Electronic Arts Named To HRC's "Best Places To Work 2014" List

[Seracen]

Oh, so EA touts equal right and non-discrimination? That's great...that means they can treat EVERYONE like utter crap to an equal degree.

Man, they are lobbying so hard right now. I'm just not drinking the Kool-Aid. However "tolerant" EA claims to be, I'll not soon forget the practices that brought to bear a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT against them for over-working their employees.

It's great that one's personal choices don't adversely affect them in this company, and it is to be commended. But this should be a given (even if it isn't yet), and it doesn't ignore all their other faults.

Seriously, we haven't seen such widespread abuse in such a large company since the Roosevelt era (the first one!). Well...that's exaggeration...Bank of America was pretty bad as well.

Anyway, I'll not be convinced that they have changed in spirit anytime soon. Sure, maybe they are actually compensating a 100 hour workweek. But I'm sure there's pressure to do more to keep your job, since "a million people want your spot" if they get fired.

A company's "soul" is represented by their business practice as a whole. How they treat their employees AND their customers are the truer measure of sincerity. It doesn't matter if they don't discriminate, if everyone gets an equally shared amount of douche-baggery. It doesn't matter if they apologize for their faults, if they keep repeating their mistakes.

And it doesn't matter how many games they continue to make, if they keep producing production line flops. Moreover, it doesn't matter how many IP's and companies they acquire, if they continue to shut them down. They've ruined Westwood, and are currently ruining Bioware. I'd hardly call that "treating your employees well."

So I'm withholding the forgiveness, and brewing some more Hate-orade...

[Emperor Palpatine voice]: good good...let the anger flow through you!

 

[Sean Strife]

I really, really don't get it. People scream for EA to do better, and when they try to do better, they still just keep moaning about them. Why do EA even bother trying to do better if this is the general response?!?

Because they aren't doing better where it actually counts: the games. I'll applaud them for their support of the LGBT community, the recent donation to the American Cancer Society, the abolishment of the online pass, and things of that nature (and I gladly support them in that), but that doesn't excuse them from everything else that is the primary reason why people complain about them all of the time: gutting of studios, forcing Origin on everybody even though it's been a massive failure, locking content away on disc to release as DLC, using draconian DRM, etc.

Those are the things that will get people to stop complaining about EA trying for this "publicity stunt". The LGBT stuff and the ACS donation are fine and dandy, but of course people are going to write it off because, chances are, it doesn't directly affect them in any way, shape, or form. The products they release, however, do directly affect gamers, and that's what it's gonna take to get most gamers to finally stop giving EA crap about it.

 

[MrFalconfly]

I really, really don't get it. People scream for EA to do better, and when they try to do better, they still just keep moaning about them. Why do EA even bother trying to do better if this is the general response?!?

Because they aren't doing better where it actually counts: the games. I'll applaud them for their support of the LGBT community, the recent donation to the American Cancer Society, the abolishment of the online pass, and things of that nature (and I gladly support them in that), but that doesn't excuse them from everything else that is the primary reason why people complain about them all of the time: gutting of studios, forcing Origin on everybody even though it's been a massive failure, locking content away on disc to release as DLC, using draconian DRM, etc.

Those are the things that will get people to stop complaining about EA trying for this "publicity stunt". The LGBT stuff and the ACS donation are fine and dandy, but of course people are going to write it off because, chances are, it doesn't directly affect them in any way, shape, or form. The products they release, however, do directly affect gamers, and that's what it's gonna take to get most gamers to finally stop giving EA crap about it.

Well at least they're doing better at something.

Small steps, wherever they're made, are better than frikkin' stasis.

 

[Sean Strife]

I really, really don't get it. People scream for EA to do better, and when they try to do better, they still just keep moaning about them. Why do EA even bother trying to do better if this is the general response?!?

Because they aren't doing better where it actually counts: the games. I'll applaud them for their support of the LGBT community, the recent donation to the American Cancer Society, the abolishment of the online pass, and things of that nature (and I gladly support them in that), but that doesn't excuse them from everything else that is the primary reason why people complain about them all of the time: gutting of studios, forcing Origin on everybody even though it's been a massive failure, locking content away on disc to release as DLC, using draconian DRM, etc.

Those are the things that will get people to stop complaining about EA trying for this "publicity stunt". The LGBT stuff and the ACS donation are fine and dandy, but of course people are going to write it off because, chances are, it doesn't directly affect them in any way, shape, or form. The products they release, however, do directly affect gamers, and that's what it's gonna take to get most gamers to finally stop giving EA crap about it.

Well at least they're doing better at something.

Small steps, wherever they're made, are better than frikkin' stasis.

Oh, 100% agreed, but unfortunately, we live in a world where everybody has this sense of self-entitlement, whether it's earned or not, and it's especially prevalent in gamer culture. Like I said, they're doing good things, but they aren't going after the root of why they're such a reviled company. To use a sort of medical analogy with this: EA is treating the symptoms, not the disease itself. I honestly hope that this is just small steps towards ultimately repairing their image outright, and not just some shallow attempt to garner some good PR to take people's minds off of why they are such a reviled company. But with that, only time will tell.

 

[DrOswald]

Good on EA for this. +Karma and all that.

Also, I notice many people talking about the deplorable work conditions at EA, but the whole EA employee mistreatment scandal was like 7 years ago, and they have changed management a few times since then. Do we have any real information about work conditions at EA recently, like in the last year or so? They might have fixed up their act by now.

 

[DjinnFor]

One wonders why the fuck the HRC has a list titled "Best Places To Work" if it doesn't actually represent a list of the best places to work and only measures LGBT equality.

Oh wait. See, when you go to the HRC website, you find that EA was named one of the "Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality". EA, on the other hand, says they're one of the "Best Places to Work 2014".

Nice PR spin, EA.

So, how long can this thread last without someone trying to spin this into something bad?

Besides EA thoroughly embellishing their accomplishment?

 

[Strazdas]

cultural variety. You don't go to work to fuck around - literary speaking.

You dont go to work to spread your culture either.

 

[CriticalMiss]

Just thought it might interest some people to see the full (and very long) list of other companies:

http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/best-places-to-work-2014

It's kind of sad to have to applaud people for this kind of thing, it's like giving out an award to husbands who don't beat their wives. Hopefully the list will be redudant in the near future though (in a good way).

 

[Strazdas]

cultural variety. You don't go to work to fuck around - literary speaking.

You dont go to work to spread your culture either.

I'm lost on what you're trying to say.

People live and are inspired by different culture. Their looks, accent, social interaction, region and so forth moulds them in to "them" or "us".

Employers are partially interested in their social background as it influences how they get along with other people. And better yet, on how they deal with stress.

You argued that they shouldnt care so much about LBGT rights at workplace because workpalce isnt a place where you go to spread your sexuality. Likewise, workplace is not the place where you go spreading your culture so paying more attention to it worn work in this argument.

 

[f1r2a3n4k5]

Maybe, perhaps, because they have a large percentage of LGBT/Ally workers (which seems likely considering the stance many of their constituent studios have; e.g. Bioware). Then maybe, just MAYBE, they try to provide a LGBT-friendly workplace for the sake of their employees?

Not everything has to be a stunt. You know, sometimes companies actually really do try to accommodate their employees.