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Blizzard Entertainment manager reportedly alienated and “irritated” employees during a Q&A session he organized recently make global headlines.
according to game developerthe meeting was designed to address three main concerns raised by staff through internal surveys: the use of ‘stack rank’ To boost competition among staff, key staff bonuses for 2022 were cut, and it was recently announced that all staff must return to the office in the coming months. It was led by company president Mike Ybarra, who allegedly made “outrageous” and “bizarre” comments that put everyone in the room off guard.
employees anonymously with game developer Alleged Ybarra made several incoherent statements during the course of the lawsuit, most notably claiming that a planned 58% cut to annual employee bonuses would affect upper management and lower-level employees equally. “If you think executives are making a lot of money and you’re not, you’re living a myth,” Ybarra reportedly said.
As the employee points out, some members of Blizzard Entertainment earn as little as $45,000 a year. For these employees, bonuses can be the main difference between living comfortably and subsisting on a subsistence wage. Ybarra’s salary, while not publicly known, is likely to be much higher – and thus far less likely to be affected by bonus cuts.
Outrage over these comments was sparked by the Blizzard Entertainment experience Strong financial performance in the last quarterand a recent company-wide return to the office decree.
According to reports, Blizzard will ask employees to at least partially return to the office in the next few months. That could eat into employee earnings as the cost of living and housing pressures increase. Cutting staff bonuses in the current economy is seen as adding insult to injury – and Ybarra’s seemingly ignorant comments reportedly soured staff sentiment.
To add insult to injury, it was recently revealed that Blizzard Entertainment ranks its employees along a bell curve, from worst to best.This “stack ranking” system reportedly forces Brian Birmingham recently left, Blizzard’s lead software engineer, 20 years with the company. While concerned employees claimed the system led to low self-esteem and “punitive” and unfair management, Ybarra tried to downplay concerns.
read: Blizzard leader resigns in protest of unfair ‘bell curve’ employee rankings
‘we do not [sic] stack rank rank employees 1 through X at Blizzard. We have high expectations for our team. Managers set goals for each employee, and we measure performance against those goals, Ybarra reportedly said. “We provide managers with guidance on how they consider performance ratings for the larger team to ensure they are more fair and impartial, with flexibility.”
Despite these reassurances, employees remain disgruntled — pushed further to the edge, according to reports, by Ybarra’s insistence.”[Blizzard Entertainment] think[s] People want to be happy if the decision about [sic] Happiness doesn’t align with where we’re going, you won’t be happy, then you’re going to have to do things that will make you happy[s] [you] Happy’. The comment was interpreted as kicking out employees who disagreed with current Blizzard management practices—essentially: If you don’t like it, leave.
After several years of turmoil at the company, Litigation And allegations of mismanagement, it appears staff are fed up now more than ever. The Q&A session didn’t endear Ybarra, or the broader Blizzard Entertainment team, to the staff, who were reportedly disappointed, resentful, and angry at this response to valid, growing concerns.
Whether it’s hearing a push for better conditions at Blizzard Entertainment, or employees simply complying with Ybarra’s implicit order to leave, it’s clear that changes are coming at the company.
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