31–38 of 38 posts
And another clause most likely allows them to quit with a two weeks notice. Why don't you just quit?
"A Gameloft employee, who asked not to be named, said a clause in their contracts allowed for a "reasonable amount" of unpaid overtime." And another clause most likely allows them to quit with a two weeks notice. Why don't you just quit?
So sometimes there really isn't an option but to finish the year(s) or take a big financial hit.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Japanese salaryman "overtime" is very strange. In my experience, employees are not doing more work, they are at the office trying to look busy until the boss goes home. Sometimes the boss is sleeping at his desk, and people are sitting around looking at blank documents on the screen.
The boss is usually avoiding the train wreck that is his family life. It used to be that ever so often they would get off early, around 8PM, so they could go drinking to hang out some more until the last trains. Not so much with the younger generation. These business practices give new meaning to "Japanese miracle".
It could be my personal limited experience, but I've seen several really badly run game companies, and none that seemed to be run well at all.
Sadly, this is pretty much Japan in a nutshell. People don't complain either. It wrecks your productivity, health, and family. Also does nothing for the economy. The funny thing about the threat of power outages after the earthquake is that suddenly people are trying to find ways to work shorter hours and be more productive for God and country. Unreasonable hours create a downward spiral. Walking away is an option bu…
People don't complain either. I think you can put an asterix on this one. People don't complain about long hours in Japanese megacorps for the same reason they don't complain about them in game development studios: if you care enough to complain, you're at nearly zero risk of ending up with that job. Nobody becomes seishain at a Japanese megacorp and then suddenly gets surprised about the working conditions. I went i…
The problem with the salary man system is it's so demographically bankrupt. Work to death on low pay while you're young, kick back and let the young work for you as you get older and better paid (co-opted by your more capable co-workers if you suck at what you do). Doesn't work with a shrinking population and dismal economy.
There are so many brilliant, young Japanese people out there and IT is a real magnet for them. But they're not the aggressive type either. The American equivalent wouldn't afraid to start a company or pick up women if they find someone attractive, though they may be more shy than the general population. The Japanese mirror national tendencies. I hope this crisis provokes long-lasting change. It's already given me some hope to see how the younger generation are taking more charge after seeing the power of technology to make real differences in the world.
A French-owned company? Does anyone else see the irony in this? I'll add a link to an old article if I can find it, but I remember a small software company owner in France being fined when some of his workers exceeded 45 hours a week. Edit: Here are two articles from when the workweek in France was shortened but I haven't found the article I'm looking for yet. My point isn't really to denigrate France's laws but it w…
There are two options here: 1. Keep working, and stop crying about it. 2. Quit Yeah it sucks, but as someone who worked these kind of hours in the military, without the ability to quit, I don't feel any sympathy. You empower your employer to treat you like this, and there are many industries where this is near the norm.
And then what? There aren't that many games jobs in NZ.