Getting paid to work or getting paid to not work?

Blizzard has a very interesting approach to cutting costs. It appears that the financial department of Blizzard is making some bold moves. You can read about this more in one of our previous posts. In an attempt to cut costs, they are offering “very generous” severance packages to employees who voluntarily leave the company. The severance package (called the Career Crossroads program) was originally offered to departments focused on customer service, but has since expanded to other areas. The areas included in this progarm are teams that are not currently directly involved in developing games. It is kind of strange that Blizzard’s way of cutting costs involves paying people. It seems counterproductive, but Blizzard has professionals in their finance department, and fortunately for them, not me.

Cutting costs and balancing budgets can sometimes lead to controversial decisions or actions, but with these severance packages, Blizzard hopes to balance their financial goals and public opinion. As mentioned above, leaving the company is entirely voluntary; no employee has been asked or encouraged to take the money. In a news article by PC Gamer, Blizzard has been reported to say that “fewer than 10 people in the departments we recently expanded the program to have taken advantage of it, the general idea is that in addition to providing them with that opportunity, it also helps us give more advancement opportunities to other employees on the team when possible.

Not everyone is buying it

The announcement above was made specifically to sound appeasing to fans. Clearly, no one in their PR department has left. However, making this program sound sweet hasn’t won over everyone. To some, this is just a fancy way of lay-offs, but only time will tell if Blizzard stays on everyone’s good side.

What’s your take on the Career Crossroads program? Do you think it is as generous as Blizzard claims or is it a nefarious act to save money? Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to stay up to date with all our Blizzard-related news on our site.

Source: PC Gamer