Salary increases in Canada are designed to prevent developer brain drain

As Kotaku reports, Ubisoft’s Canadian studios will see immediate pay increases. With these, the publisher wants to prevent experienced developers from leaving the competition. A step that also generates criticism internally.

Ubisoft was one of the first major publishers to take advantage of government subsidies and set up developer studios in Canada in the 1990s. The French company now has branches in Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Chicoutimi, Halifax and Winnipeg.

In Montreal in particular, however, Ubisoft is confronted with the situation that other well-known studios such as Gearbox Software, Bethesda Softworks or Eidos followed suit and launched studios in Montreal. This has resulted in a merciless competition for talent and experienced developers in the past few years, in which Ubisoft has repeatedly drawn the short cuts, according to a report from Kotaku. To a further migration from longtime developers, Ubisoft announced internally measures like an immediate pay increase for the employees of the Canadian studios.

Salary increases under criticism

In addition, there are more vacation days and better pay during parental leave. However, the measure by Ubisoft Kanda does not come off completely without criticism, as not all employees benefit equally from the salary increases. Because while long-term employees or managers, who are already better paid, receive a salary increase of 20 percent, this is significantly lower for junior developers of five to seven percent.

On the subject: Assassin’s Creed: After 16 years – Art Director Lacoste leaves Ubisoft

Converted, this means that a developer with an annual salary of $ 50,000 could earn an additional $ 2,500 a year, while a higher-level developer who earns $ 100,000 will earn up to $ 20,000 extra. According to a statement by the “ABetterUbisoft” group, the pay increases would only lead to the pay gap at Ubisoft being further increased.

36 hours a week only a test model for the time being

In order to secure the services of experienced developers or promising talents in the hotly contested Montreal, the studios rely on different measures. For example, the “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy” makers from Eidos Montreal introduced a four-day or 32-hour week. A concept that was also tested internally at Ubisoft – but here in the form of a 36 hour week. Internally, the measure was a success last summer, but the bottom line was that Ubisoft rejected a permanent switch to the 36-hour week as “impractical”.

On the subject: Eidos Montreal: Switches to a four-day work week

“Ubisoft has always been a leader in Canada and is proud to have six studios helped create this industry that first started in Quebec and then expanded to Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia,” said Ubisoft, responding to concerns about the pay gap and the rejected 36 hour week.

“These changes, including more free time, a hybrid, flexible work model, and extended parental leave […] strengthen our commitment to our employees and their mental and physical health. We expect that creating a culture that encourages openness, innovation and creativity begins with enabling employees to take a more balanced approach to their personal and professional lives.

Source: Kotaku

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