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Don't Nod responds to union concerns of staff welfare

Don't Nod responds to union concerns of staff welfare

French union STJV has raised concerns about staff at developer Don't Nod from being overworked.

In a post on its website, the organisation said that it is worried that the studio won't be able to work on the eight projects that it currently has in development. This, STJV says, is due to deadlines moving often, information and direction given to teams being contradictory, staff being moved from project to project with no long-term vision and a "gruelling reorganisation".

"In a studio where each project erratically follows another, time and long-term vision required for the employees’ welfare is disappearing, leading to more stress among workers and creating boreout/burnout situations by leaving us all waiting for decisions to be taken by management," the union wrote.

"The STJV is concerned about the psychosocial hazards Don’t Nod’s workers are facing, in view of the significant number of reports of ill-being and sick leaves."

In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Don't Nod said that accusations of staff being 'regularly mistreated' didn't align with its values as a company.

"We prioritise creating a supportive and inclusive work environment where every individual is treated with respect and dignity," the studio continued.

"We want to emphasise that these allegations are taken seriously internally. We maintain a continuous dialogue with our employee representatives and open channels of communication to address any concerns expressed by our team members. We remain committed to upholding a supportive and inclusive work environment for all."

"We understand the importance of transparency and accountability, and we are committed to addressing any issues raised constructively."


PCGamesInsider Contributing Editor

Alex Calvin is a freelance journalist who writes about the business of games. He started out at UK trade paper MCV in 2013 and left as deputy editor over three years later. In June 2017, he joined Steel Media as the editor for new site PCGamesInsider.biz. In October 2019 he left this full-time position at the company but still contributes to the site on a daily basis. He has also written for GamesIndustry.biz, VGC, Games London, The Observer/Guardian and Esquire UK.