ZeniMax QA workers to strike over concerns about return to office mandate and outsourcing

Hundreds of employees from ZeniMax Studios are striking today in response to its remote work policy and outsourcing of quality assurance work.

The Communication Workers of America filed an unfair labour practice charge against ZeniMax last month for allegedly contracting out QA work without notifying the union.

Members of the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA have raised concerns that this decision “threatens job security amid record layoffs across the video games industry.”

The protest will take place in ZeniMax offices across the US, including locations in Maryland and Texas.

Last month, workers from Activision’s QA department in Eden Prairie, Minnesota walked out in protest against return-to-office mandates. Activision workers group ABetterABK claimed the firm “refus[ed] accommodations as a way to force them to quit.”

In January 2023, ZeniMax Workers United-CWA became the first video game studio union at Microsoft, and represents over 300 QA workers in Maryland and Texas.