Unconfirmed: More Layoffs at WotC

[Steel_Wind]

I'm saddened to learn more people I like and respect will be leaving Wizards of the Coast.

What I find amazing that there are still people that I like and respect there, but the company keeps changing its personnel roster, and I'm finding it hard to keep up. Rodney Thompson's still there, isn't he?

It's worth noting that Wizards no longer has the Star Wars license; how much that has affected available placings is an open question. You'd imagine it would be a relatively minor thing, but this company baffles me as to how it handles its people.

Rodney Thompson is still at WotC. He is lead designer on Dark Sun, wrote three of the forthcoming D&D Essentials books and has worked on/is working on some other as yet unannounced projects. He was the only full time designer from Star Wars :Saga Edition who was full time staff at WotC.

The rest of the SW:SE game series (every one of the 13 hardcover expansion books) all utilized freelance designers.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Morrus is reporting Peter Schaefer and Jesse Decker(!) left WotC as well today.

Wasn't Jesse Decker the Manager of Development for all RPGs at WotC? As in -- that's one hell of a pretty senior guy to get the axe/depart the company.

*shakes head*

No WAY would I work for a company like that. Not a frikkin chance.

 

[MerricB]

Morrus is reporting Peter Schaefer and Jesse Decker(!) left WotC as well today.

Wasn't Jesse Decker the Manager of Development for all RPGs at WotC? As in -- that's one hell of a pretty senior guy to get the axe/depart the company.

*shakes head*

No WAY would I work for a company like that. Not a frikkin chance.

Well, even if you were working for a company like that, it probably wouldn't be for very long...

Peter left voluntarily. Andy Collins may have done so. (per Chris Sims' tweeting).

Cheers!

 

[The Ghost]

To those who lost their jobs today... I wish you the best.

To those "in the know"... were the layoffs limited to those who work on the D&D brand or were there also layoffs on WotC's other brands (M:tG, A&A, Duelmasters, etc.)?

 

[Klaus]

I work on an at-will basis, like pretty much everyone I know who isn't in academia or the public sector. My boss could walk up to me tomorrow and say, "You're fired. Grab your coat and be out of here in ten minutes." And in the absence of provable discrimination or malfeasance, there wouldn't be a damn thing I could do about it. I wouldn't even get severance pay if they didn't feel like giving it to me.

That is one thing I like in Brazilian labor law: after you've been hired for more than three months, your employer can't fire you without just cause. If he does, he has to pay you an additional 1/3rd of your salary. And he's obligated by law to give you a 30-day forewarning (so no "be out in 10 minutes"). Plus, an employee who's fired can access the special savings account the government sets up for every working citizen (which otherwise would only be available at retirement).


Back on topic: I wish the best to all involved. Jesse Decker reviewed my first Dragon article, back in issue 274 (1999).

Smooth sailings to all!

 

[Scott_Rouse]

I am sad to hear that people have lost their jobs. Having been on both sides of the table it is a gut wrenching experience and I don't envy anyone involved. Wizards lost some amazing game designers, business people, marketing experts, and editors today. Many of whom I worked with for years and consider good friends.

Having recently gone through this myself I thought I'd share my perspective on losing my job.

It was the worst day of my life.

Working at Wizards was amazing. It was (and still is) a collection of incredibly talented people, making fantastic games, that enrich the lives of those who play them. I cherish the nine and a half years I worked there and I would not trade the experience for anything. For this, losing my job at Wizards was one of the worst days of my life. I went through all the stages of emotion, from guilt through anger, but I never spent too much time dwelling on the negativity of my situation. For the five months I was out of work, I treated my unemployment as a chance to reconnect with my family and reflect on my career with specific intent of coming out of the situation in a better place. Yes, it sucked being on unemployment for five months, applying for over a hundred jobs, going on a dozen interviews and getting passed over. It was a difficult period in my life but in that time I learned from failure, celebrated success, and grew as a person. Onward and upward was my mantra.



It was the best day of my life

7 months later, I can comfortably say that losing my job at Wizards was one of the best days of my life because it forced me to realize that there was something bigger and better out there for me. Early on in my job search, I decided that I wanted to work on the Xbox business at Microsoft. After countless job applications and many interviews, I landed a job working on partnerships and promotions for Xbox 360 and first party game titles (e.g. Halo). After two months, I feel like my career in the games industry is on a new trajectory and I couldn't be happier. I work at an amazing company, with an outstanding group of people, and every day I learn more about the games business.

Today, I am sad for my friends and loss they are feeling. But I can't forget that many of my former WOTC colleagues have moved onto greater opportunity and tomorrow brings the hope that Andy, Jesse, Peter, and all those affected will soon be onto bigger and better opportunities.

Onward and upwards friends.

 

[Raven Crowking]

So, can you confirm that each employee must roll 1d20 every quarter, and if the die comes up on a natural "1" they are layed off? Is there a bonus if you roll "20"?

All the best to all who lost their jobs.

I couldn't work under those conditions.


RC

 

[DaveMage]

And before everyone says, "that's corporate America", BS. I'm a capitalist and a fan of corporate America. The job I left was a culture that was stressful and avoidable. The job that I moved to was so far away from that culture it was breathtaking.

Bottom line: Corporate vision counts. Management philosophies count. Corporate priorities count. Employees and customers count. WotC isn't the way it is b/c it has to be. WotC is the way it is b/c that's what those running it have decided it should or must be.

Exactly.

 

[amethal]

I work on an at-will basis, like pretty much everyone I know who isn't in academia or the public sector. My boss could walk up to me tomorrow and say, "You're fired. Grab your coat and be out of here in ten minutes." And in the absence of provable discrimination or malfeasance, there wouldn't be a damn thing I could do about it. I wouldn't even get severance pay if they didn't feel like giving it to me.

Is that normal for the USA? And does it work both ways?

If 90% of WotC staff are on an "at will basis", then in theory can they all decide at lunch time that they fancy a change, and quit with immediate effect? That doesn't seem like a very sensible way to run a business.

 

[JediSoth]

Is that normal for the USA? And does it work both ways?

If 90% of WotC staff are on an "at will basis", then in theory can they all decide at lunch time that they fancy a change, and quit with immediate effect? That doesn't seem like a very sensible way to run a business.

It's more of a state thing than a national thing. In some states, employers must show cause before they can arbitrarily downsize. In other states, employment is at-will and can be terminated at any time by either party without cause (as is in the case in Indiana and, apparently, Washington, among others). It's very attractive for larger employers. Not so much for the employees. It takes a long time to develop a sense of job security when you work in an at-will state.