WotC WotC - why are we still shocked with layoffs?

[Blue]

Why are we clutching our pearls when corporate sh!t heads act like corporate sh!t heads? Shame on us. We need to be better than this.

No, we don't. I heartily deny this premise. If everyone is blase and fine with corporate (or whatever) misdeeds, there is never any incentive to change them. When we become used to them as the new norm, they will find another step down to take, since they can absorb some outrage.

Every single time. that others abuse us and our fellows, we need to give rise to our message that this is not right. Every. single. time.

If you are tired of fighting, that's just human. We all have that fatigue grow over time when things don't change. But never try to convince others not to raise their voice when something needs be said, or their hand when something needs to be done, in the name of refinement or "oh they've done this before".

 

[Hex08]

The explicit, legally-required responsibility of any publicly-traded company, overall, is to increase profit and stock price. This is, in a very real and tangible way the reason they exist.

This isn't completely accurate. It is the responsibility of a publicly traded company to increase shareholder value, which can be defined in a lot of different ways such as growing the company over time, making a company environmentally friendly, concern over the welfare of employees and communities. etc. Typically, what was determined to be valuable was decided by a company's board. It was mostly in the early 1970's when Milton Friedman published an article in the NY Times arguing the corporation's primary goal is to maximize profit and return on investment for shareholders that the current model took root. This philosophy eventually became a primary driver for publicly traded companies, but it is just a philosophy, not a legal obligation. Even the Supreme Court, I think the case was Burnell vs Hobby Lobby, Justice Alito affirmed that corporations are under no obligation to pursue profit.

 

[Hussar]

No tempest. More of an eye roll, but pathetic nonetheless.

That's not really an answer. What are you talking about?

 

[Minigiant]

I work in corporate. I was not shocked by layoffs.I was shocked by what causes the things that cause layoffs.

 

[cranberry]

That's not really an answer. What are you talking about?

The Ethisphere award. It was Hasbro, not WoTC that purchased it.

However, given that WoTC is their most profitable subsidiary, and considering WoTC's bad press over the past year or so, I'd say it was likely a move to benefit WoTC (essentially good will by association)

 

[cranberry]

I work in corporate. I was not shocked by layoffs.I was shocked by what causes the things that cause layoffs.

I'm not shocked by the layoffs. I'm shocked by the people either defending WoTC, or acting like it's no big deal.

 

[Oofta]

I'm not shocked by the layoffs. I'm shocked by the people either defending WoTC, or acting like it's no big deal.

So people should be "shocked" every time any company anywhere lays off people?

 

[cranberry]

So people should be "shocked" every time any company anywhere lays off people?

Strawman....

I didn't say that. I said shocked at people either defending WoTC or acting like it's no big deal.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm not shocked by the layoffs. I'm shocked by the people either defending WoTC, or acting like it's no big deal.

I don't think anyone is downplaying the layoffs.

What people are saying is that layoffs to stabilize stock prices is part of modern public corporation capitalism.

This is what happen when you are big and public.

 

[Oofta]

Strawman....

I didn't say that. I said shocked at people either defending WoTC or acting like it's no big deal.

People are "acting like it's no big deal" because we accept it as business as usual. Should I have been upset when my dad (who had at most 5 employees) had to lay off the surveyor because his role was no longer necessary? Was it a "big deal"?

It would be a big deal if the majority of people working on D&D were let go or if WOTC had been shut down. As it is it's just business as usual, it's neither good nor bad. Meanwhile the two people that recently went on a podcast had nothing but good things to say about the company, their time there, the 2024 edition they worked on, that they would gladly work there again. About all they complained about was life as a freelancer. If people laid off can still have that kind of attitude towards the company that laid them off then to me it indicates that the company did right by them as much as they could.