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Konami Reportedly Blacklisting Ex-Employees Across Japanese Video Game Industry (arstechnica.com)
The Nikkei Asian Review newspaper is reporting that the Japanese entertainment company Konami is blacklisting former employees in the Japanese video game industry. "The company is particularly targeting those who work for Kojima Productions, which was founded in 2016 by Hideo Kojima, who used to be a top designer at Konami," reports Ars Technica. From the report: Furthermore, according to the article, Konami is pressuring other companies not to hire its former employees. As the Nikkei Asian Review wrote: "One ex-Kon described his surprise at learning that Konami had instructed an employee at a television company not to deal with its former employees. In another case, a former Konami executive was forced to close his business due to pressure from the gaming giant. Ex-Kons are not allowed to put their Konami experience on their public resumes. 'If you leave the company, you cannot rely on Konami's name to land a job,' explained a former employee. If an ex-Kon is interviewed by the media, the company will send that person a letter through a legal representative, in some cases indicating that Konami is willing to take them to court."
It's not only lawful, it's not that uncommon a business practice. Konami is just being more open about it than most.
Japanese companies really feel that their employees are belongings more than people, although they'll try to phrase as 'in the family' or such. By leaving, you've betrayed Konami, stealing the experience you gathered working for them. You're trading on Konami's reputation and past works to benefit yourself - and Konami, like many Japanese companies, will not hesitate to get revenge.
Back in the 90s, it wouldn't be uncommon for a company to call up the new employer of an ex-employee and say something like "We have nothing to do with this individual's child pornography habits" or "We can confirm that the employee was never actually convicted of embezzlement". And, unsurprisingly, the ex-employee would often lost their new job. Even the rumor of a scandal could cost jobs, and with the personal ties between companies (from mom-and-pop shops to the great zaibatsu) being blacklisted in one place often meant losing access to dozens or hundreds of companies, or even entire industries.
Well, that's not how it works in Japan. If you don't have anything good to say in Japan, you'll find something good to say. You usually don't say anything bad. You just praise something less related. So it would be very hard to she anyone for libel, because all they do is praise some unrelated qualities and that is a clear red flag to anyone praying attention.
There are two rules for success:
1. Never tell everything you know.
Probably isn't legal, but that has never stopped Japanese companies pushing the boundaries of labour laws, and bullying their employees.
If you leave a traditionally minded Japanese company, they will bully you into staying. They will haul you into a meeting and scold you.
Then they will say things like "Why are you leaving the company! You can't! You still have work to do!"
And then say things like "After you leave and go to this other place, are you OK that we send you your unfinished work?"
Ridiculous of course to the western ear... but to the Japanese ear who has no spine and has been bullied all the way through school - some actually can't handle the pressure and the bullying and apologize and stay with the company! ... even when they've been offered better work!
If they stay, they get treated like backstabbing traitorous unfaithful dirt and paid less from what I heard.
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The Japanese recruiter I spoke to said that he had to coach the leaving employees into resisting the bullying by being super polite. It is of course completely legal to change jobs, and the bullying is really a paper tiger tactic - but it obviously works because some Japanese really don't have a spine. I think this breed is only a step up from the "hikkikomori" who are too scared to leave their bedrooms.
Legally you have to give companies two weeks notice before leaving, so to be on the safe side they recommend giving them an entire month.
That said, many employees do a disappearing act because it's easier than facing the music and telling the boss that you're leaving.
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