Current and former employees of the American branch of Nintendo talk about the working conditions in the company. The picture they paint is not optimistic.
This is not the first time we hear about poor working conditions in the American branch of Nintendo. The first reports appeared in April, when contract staff from the quality control department (testers) revealed how badly they were being treated. The meager salaries and threats Nintendo used to discourage union formation have come to light.
Kotaku website, which was responsible for that report, will decide once again talk with employees of the American branch of the company. This time, he focused on the employees of the QA department and how the company cultivates a culture of sexism.
Working at Nintendo was almost a nightmare. It’s sad because I love Nintendo; I grew up with Nintendo. I was so happy when I joined them and thought I was going somewhere.
Says Hannah quoted by the website (name changed for the purpose of the article). As she says, her adventure with the company ended when she reported inappropriate behavior of one of the male employees. On the company’s messenger, he sent pictures of one of the Genshin Impact characters – Paimon – adding that you can have sex with her, although she looks like a child.
Hannah, who was disgusted with these “jokes”, found out after reporting that she should keep quiet, and the employee responsible for them did not suffer any consequences other than being sent to sexual harassment prevention training.
The female employees also added that male employees treated the female part of the test department as a pool of potential mates. There was also a belief within the company that if a woman is doing well, it is because she knows the right people. Women receive lower wages and are neglected for promotion.
All of these reports sound a lot like the ones that charged Activision Blizzard. It is very possible that legal action will eventually be taken against Nintendo.