WotC Greg Tito On Leaving WotC: 'It feels good to do something that doesn't just line the pockets of *****'

We reported earlier that WotC's communications director Greg Tito had left his 9-year stint managing the Dungeons & Dragons brand for a political appointment as Deputy Director of External Affairs for the Washington secretary of state's office.

Greg Tito Leaves Wizards of the Coast

Greg Tito, formerly the communications manager in charge of overseeing messaging for the Dungeons & Dragons brand, is departing Wizards of the Coast for a career in the public sector. Tito announced that he would be joining the Washington secretary of state's office starting this week, ending an...

www.enworld.org

In a surprising turn of events, Tito criticized his former employers, saying "It feels good to do something that doesn't just line the pockets of a**holes." He later went on to clarify "Sorry. I meant "shareholders".

Tito is now Deputy Director of External Affairs for the Washington Secretary of State office in Olympia, WA.

 

[Steampunkette]

You are making an assumption based on nothing more than what appears to be your bias and stated it as fact.

Companies lay off people for a lot of reasons. My father ran a small business of 6 people and had to lay off someone. He didn't treat his employee badly, in my father's case it was because the job had become obsolete. There is no evidence that Tito was treated poorly.

I don't like people telling me what I'm saying or why I'm saying it when I'm sitting here telling them what I'm saying and why I'm saying it.

Between the two of us, I know my reasoning better than you do, and I would appreciate you not engaging in ad hominem by attacking my 'Biases' rather than listening to my statements.

Companies lay off employees for a lot of reasons, it's true. Which is why WotC laid off 800 employees in Spring/Summer 2023. And then laid off the majority of their remaining employees in Winter of the same year.

WotC had between 1,000 and 2,000 employees in 2020. In 2023 they fired 1,900, total. More than half of those firings happened in Q4.

Your dad's small business is a nice anecdote, but it doesn't compare to firing most of the remaining staff right before Christmas while talking about "Headwinds".

And from the preponderance of evidence of massive "Q4 Layoffs" at large corporations being driven primarily by profit-motives of shareholders, which we can verify with even a modicum of reading... I think it's safe to conclude that firing most of the staff wasn't a "Hard decision about the future of WotC" when it posted a banner year with lots of profits.

Hasbro’s full-year revenue for 2023 was down by 15%

These double-digit losses were offset by full-year growth for Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Transformers and the newly relaunched Furby brand.

kidscreen.com

Hasbro was down year to year by 15% in Q4 2023. WotC itself had made a 10% growth over the previous year. And they laid off 1,900 people. Because of "Headwinds".

That's not bias. That's looking at the context and going "Yup. Shareholders have gutted WotC to line their pockets and this dude is complaining about shareholders lining their pockets. These two things? Probably related."

Did I go to far in saying he was treated badly? Maybe. But people generally don't badmouth their former employers when they -aren't- treated badly. And since he was in communications during a year when WotC and Hasbro pulled SO MUCH TERRIBLE STUFF and it was his job to be involved in dealing with that and the backlash of it?

I think he was worked harder than he should've been to line shareholders' pockets. They went off the deep end with their cuts and control to their employees and customers, and left people like him to take the brunt of the response.

 

[MGibster]

We literally had someone in this very thread publicly state they wouldn't hire someone who spoke out about a former employer.

I meant "nobody" in the sense that a potential employer isn't going to say that. And I suppose even then it shouldn't be taken literally because I'm sure some dumb employer would say something like that. I do on occasion get asked "Why didn't you pick me?" and I'm not always in the position to give a good, honest answer. Usually I'm just going to give some variation of "The other candidate was better."

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Seems like a cultural problem if saying “I don’t want to make money for rich a$$holes anymore” is seen as a career-limiting move. It’s the vaguest statement and the weakest profanity, but apparently it’s too much for some of you? In a sane culture, a person is rewarded for honesty and it’s considered noble to avoid working for destructive “a—holes”. If you disagree, consider that you sound like a hostage.

And your suggestion is that “He should sue them or go to the media, not say rude words!” Nevermind the absurd wasteful cost of American civil proceedings. I can only imagine what folks would be saying if Greg Tito did sue WotC/Hasbro for something.

Always look at the former employer and ask "What did they do to have employees react like this" first. Because they had the power in the relationship and used it to push someone so roughly they couldn't remain quiet. Then avoid doing that thing.

If there's nothing there, then yeah maybe this particular employee is just a loudmouth who talks crap over nothing or is hard to work with.

I have a giant rampaging "Meh" for this tone policing argument.

"Take it to court or don't say anything!" is a ridiculous standard that relies on the employee having an actionable case and enough money to lawyer up. It -also- ignores that 48 out of 50 states are "At Will Employment" where people get fired without cause so that bosses can discriminate, freely, without ever getting caught since they don't have to list a reason.

Anyway... yeah. "Childishness" in this case rings really hollow.

If there is actually a problem with your former employer, social media is one way you can get your point out there. It's free! Lots of people might see it! The problem with that, as I said earlier, is that if you include zero facts to back your statement, you look like a clown to future employers. If you absolutely must use social media to get your point out there... make an actual point. Facts, reasons, stuff like that. Being specific about what you're angry about helps too. Also, don't sound like you're having a tantrum while you're doing it... makes taking your statement seriously a little easier.

I am not American, so I don't know what At Will Employment is. Sounds bad from your description, and anecdotally the US lags far behind many countries in terms of employee rights. So maybe if you are a part of the US workforce, this feels more acceptable?

 

[Oofta]

I don't like people telling me what I'm saying or why I'm saying it when I'm sitting here telling them what I'm saying and why I'm saying it.

Between the two of us, I know my reasoning better than you do, and I would appreciate you not engaging in ad hominem by attacking my 'Biases' rather than listening to my statements.

Companies lay off employees for a lot of reasons, it's true. Which is why WotC laid off 800 employees in Spring/Summer 2023. And then laid off the majority of their remaining employees in Winter of the same year.

WotC had between 1,000 and 2,000 employees in 2020. In 2023 they fired 1,900, total. More than half of those firings happened in Q4.

Your dad's small business is a nice anecdote, but it doesn't compare to firing most of the remaining staff right before Christmas while talking about "Headwinds".

And from the preponderance of evidence of massive "Q4 Layoffs" at large corporations being driven primarily by profit-motives of shareholders, which we can verify with even a modicum of reading... I think it's safe to conclude that firing most of the staff wasn't a "Hard decision about the future of WotC" when it posted a banner year with lots of profits.

Hasbro’s full-year revenue for 2023 was down by 15%

These double-digit losses were offset by full-year growth for Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Transformers and the newly relaunched Furby brand.

kidscreen.com

Hasbro was down year to year by 15% in Q4 2023. WotC itself had made a 10% growth over the previous year. And they laid off 1,900 people. Because of "Headwinds".

That's not bias. That's looking at the context and going "Yup. Shareholders have gutted WotC to line their pockets and this dude is complaining about shareholders lining their pockets. These two things? Probably related."

Did I go to far in saying he was treated badly? Maybe. But people generally don't badmouth their former employers when they -aren't- treated badly. And since he was in communications during a year when WotC and Hasbro pulled SO MUCH TERRIBLE STUFF and it was his job to be involved in dealing with that and the backlash of it?

I think he was worked harder than he should've been to line shareholders' pockets. They went off the deep end with their cuts and control to their employees and customers, and left people like him to take the brunt of the response.

Last time: we don't know 100% why he left. What Tito actually said leaves me to believe that like a friend who did not like working for a corporation in advertising because they didn't find it fulfilling (and left to work as a librarian), they left for reasons that had little to do with whether they were treated.

Feel free to continue posting about the evils of capitalism and layoffs and making statements that have no direct evidence to back them up, but I'm done with this tangent

 

[Oofta]

If there is actually a problem with your former employer, social media is one way you can get your point out there. It's free! Lots of people might see it! The problem with that, as I said earlier, is that if you include zero facts to back your statement, you look like a clown to future employers. If you absolutely must use social media to get your point out there... make an actual point. Facts, reasons, stuff like that. Being specific about what you're angry about helps too. Also, don't sound like you're having a tantrum while you're doing it... makes taking your statement seriously a little easier.

I am not American, so I don't know what At Will Employment is. Sounds bad from your description, and anecdotally the US lags far behind many countries in terms of employee rights. So maybe if you are a part of the US workforce, this feels more acceptable?

In general, a lot of states have so-called "workers rights" laws. Which really means that workers have no rights and can be fired at will by the company for any reason.

 

[Steampunkette]

If there is actually a problem with your former employer, social media is one way you can get your point out there. It's free! Lots of people might see it! The problem with that, as I said earlier, is that if you include zero facts to back your statement, you look like a clown to future employers. If you absolutely must use social media to get your point out there... make an actual point. Facts, reasons, stuff like that. Being specific about what you're angry about helps too. Also, don't sound like you're having a tantrum while you're doing it... makes taking your statement seriously a little easier.

I am not American, so I don't know what At Will Employment is. Sounds bad from your description, and anecdotally the US lags far behind many countries in terms of employee rights. So maybe if you are a part of the US workforce, this feels more acceptable?

"At Will" Employment means that you don't have to put in 2 weeks notice or anything. You can quit at any time without legal consequences!

Of course you'll get terrible reviews spread about you through employment networks, companies will refuse to give you references and try to withhold benefits and final paychecks, and badmouth you to a new employer to try and get you fired.

Also Employers can fire you at any time for no reason given whatsoever. So if you're being fired for being a member of a minority group you've gotta work REALLY REALLY HARD to prove it in court.

And if you say anything negative about it you're "Hard to work with" or "A danger" so companies won't hire you.

Basically it's a terrible policy meant to weaken workers protections and keep companies from facing any negative outcomes for their biases. Companies and Politicians often package it as "Right to Work" states. But it's just another way for corporations to be awful.

 

[Greg K]

Depends on your job. I'm a teacher; I absolutely have to be professional when I post on personal accounts.

I don't know how it is where you work, but in many areas of the U.S., it is worse. If a parent sees you having a drink at a bar with friends or co-workers after work, you can lose your job if they report you let alone someone posting a picture of you having drinks on your off time.

 

[Greg K]

In general, a lot of states have so-called "workers rights" laws. Which really means that workers have no rights and can be fired at will by the company for any reason.

Yep, the famous "RIght to work" laws.

 

[Morrus]

If you want to discuss American employment law, please do it elsewhere. Thai is not the site for it.

 

[MacDhomnuill]

Classless. Would never let this guy near any professional communications department.

I ran a crisis comms shop for almost a decade and he could work for me tomorrow. His work at WOTC was very effective, who do you think got them through the repeated self owns and communication crisis. OGL, AI art, Hadozee disaster etc. Greg did all that.