Dark Side of Game Industry in Indonesia Fired at 4, Expelled 5 Hours
Continuing the first article released a few weeks ago , this time Tech in Asia Indonesia again presents the story of the Indonesian gaming industry that may rarely be a public discussion. Just like in the first part, all of our resource persons and the companies involved we hide their identity for the security and convenience of all parties.
In contrast to the previous episode which consists of two different stories, for this section I will present the same story, but from the point of view of two different people.
The story I mean happened in early 2014 and involves one of the big game companies in Indonesia. On a seemingly ordinary Friday, suddenly employees were startled by the news that more than fifty of them had lost their jobs.
The news was delivered at four o'clock in the afternoon, and the laid-off employees were told to leave the office at five. The company also said it would lock up their computer access just in case the office data is not picked up by dismissed employees.
How about details of this incident? We have interviewed several employees of the company, and summarized it in two perspectives: from the perspective of the laid-off employee and from the perspective of the representative employee to fight for their rights. Here's the story.
Aided by prayer - The story of the employee being laid off
Honestly not much can tell me about the dismissal process that I experienced. What happened was suddenly me and some friends received a meeting invitation email , and it turned out the meeting was to announce that we had been fired. Metal really deh, hahaha .
Of course I was very surprised, especially at that time I just made a request for debt to the bank and received by the bank. After the dismissal, even though the company asked for the cleaning process to take place faster, but I spent more than a week to bring home all the personal items in the office.
Never mind the process of sudden dismissal, the HR team was not transparent about the calculation of severance we received. I also try to consult to my friend who work as a lawyer to ask whether what is done my office is in accordance with applicable law.
is my old office helping to find a new job after firing dozens of employees? Well they help, but only with prayer, hahaha
From my friend, I get enough information and support to claim my rights at the office. Finally, the laid-off employees took the liberty of bringing the firing case to the green table if the severance pay was not given according to the rules.
Fortunately, our office at that time obeyed the request, perhaps they were afraid of a good name being tarnished and would spend more money if they bothered to take this to the green table.
More or less is the most memorable of the events that happened to me a few years ago. If anyone asks me if my old office helped find a new job after firing dozens of employees? Well they help ... but only with prayer, hahaha.
Even when fired, the office promises to call the employee who is laid off if they open vacancies again. In fact vacancy reopened two months after the incident, but they focus more on recruiting new people.
Struggle to ensure rights - Stories from employee representatives
Black Friday, that's the name of some employees for the incident that happened to my office a few years ago. Unlike the modern Black Friday full of discounts, Black Friday is full of chunks of employees. I forgot how exact it was, but there were more than fifty people who lost their jobs unexpectedly that day.
The dismissal process itself is quite disappointing. At that time, no one knew about the office plan to fire dozens of employees at once. Initially department heads were asked to list their teams, and sorted them from the highest to the lowest. No one expected the list to be used to choose who to dismiss, just for evaluation.
This order came from the head of the studio at the time. I personally got annoyed with him, but he himself could not do much because the orders came from the board of directors. His dismissal process has been redirected in great detail, so he can not be blamed too. Nevertheless, I am still disappointed that he was not present to meet the sons who were fired on the day of H.
A few days before the dismissal, department heads were notified of the mass layoffs plan. The criteria are chosen based on performance and also whether the employee is still on probation or not. Of course the heads of departments showed a lot of disagreement, but the hammers had been knocked and nothing could be done.
A few days later, if not wrong the day before the announcement, then the HR team held a meeting with a group of employee representatives. Of course the representatives who were present at that time did not accept the decision and the way taken to do so. But since everything is unanimous, all we can be sure is that the dismissed children can have severance pay and decent right.
... it's like seeing a butcher drove a bunch of cows to a slaughterhouse
Most employee representatives feel very disappointed, especially since we can not help much. Therefore some of us decided to be present in the room where the decision was announced, even though we were not invited at the time.
So on the day of H, it was Friday, the employees to be fired were split into groups and told to gather in different rooms. The reason is certainly because one room is not enough to accommodate them all. Seeing this inhuman process feels like seeing a butcher drove a bunch of cows to a slaughterhouse.
From the announcement it was rumored that the employees had to leave the office as soon as possible and their computer access would be locked at exactly five o'clock. Cash of many employees who feel confused, shocked, there are even some who cried.
But there are events that I find interesting. Before laid-off children are called, other employees are unaware of this. Only after the laid-off employees entered the conference room, the information could somehow spread. When the children came out, the front of the room was filled with friends who showed their support.
From there, of course the plan to drive them out at precisely five o'clock did not materialize. Management is afraid that if the employees who are victims there are upset and begin to divulge, or even delete, office work.
sacked children had time to ... finish the work that was delayed despite being fired, and some even joined Dota together before leaving the office
But, as a representative, we guarantee that if there is anything then we will be responsible. Office IT team was quite rebellious by not closing the computer access should be withdrawn at five o'clock.
Thanks to this kinship, the dismissed children had time for "farewell," in the sense that they had kept their personal data once, completed the work that was delayed despite being fired, and some even joined Dota together before leaving the office.
Fortunately, the company was still willing to be responsible for paying severance pay as per applicable law. The employees were not written to be laid off, but considered to resign and get a letter of recommendation. The goal is not to be a stumbling block for them looking for work elsewhere.
But it's not over there yet. Worse, two months after this incident, management asked the department head to reopen because we lack people to work on a new project. The decisions taken were too hasty.
Come to think of it, it seems like layoffs whose primary purpose for dismissal is to make the company lose. Never mind the morale of many employees who descend, the obligation to pay severance that is not small, and two months later the company opens vacancies again. Quite silly too, hahaha.
This is the second part of a collection of dark stories of the Indonesian gaming industry . Not only about grief, you can also find positive stories that occur in the local gaming industry in the Devstory article series .
If you also have a shareable story too, do not hesitate to contact me at fahmi@techinasia.com .