Summary
Bungiehas laid off an employee just days before their maternity leave was scheduled to begin, depriving them of the company’s maternity benefits.
Bungierecently announcedit would be laying off 220 employees, approximately 17% of the studio’s workforce, with chief executive officer Pete Parsons citing “the rising costs of development,” “industry shifts” and “enduring economic conditions” as reasons for the redundancies.
One of those affected is Kelly ‘Lexuzi’ Jin, a former producer at Bungie and expecting mother. In asocial media post on X(formerly Twitter), Jin lamented that being laid off is especially bad for her as she’s unlikely to be hired in the next six months with a newborn on the way.
Bungie’s Second Mass Layoff In Two Years
“It’s just really bad timing because my maternity leave was supposed to start next Monday, and I got laid off today,” Jin writes. “I’ve contacted HR this morning about my maternity leave benefits. But I will probably not get any of it at this point. Kinda feels bad they did this Wednesday before I start maternity leave - even though I told them about things back in February and had everything planned out.”
Jin later follows up, confirming she won’t be able to access her maternity leave benefits, “My Bungie maternity leave benefits are gone because the baby isn’t here yet. Had I had my baby before being laid off, I’d get short-term disability pay. But the good news is that I live in Washington state and can apply for WA paid maternity leave even if I lost my job. Hopefully I get approved.”
Kwan Perng, narrative lead for Destiny 2: The Final Shape, wasalso laid offdespite the roaring success of the expansion.
Jin also adds that she holds no “ill will” towards Bungie for the layoffs, saying companies have to stay afloat, but also that employees don’t seem to matter much when companies fall on “hard times.”
These layoffs arrived despite Destiny 2’s latest expansion, The Final Shape, receiving widespread praise. It should be noted Parsonsspent $2.5 million on his classic car collection last year, the equivalent of 19 producer salaries at Bungie, according toGlassdoor estimates.
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