Wizards of the Coast LAYOFFS

[Fiery James]

I might have a job tomorrow, or I might not. My response to the many folks who've asked for info today is: you'll just have to do what I'm doing and wait!

Chris Pramas

Well Chris, I'm going to go out and buy some Chainmail stuff this weekend, so that'll show 'em!

(And, I'll go buy some Green Ronin stuff this weekend as well - just in case! )

I was laid off in June 2001 from my job - after 3 months of hearing about the coming cutbacks and job reductions. In the end, management felt that having an Operations Department in Canada to service the Canadian market was overlap - the felt it could be done just as well from someone in Burbank who'd come in to work 3 hours earlier. Didn't see that coming! (The Canadian market, from an Ops standpoint, is very different than the US! Just check out our shipping rates!)

After I was let go, I was lucky and received a call from my employer from 3 years ago - they needed a body and I could be it! So, we negotiated for a bit and I was ready to jump back into the workforce. The day before I was to start, the company closed all Canadian operations. I'm sure I'm cursed!

So, here I am at my 3rd job in the last 9 months (not including FDP), and I can see it's a pretty tough go in the current economy (and there are TOO MANY d20 publishers to get rich on that end ) - but I remain hopeful.

There are two kinds of people in the world - those who are bright and have skills - they'll always be hired, because they're needed to actually do the work -- and those inept ones who "fail forward" - they have no skills, but they'll end up being your boss!

- Rambling James,
"worker bee"

 

[Roland Delacroix]

Actually, it wasn't all that long ago that when you went to work for a company, you worked for them your entire career. Then you retired with your accrued retirement benefits.

All that long ago? What, 40 years? This was one of the biggest topics of the mid eighties. Layoffs with companies were so common that Americans who were saw thier parents/grandparents with lifetime employment wondered why thier business model no longer supported it but Japans business model did. In reality the only reason Japan could support 'Lifetime Employment' was the power of the 'Zaibatsu' (sp?) or mega-conglomerate. These huge companies held a few core employees that did, indeed, have lifetime employment and contracted out 90%+ of the rest of thier employees. When things went bad guess what, the upper management lifetime employees kept thier big paychecks and benefits by firing off 3/4 of the contracted business.

Early 90's saw gov't regulation break up these, basically, conglomerate and horizontal monopolies. After that 'Lifetime Employment', really taking advantage of the little guys, became a myth in Japan as well as America. Like the Ninja who walk on water and Samuraii who wielded swords that could cut concrete blocks, Lifetime Employmenet is another mystical thing from the East Americans couldn't understand.

Not to say there isn't still a spot for a few lifetime jobs in Americas current businessmodel. If in an industry it is more efficient to keep one employee for years, maybe overly long training times, etc, they will do it. But it is hardy common and remembered. Hell, i've been hearing that my average job will last 2 years for the last 6 years of my life.

 

[Ulrick]

I haven't this whole thread--but I did read the article that spawned it. And its seems that the source the report came from isn't that good of one.

Therefore, I have a question to anybody who can answer:

Has there been any lay offs?

If there hasn't, and there isn't any confirmations to the report, then why all the fuss?

Ulrick

 

[Axiomatic Unicorn]

According to the source:

"We have gotten all sorts of updates and confirmations from now "former" WotC employees since our earlier post. "

So that seems to be confirmation.

 

[Lizard]

Early 90's saw gov't regulation break up these, basically, conglomerate and horizontal monopolies. After that 'Lifetime Employment', really taking advantage of the little guys, became a myth in Japan as well as America. Like the Ninja who walk on water and Samuraii who wielded swords that could cut concrete blocks, Lifetime Employmenet is another mystical thing from the East Americans couldn't understand.

About two years ago, I saw the following two headlines in the same issue of the Wall Street Journal:

"American unemployment hits record peacetime low of 4.6 percent."

"Japan reels as unemployment hits high of 4.7 percent."

(The exact numbers are probably off, but that's the gist of it.)

 

[Crypt King]

Haha pkitty remarks about keeping it somewhat on topic and people continue to snipe <shake head>

Anyway the fact remains x number of people have/will be laid off. Do we know who and in what groups? I imagine the card game group might be suffering more than the rpg group but it might be a case of those groups were already cut to the bone.

Honestly I can't understand why the WotC store fronts continue they seem to have poor sales and high overhead and nobody really seems to get rich off of selling games retail anyway. If any area seems ripe for the cutting it would be the retail division.

With how these releases are handled I could see kicking some of the PR flacks hineys though.

The one here in Sac town closed. They are closing all over.

As for Hasbro, they have always been bottom line, there is no mystery to that. If they are indeed pulling the strings on this little deal, it is no surprise. Hasbro has been hurt, their toy line has not been as successful, the SW stuff was over ordered and they are still hurting from it. Trust me, I know Hasbro's financial issues.

 

[Nikchick]

There are two kinds of people in the world - those who are bright and have skills - they'll always be hired, because they're needed to actually do the work -- and those inept ones who "fail forward" - they have no skills, but they'll end up being your boss!

Isn't that the truth? I've certainly witnessed it at WotC over the years!

I think I'm officially to the point where more of my friends have been laid off than have kept their jobs there, if you count the layoffs between 1995 and 2001. I just hope they don't axe the guys with kids and houses again this time around, it's *so* much harder for those guys to get back on their feet, especially with the Seattle economy being what it is.

Nicole

 

[Ysgarran]

Basically, if people don't want to be at the whim of a corporation, they need to become self-employed. That's not easy to do. So we have to take jobs at places that can fire us. Even that isn't easy now; believe me, after months of searching without success, I know.

It is the reality of the world we live in that most people can be layed off at a whim...I don't really have a lot of complaints about this, it is the reality of capitalism. I believe that aspect of US style capitalism gives companies a lot of flexablity in adapting and surviving. That doesn't make things under easier for those under the axe . I REALLY wish all of those people the best. I have three friends looking for work (and my company has a hiring freeze) and in the current economy they have not had a lot of luck in finding work.

I am sorry, hate to say it, but WotC has made terrible management decisions. Hasbro does not micro-manage WotC, they set certain minimal goals the company is expected to make. All decisions on how to make those goals are entirely up to WotC management. That is why it is called a "subsidiary."

You can bash management all you want. Several facts remain. If a company loses money eventually it must close its doors forever. No good manager wants to have layoffs.

Now this gets close to the problem I see with most layoffs. Most company executives have 'golden parachutes' that protect them from their own bad decisions. You can come up with countless examples of this: the companies stock is going down the tubes yet the executives still come out smelling like a rose. I've seen this in the internet startup I was a part of and you can find plenty of examples with the most egregious being Enron. It really is getting to the point where there is a two tier system of benefits for employees. One system for the grunts, another system the executives. Most execs defend this as capitilism at its best, I just see it as patently unfair.

Note:
I don't know what is happening at WotC but I would be very curious to learn what is happening to those who actually made those 'bad management' decisions.

Ysgarran.

 

[el-remmen]

I'm disappointed in people who cannot follow a simple rule that everyone knows exists, especially after P Kitty asks everyone to cease and desist.

This thread is closed.