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Programmer Sues VU Games Over Excessive Work Hours

Posted by simoniker on from the finish-the-game dept.

eToychest writes "According to Reuters, a video game programmer has sued Vivendi Universal Games, claiming he and his colleagues were regularly forced to work extra hours and denied overtime pay. The suit, filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, is one of many filed against companies in the state in recent months, as employees seek to be classified as overtime-eligible to obtain compensation for working more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. The suit seeks payment of back overtime wages plus other damages. This comes the recent announcement that the company said it would cut more than one-third of its staff, excluding Blizzard. Of the things mentioned in the suit, the complaints include no overtime compensation, and employees being ordered to falsify timesheets to indicate they worked shorter days." This report is especially interesting in light of the recent IGDA 'Quality Of Life' survey for game developers.

3 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Last time I checked by aflat362 · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    This isn't the third world people. Nobody's forcing you to work. How hard is it to say to your employer "No, I won't work excessive hours without compensation" If they fire you, oh well. Sounds like the job sucked anyway.

    I'm glad though, that they are doing something about the problem. I hate it when the Man exploits people and fills his already fat pockets a little more.

    --

    Conserve Oil, Recycle, Boycott Walmart

  2. What is wrong with these people? by bconway · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Salaried, nonexempt employees are not paid for their hours, they're paid to get a job done, regardless of the time it takes. That can mean working extra hours in the crunch time, or taking off a couple hours early on Friday to play golf. Do these people really WANT to be hourly employees? I sure as hell don't.

    --
    Interested in open source engine management for your Subaru?
  3. high unemployment? by MBraynard · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Please. When were you born, 1997? High unemployment would be double digits. You know, like it is all the time in Europe. Many economists still think that full employment is 5%. Today it's at ~6.5% and jobs are being created faster than ever - luring more people from semi-retirment or non-working status to unemployed/job seeking status. Get a clue, Democrat.