push innovation, and the way being collectively strengthens our tradition. For many of us, “Zoom fatigue” is actual. A 3-hour Group Review in individual is far much less exhausting than over video and brainstorming classes are extra fluid and inventive. While I’m assured we’ll get to a degree the place digital workspaces are as participating, collaborative, and productive as bodily areas, we aren’t there but.

This is an especially troublesome resolution as a result of the place we reside is a private selection and it impacts all elements of our lives. We have accomplished every part we will to make this course of as systematic and truthful as potential. Unfortunately, I do know that some staff will resolve to not be a part of us at headquarters. 

There can be some distant staff who aren’t requested to return, particularly 1) groups and roles which are required to be distant (e.g., knowledge facilities, moderators, name facilities, and many others.), and a pair of) people who’ve area of interest ability units or vital institutional data (e.g., multi-disciplinary expertise, deep experience with Roblox methods, and many others.). At this time, we is not going to be extending new provides 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 places of work, no matter resolution they make, and making certain that our groups have what they should proceed to fulfill our aggressive targets for this 12 months and subsequent. For managers of distant staff who select to not transfer, I perceive the burden this may increasingly placed on you and your groups. 

We have put plans in place to ensure we’re supporting our groups and particular person staff. Here’s a excessive degree overview of how it will work:

• Employees who’re requested to start working from the workplace can have three months, till January sixteenth, 2024, to make that call. 
• Employees who aren’t capable of relocate can have an extra three months, till April fifteenth, 2024, to transition out of their roles as full time staff. Employees will proceed to work throughout this time with no change to their compensation or vesting schedules. This means all staff, regardless of whether or not or not they selected to relocate, will obtain each the November and February quarterly vestings, along with another vestings they’ve throughout that point.
• Employees who’re departing Roblox will obtain a severance bundle based mostly on their particular person degree and time period of service, together with six months of healthcare protection for everybody on their insurance policies.
• For staff who select to relocate, we’re asking them to start working from our San Mateo places of work by July fifteenth 2024, and we’ll help with relocation prices.

While we all know that is the appropriate resolution for Roblox, we acknowledge that it could create challenges for some of our staff. Regardless of what our distant staff resolve, please know that we deeply admire the exhausting work and impression every of you has had at Roblox.

Dave